on the week-end i watched a documentation on tv about the closing down of dienststelle marienthal, a bunker as "alternative quarters of the federal constitutional organs" of germany. although treated as top-secret, the facility located near former capital bonn was quite well-known.

however, its end in these days which is somewhat unfortunate almost had been unnoticed by the public if photographer andreas magdanz would not have made efforts to put the 83.000m² areal under monumental protection and meanwhile create a large amount of pictures from inside the "bundesbunker" for documentation.

the deliberate ignorance of the former and also now politically liable to exhibit this relic of the cold war, very well illustrates the embarrassment of a nation that in the 1990s still spent tax money to improve a dugout built for a self-proclaimed elite of 3000 people to survive a nuclear bombing desaster or the like.

at the same time, the nonsense of such a bold venture becomes clear. although the facility was supplied with enough fresh food, power and other material for 30 days periodically, the question what would happen to the inhabitants after a month being sheltered from a nuclear fall-out was taboo.

in summary, dienststelle marienthal sketches what being deutsch typically stands for: overestimated gigantomania, superimposed correctness, smug engineering, accurate administration, ubermensch belief.

it's yet another shameful example of bureaucrating the horror of death in the tradition of prussian warfare and racial cleansing. it's still sticking in our bones...

obviously, i missed the coverage in telepolis, neither did i know that ingo hinterding was involved in the creation of the website. thanks for the information, kris.