Overview

• Germany currently has 579 public shelters with a total capacity for 478,000 people, a number officials say falls short of national needs.
• BBK President Ralph Tiesler has announced plans to create one million additional shelter spaces by repurposing public infrastructure.
• The retrofit effort will adapt tunnels, U-Bahn stations and parking garages for use as emergency refuges complete with basic supplies.
• The BBK estimates the overall cost will reach at least €10 billion over the next four years and exceed €30 billion within a decade.
• Private companies report an exponential rise in demand for residential bunkers from a broad cross-section of society, including families, professionals and politicians.