The Urbanist Tall Stories 488: The bunker in Schönbornpark, Vienna
Dec 8, 2025
Alexei Korolyov, a journalist for Monocle, takes listeners on a journey to a hidden air-raid bunker in Schönborn Park, Vienna. He interviews museum curators Magdalena Puchberger and Maria Reid about the bunker’s forgotten history and its significance to Austria's wartime narrative. The discussion spans from failed plans and Chernobyl's impact to innovative art installations that challenge exclusion. They explore transformation through art, with satirical pieces like jars of 'Austrian air,' making this historic site a thought-provoking commentary on democracy.
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Hidden Visible Bunker
- A large, decades-empty WWII bunker in Schönbornpark remains largely unknown to locals despite its visibility.
- Alexei Korolyov and museum curators say its official recognition only occurred in 2025, revealing layers of hidden history.
National Memory And Avoidance
- Austria long avoided confronting its Nazi-era past, treating itself as a victim rather than a collaborator.
- The bunker was intentionally ignored for decades because it uneasily pointed to that history.
Saved By Chernobyl
- Plans in the 1980s to repurpose the bunker into a museum fell through and officials preferred demolition.
- The Chernobyl disaster in 1986 shifted opinion and saved the shelter from destruction.