Please note: The bunker is difficult to access. To gain access, visitors must be able to crawl through a window that protrudes approximately 80 cm above ground level. The original entrance has been bricked up and the bunker must be entered via the “emergency exit”. People with walking difficulties and people in wheelchairs are therefore, unfortunately(!) unable to enter the bunker.
This bunker is the only one remaining from World War II in Leiden, and therefore, it is a municipal monument. Many people are not even aware that there is a bunker here because it is well camouflaged by overgrown plants and a brick covering that makes it resemble a house.
From 1942, the German occupiers built the Atlantic Wall along the European coast, a line of artillery, bunkers, minefields, etc., to prevent an Allied landing. To allow communication between the bunkers, the Germans installed a separate telephone network. This bunker, designated as Type R616 Großschaltstelle (large switching point), served as a hub and switching station in this network.
The bunker is well-protected with three-meter-thick walls, which is why it has survived several attempts at demolition. The original main entrance has been bricked up, and the bunker can now only be entered through the cable space and a crawl window (emergency exit). The equipment has long been removed, but there are still original elements, including all armored doors, paintwork, and parts of the air purification system. The bunker was constructed next to a military hospital (demolished in 1951) and close to the Morspoort barracks where German troops stayed during World War II. In addition to communication equipment, the bunker also housed a cable repair team of six soldiers.
