Cryptic Concrete A Subterranean Journey Into Cold War Germany [Paperback]

Cryptic Concrete explores bunkered sites in Cold War Germany in order to understand the inner workings of the Cold War state.

• A scholarly work that suggests a reassessment of the history of geo- and bio-politics
• Attempts to understand the material architecture that was designed to protect and take life in nuclear war
• Zooms in on two types of structures - the nuclear bunker and the atomic missile silo
• Analyzes a broad range of sources through the lens of critical theory and argues for an appreciation of the two subterranean structures’ complementary nature

Series Editor’s Preface vi

Preface vii

1 Of Blood and Soil 1

2 Lebensraum and Its Underside 22

3 Return to the Soil 45

4 Nuclear Living Space 67

5 Spaces of Extermination 91

6 Enter the Void 111

7 Conclusion 130

References 142

Index 167

'A serendipitous childhood discovery led the author on a personal and professional odyssey. Klinke immerses us in the zeitgeist of Cold War West Germany – a partitioned country created by post-war rivalries and foreign occupation. By investigating its subterranean qualities, he reveals a world far more complex and contradictory than accounts preoccupied with surface-level check-points and walls. Highly recommended.'
Klaus Dodds, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London

'Cryptic Concrete provides a fascinating and original exploration of how the distinctive German experiences of the Cold War and the aftermath of fascism can be read through their inscription in the architectural and landscape l³A