Silkeborg Bunkermuseum
Volunteer-run museum in bunkers of the Wehrmacht headquarters at Silkeborg Bad (1943–45) with uniforms, finds, and bunker tours.
About the museum
In March 1943, construction began on the grounds of the Silkeborg Bad spa for a new German headquarters: hundreds of Danish workers built bunkers and barracks and laid electricity and water lines. On November 5, 1943, the staff of the Wehrmacht Commander in Denmark under General Hermann von Hanneken moved here from København, because Berlin feared an Allied landing on the Jutland west coast. About 350 officers and soldiers, including about 70 German female staff assistants, worked on the grounds until the end of the war. From 1945 to 1947 it served as a camp for German refugees, with the command bunker used as a detention cell.
The association Silkeborg Bunkermuseum was founded on January 29, 1995, and the museum was inaugurated on June 6 of the same year. It is located in the troop bunker "Bertha" of type R622, which is partly furnished as it was during the occupation and shows uniforms, weapons, equipment, and ground finds from the forests and lakes of the surrounding area. Since May 2025, the neighboring bunker "Charlotte" has provided information on the resistance in the Silkeborg area.
In 2024, the general's command bunker, which lies under the lawn in front of the former social building, received a new staircase access with funds from the Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen and the municipality; before that it could be reached only by an almost vertical ladder. It is accessible during guided tours and events. The association, with about 70 members, runs the museum and tours entirely on a volunteer basis and organizes the annual Bunkerdage with reenactment.
Highlights
- Museum bunker "Bertha" (type R622) with partly original furnishings
- Uniforms, weapons, equipment, and ground finds from the occupation period
- Exhibition on the resistance in Silkeborg in the bunker "Charlotte"
- Command bunker of General von Hanneken on guided tours
- Guided bunker hikes with flashlights
Permanent exhibitions
- Museumsbunkeren Bertha – Original troop bunker of 1943, partly furnished as in the occupation period with bunks, stove, and ventilation, with uniforms, weapons, equipment, and ground finds from the surrounding area.
- Modstandskampen i Silkeborg – Distrikt 14 – Exhibition in the bunker "Charlotte" on the local resistance 1940–1945 with weapon drops, sabotage, and retaliation actions.
- Founded
- 1995
- Operated by
- Foreningen Silkeborg Bunkermuseum
Admission & discounts
| Adults | DKK 50 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 11 · Children up to age 11 free; from age 12 the adult price applies. |
| Groups | DKK 100 per personSpecial opening of the museum with a guide (approx. 40 min.) or medium tour (approx. 1.5 hrs.) DKK 100 per person, minimum DKK 1,000; long bunker tour DKK 150 per person, minimum DKK 1,500. Max. 25 people per guide. School classes DKK 50 or DKK 75 per student, teachers free. |
| Public guided tour, medium tour (approx. 1.5 hrs.) | DKK 100April–October on the first Sunday of the month, alternating with the long tour; tickets online. |
| Public guided tour, long tour | DKK 150April–October on the first Sunday of the month, alternating with the medium tour; tickets online. |
Tickets at the entrance door of the bunker; payment in cash or by MobilePay (only outside the bunker, since there is no mobile reception inside), no card payments. Adult admission alternatively €7. Association members have free admission.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The command bunker is not wheelchair-accessible because of narrow stairs and high thresholds. The long bunker hike (2–3 km through wooded terrain) is not suitable for people with walking difficulties or claustrophobia. Public restrooms at the exit of the parking lot at the Silkeborg Kunstcenter.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 11 |
|---|
Children up to age 11 have free admission. In the museum bunker you can partly touch history. The long bunker hike is not suitable for small children and strollers.
Getting there & parking
By car
Free parking · 200 m to the entrance
Free parking lot of the Silkeborg Kunstcenter with no time limit; entrance at the large rose hip blossom sculpture and the sign "Silkeborg Kunstcenter" (GPS: Gjessøvej 40A, Silkeborg).
From the parking lot about 200 m on foot through the park of Silkeborg Bad; the route is marked on the site map on the museum website, and signage in the sculpture park is limited.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Books on the occupation period, World War II, and the resistance are sold in the museum. No mobile reception in the bunker. There is a café in the neighboring Kunstcenter; food you bring yourself can be eaten in the park of Silkeborg Bad.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Museum guides answer questions during opening hours. Bookable year-round for groups (booking@bumus.dk): special opening of the museum (approx. 40 min.), medium tour with the command bunker and two bunkers within a 300 m radius (approx. 1.5 hrs., also for school classes), and long tour with flashlights through several bunkers (2–3 km on foot). Public guided tours from April to October on the first Sunday of the month. The tours meet at the roundabout at the entrance to Silkeborg Bad. The Bunkerdage with reenactment take place every September. |
