Civil defense; reversal of shelters

Many of the shelters built in connection with the federal government's civil defense tasks were also released from the civil defense commitment as part of a prescribed reversal procedure if they were no longer needed. These procedures have been suspended since 2022.

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The nationwide public shelter concept for civil defense purposes was abandoned by the federal government in 2007. If the federal government no longer required the shelters built in connection with the federal government's civil defense tasks for civil defense purposes, they were to be reversed as part of a procedure prescribed by the federal government. The reversal of a shelter was primarily associated with its release from the civil defense obligation and the lifting of the so-called prohibition of change.

Of the reversals that have been carried out in the meantime, the domestic shelters in accordance with Section 8 of the Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Act (ZSKG) should be mentioned in particular, where reversals were carried out across the board by means of general decrees issued by the district administrative authorities.

In the case of public shelters under Section 7 ZSKG, reversals were carried out on a case-by-case basis by agreement with the parties involved. Insofar as public shelters are still subject to civil defense obligations, they are administered by the municipalities and maintained at the expense of the federal government or by the respective property owners to whom this has been transferred.

In connection with the war in Ukraine, the federal government has suspended the reversal of the public shelters that are currently still subject to the civil defense commitment, also in order to review the previous requirements regarding the reversal of public shelters in connection with an inventory of the public shelters that have not yet been reversed.

Current status

At the 221st meeting of the Conference of Interior Ministers (June 2024), the federal and state governments agreed on key basic elements of a national shelter concept. This concept is based on a status report prepared by the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI), the Federal Agency for Real Estate Management (BImA) and the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK).

All considerations are based on decentralized structural protection options for the population. Due to the scenarios of isolated attacks with short warning times that can be assumed today, centrally located public shelters could not be reached in time by most people. In addition, large gatherings of people in public shelters could become a target for an attacker.

The further development and specification of the protection concept is being carried out by a federal and state working group. Both the current threat situation and the structural conditions in Germany will be taken into account.

The conceptual considerations include the following key points:

The systematic recording of public buildings and private real estate that can be used as public refuge areas. Underground car parks, subway stations and basements as well as still dedicated or former public shelters are among the possible locations.
A digital directory based on this data that enables citizens to determine their nearest shelter locations if necessary using warning and map services (also via cell phone).
Recommendations foraction for the low-threshold preparation of rooms in private cellars that offer protection.
Information products on protection options.

A final evaluation is currently being carried out, which also includes budgetary issues and questions of equipment. The necessary decisions will then be made on this basis. A specific date for the publication of the shelter concept cannot be given at present.

The BBK continues to provide information on the construction and equipping of shelters (e.g. on structural principles). The guide "Precautions for crises and disasters" is also available there. (For links, see "Further links"). There is currently no reliable information available on the scope and implementation of financial support from the federal government for the construction of shelters for civil protection purposes.