For many of us, the Cold War is a faded, but not too distant memory. Even as time is putting distance between us and the events of the Cold War, evidence of the conflict can still be plainly seen in the landscape across Europe.
Dutch photographer Martin Roemers documents those landscapes affected by the legacy of the Cold War. “It was a strange conflict. There was no fighting, but it left its mark in Europe and you can still see it even today,” said Roemers. Just take a look, it’s pretty surreal.
1.) Nuclear bunker for the president of East Germany, Erich Honecker.
2.) Soviet army base in Germany.
3.) Russian nuclear bunker.
4.) Sunken Baltic Sea bunker off the coast of Latvia.
5.) A fading portrait of Lenin.
6.) A toppled Lenin statue in Lithuania.
7.) The leftovers at a Soviet Air Force bombing range in Germany.
8.) Statue at a Soviet airbase in Germany.
9.) Bunker control room in East Germany.
10.) Soviet submarine base in Ukraine.
11.) Soviet cemetery in Germany.
12.) Spent Soviet ammunition.
13.) Underground missile base in Lithuania.
14.) A public nuclear fallout shelter in the Netherlands.
15.) In a Polish Soviet cemetery.
16.) West German Army bunker.
17.) Atomic testing area in the United Kingdom.
18.) Rusting tanks somewhere in Germany.
19.) Soviet Army base, Germany.
20.) Nuclear misslie silo in Poland.
21.) Gravestone at a Soviet army cemetery in Germany.
22.) Nuclear shelter for the government of West Germany.
23.) Dutch government nuclear bunker.
24.) Old Soviet army barracks in Germany.
25.) Soviet shooting range in Germany.
26.) Underground bunker in Latvia.
27.) East German secret police prison.
28.) Watchtower in the Netherlands.
29.) At the Soviet aircraft school in Germany.
30.) Mural at the Soviet aircraft school.
31.) American spy station in Berlin, Germany.
(Martin Roemers via Slate)
It wasn’t that long ago that the nation was overrun with the fear of a nuclear war. Being paranoid didn’t seem too crazy, and even these pictures make me feel uneasy. I’ve got to say, I’m glad the Cold War is over. Just keep you fingers crossed that another one is not on the horizon.
Make sure to share these photos with your friends on Facebook by clicking below.
