Government bunker documentation center shows film documentary "Inside HV A" on August 21
The West German government bunker was described by Markus Wolf, head of the GDR secret service for many years, as "one of the most important targets of our reconnaissance". The reason was quite understandable: the German government moving into the bunker would have been a clear indication of preparations for war.
With the end of the German Democratic Republic, the foreign espionage service "Hauptverwaltung Aufklärung", or HV A for short, was also wound up. Now, 36 years later, a whiff of agent activity and espionage is returning to the bunker of the Bonn Republic, which itself was closed in 1997.
Der westdeutsche Regierungsbunker im Fokus der ostdeutschen Spionage: Foto aus der Bauzeit im Bereich der heutigen Dokumentationsstätte Regierungsbunker.
Der westdeutsche Regierungsbunker im Fokus der ostdeutschen Spionage: Foto vom Bauplatz Marienthal, aufgenommen vom gegenüberliegenden Krausberg.
On Friday, August 21, the "Dokumentationsstätte Regierungsbunker, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler" will be presenting some great cinema from 6.30 pm. The two-part film documentary by Jürgen and Daniel Ast (Ast-Film) "Inside HV A - a German service in the Cold War" provides deep insights into the history and working methods of East German foreign espionage. The two filmmakers from Berlin have spent an enormous amount of time and effort gathering information on the inner workings of the HV A, which was finally published in 2019. Among the contemporary witnesses interviewed are Markus Wolf and fellow members of his leadership team, as well as "peace scouts on the invisible front", the term used for East German agents who spied on the West.
The HV A, "a myth, a stealth bomber of Moscow, which often flew under the radar of the Western secret services. A shadowy realm, a black box," according to Ast-Film, will be illuminated and Jürgen Ast, as one of the two main actors at the searchlight, will also report on how they cracked the shell of silence and got so many top-class spies in front of the camera during the three-hour event.
The entrance fee is 10 euros, 25 euros with a guided tour in advance. The guided tour starts at 16:45.
There will be a break between the two 45-minute parts of the documentary. At the beginning of the second part, Jürgen Ast will be introduced in a panel discussion.
The event ends at 9.30 pm.
Free parking is available at the venue.
Registration in advance is possible, and there will also be a box office on the day of the event (if there are still places available).
Date: August 21, 2026
Price: 10 euros, 25 euros with a guided tour in advance.
Info and registration:
Email : regierungsbunker@alt-ahrweiler.de
Phone: 02641 9117053
