Cold War spy tunnel segments rediscovered in Germany

Three segments of a legendary Cold War spy tunnel have been rediscovered during construction work at the Kurmark barracks in Storkow, Germany. The tunnel sections, which total 11 meters in length and weigh several tons, were originally part of a 450-meter tunnel built in 1954/55 by the CIA and British SIS to intercept Soviet military communications.

Historical records indicate the tunnel ran from West Berlin's Rudow district to Altglienicke. Although it successfully intercepted nearly half a million phone calls, the operation was compromised by an American double agent. The Soviets, aware of the tunnel, allowed it to continue operating for approximately eleven months before it was discovered by East German technicians in 1956.

The recovered segments had been buried at the site for use as training material by the East German National People's Army (NVA). The association Berliner Unterwelten is transporting the pieces to Berlin, where they will undergo conservation and examination. The segments are intended for various historical purposes: one will be kept by the DDR Museum, another will be used for underground tours, and a third may be displayed at the original site of the tunnel.