Two Danish brothers uncovered one of Denmark’s deepest Cold War secrets—a hidden atomic bunker in North Zealand that was once intended to protect the nation’s leadership in the event of nuclear war.
A Secret Beneath the Forest
For decades, a heavy steel door in the Krogenberg Hegn forest in North Zealand hid one of Denmark’s most secret Cold War constructions: the BOC bunker. Built in the late 1950s, this underground shelter was meant to house the government, the monarch, and key officials if the tension between East and West ever turned into nuclear conflict.
In 2012, amateur historian Poul Holt Pedersen finally stepped inside after years of research. Beneath layers of concrete and secrecy, he saw what had once been Denmark’s first atomic bunker. Its existence had been guarded so well that even many within government circles avoided speaking of it.
Childhood Curiosity Led to a Lifelong Mystery
Poul and his brother Karsten grew up fascinated by old bunkers along the Jutland coast, remnants from World War II. A family gathering in their youth sparked an obsession when an uncle mentioned rumors of secret Cold War installations. The brothers decided to find out if those whispers were true.
From the mid‑1990s onward, they spent countless hours digging through archives and watching secluded areas for signs of hidden activity. Their research led them to Regan Vest in Rold Skov—Denmark’s massive underground government facility built in the 1960s. They took the first known photo of its exterior in 1996, unaware that an even earlier, smaller bunker existed further east.
Denmark’s First Atomic Bunker
After NATO’s 1957 warning that member nations should plan for evacuation in case of nuclear war, Denmark began building an atomic‑proof shelter. By 1961, the BOC bunker in Krogenberg Hegn was completed.
The installation was roughly 1,000 square meters across two stories. It could house 80 people and had sleeping quarters, office space, a situation room, power generators, and even a water supply system. The ceiling was nearly two meters thick, designed to withstand nearby blasts. Inside, the country’s top officials would continue governing even if Copenhagen was destroyed.
Keeping Secrets and Writing History
The brothers’ investigations eventually caught the attention of state authorities, who were cautious at first. Later, a unique cooperation was formed. Poul and Karsten were allowed to document parts of their discoveries under strict confidentiality. They signed nondisclosure agreements before publishing their first book about Regan Vest in 2010.
During that research, they noticed references to something called “BOC”—a coded name that stood for Bygningstjenestens Operations Central, or the Building Service Operations Center. It pointed back to the bunker near Helsingør that predated Regan Vest. In 2012, Poul was permitted a carefully supervised visit inside this hidden site. Even then, large portions remained classified.
From Command Center to Sealed Relic
The Cold War ended without a bomb dropped, and the BOC bunker gradually lost its function. For a while it served civilian purposes, including offices for the Danish Telecommunications Authority. In the early 1990s, artist Poul Gernes, known for decorating Copenhagen’s Palace Building, was invited to paint sections of the interior, giving the austere space a touch of color.
By 2013, Danish authorities decided to close the bunker entirely. Entryways were welded shut, installations removed, and the site sealed for good. Before the closure, a few citizens were allowed inside on guided tours, a rare opportunity to glimpse a hidden part of national history.
Silent Witness of a Tense Era
Today, the BOC bunker remains beneath the forest, invisible but intact—a relic of a time when global confrontation shaped national defense planning. Some experts wonder whether its closure would be reconsidered amid modern geopolitical uncertainty, but for now it remains sealed off.
What started as children’s curiosity on Denmark’s windswept coast ended in one of the most remarkable civilian discoveries of Cold War history. Beneath the calm trees of North Zealand, a piece of the past still waits quietly, hidden in concrete silence.
Sources and References
The Danish Dream: Ancient Archeological Discovery in Northern Denmark
The Danish Dream: Best Museums in Denmark for Foreigners
TV2: Brødre fandt hemmelig bunker i Nordsjælland og indgik aftale med staten
