Den amerikanska veckotidskriften LIFE Magazine publicerade 1955 artikeln Underground Sweden – ’Operation Granite’ builds world’s best shelters against a-war på hela sju sidor, ett bildreportage om svenska militära och civila anläggningar i bergrum som på 50-talet väckte stor uppmärksamhet utomlands.
I artikeln beskrivs bland andra de nyinvigda berganläggningarna på Musköbasen och Kilforsens kraftstation men också det pågående bygget av Katarinabergets skyddsrum:
To everyone a safe haven
The rules of the Swedish Civil Defense program are stiff. Every able-bodied Swede between the ages of 16 and 65 who is not on active military duty must serve 40 to 50 hours his first year on civil defense and take refresher courses thereafter. Civil defense laws also provide protection for the people. A 1946 act requires that all new homes for three or more families include a bomb shelter. Huge public shelters are being excavated everywhere. ”Today,” says a sober Swedish official, ”every man has a right to a place underground.”
LIFEs fotograf Carl Mydans lät kameran gå under konstruktionen av det blivande skyddsrummet när han var där år 1955. Här följer några av hans fotografier med de ursprungliga bildtexterna.
Overview of the Katarina Shelter entrance, which is large enough to hold the Empire State Building.
A man walking towards the Katarina Shelter entrance, which is large enough to hold the Empire State Building.
A man walking towards the Katarina Shelter entrance, which is large enough to hold the Empire State Building.
A man watching the tunneled area of the constructioning underground civil defense shelter.
A man in a rubber suit spraying concrete on steel, reinforcing the rods in the roof of underground civil defense shelter.
Laborers spreading wet cement throughout the tunnel section of the civil defence shelter.
Shadows of human figures on the granite wall of the underground civil defense shelter.
Labor workers walking across the unfinished floors throughout the civil defense shelter.
View looking down the torch lit 3rd level tunnel of the underground civil defense shelter.
Jämför gärna med bilderna i mina två tidigare artiklar om detta magnifika byggnadsverk: Tidskapseln i Katarinaberget och Katarinabergets skyddsrum, del 2.
