The infamous "CyberBunker" data center in Traben-Trarbach, Germany, is set to be repurposed, potentiallly as either a wine or cheese cellar.
The bunker is reportedly a multi-story protective structure, with four floors underground and a floor space of 5,500 sqm (59,202 sq ft). It has two adjacent office buildings with a total floor space of 4,300 sqm (46,285 sq ft) and is set on 13-hectares of land.
Proposals for the site have been made, but no definitive decision as of yet.
The bunker was previously being used as a data center that hosted illegal multi-million dollar deals on the darknet.
German investigators shut down the operation in 2019. According to reports, the location was hosting sites that sold drugs, child pornography, and illegal botnets. Around 200 servers were seized during the raid. CyberBunker itself claims to have "hosted services to any website except child pornography and anything related to terrorism."
Ultimately seven people were convicted of 'membership of a criminal organization' by the Trier Regional Court in 2021. Ownership of the site was handed over to the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in September 2023.
Prior to its nefarious uses, the bunker was a NATO facility. According to a 2012 article in Immobilien Zeitung, it was being used as a data center by the military. In 2013, it was acquired by an unidentified Dutchman from the Office for Geoinformation of the Bundeswehr.
Despite its colorful history, it seems that the bunker is still piquing interest for commercial uses. According to Traben-Trarbach's mayor, Patrice Langer, he has received inquiries from people looking to rent the site.
One is a Dutchman who hopes to store and mature cheese in the bunker, another wishes to use it as a wine depot.
Other proposals include using the site as a backup for a bank, or an open-plan club and hotel. The site is currently being offered by the current owner the State of Rhineland-Palatinate as a facility to the public sector with discussions underway with Germany's Federal Agency for Real Estate.
An assessment of the facility is currently underway as it needs significant renovation for future use. No sale price has yet been set.
