Switzerland has enough fallout shelters for its entire population.
Owners of apartments even need to have shelters prepared, according to articles 45 and 46 of the Swiss Federal Law on Civil Protection. Since 1963, most Swiss buildings have a fallout shelter. In 2006, there were 300,000 shelters in homes, institutions, and hospitals, and an extra 5,100 public shelters.
That provides protection for 8.6 million people, covering the Swiss population by 114 percent. That’s more coverage than any other nation in the world. The reason so many were constructed was generally the same reason throughout most of Europe and America during the Cold War- fear of a nuclear war.
Though Switzerland had been neutral, as one of their slogans said, “Neutrality is no guarantee against radioactivity.” Today, about 50,000 are built every year. Additionally, the Sonnenberg tunnel in Lucerne was able house up to 20,000 people for a long time.
Dismantled now, there were seven floors containing a hospital, theatre, radio broadcasting studio, and control centre. So if ever you find yourself in Europe on the edge of nuclear war, you know which way to head.
