New spy HQ in the heart of Berlin opens its doors

Yesterday in central Berlin, close to the former Berlin Wall, German Chancellor Angela Merkel officially opened the new BND (Bundesnacthrichtendienst) - German Intelligence Service headquarters.

The €1 billion new HQ will be the workplace for 4,000 employees, most of them secret agents or spies

The building was originally scheduled to be opened in 2011

In 2015 thieves stole taps from toilets throughout the building, resulting in flooding and damage, in an incident nicknamed “Watergate” in the German press.

The current president of the BND, Bruno Kahl, was on hand to answer questions to journalists at the official opening in Berlin yesterday.