Cryptic Concrete explores bunkered sites in Cold War Germany in order to understand the inner workings of the Cold War state. • A scholarly work that suggests a reassessment of the history of geo-and bio-politics • Attempts to understand the material architecture that was designed to protect and take life in nuclear war • Zooms in on two types of structures-the nuclear bunker and the atomic missile silo • Analyzes a broad range of sources through the lens of critical theory and argues for an appreciation of the two subterranean structures' complementary nature