WWII bomb forces evacuation of 21,000 people in southern Germany
In June, the city of Cologne had to evacuate 20,000 people to defuse three American bombs dropped by planes in World War II. In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where the city is located, more than 1,600 explosives were defused last year.
In the state of Brandenburg, which is around Berlin, in 2024 alone, experts collected 90 mines, 48 thousand grenades, 500 incendiary bombs, 450 high-explosive bombs weighing more than five kilos and around 330 thousand cartridges.
Cities like Frankfurt also face the problem. In 2018, 60,000 people had to leave their homes for an explosive to be defused.
In 2012, a bomb had to be completely detonated in Munich. A similar procedure often happens when devices are found in the beds of rivers such as the Elbe and the Rhine.
The problem also affects several neighboring countries. In France and Belgium, ammunition from both World Wars is regularly found, especially from the First World War, in regions such as Verdun and Somme.
In Italy, drought in the Po River Valley in 2022 brought ancient explosives to the surface. In the United Kingdom, a one-tonne German bomb had to be detonated in a controlled manner in Exeter in 2021, damaging more than 250 buildings.
