World War II bomb discoveries in Germany

Authorities in Germany have initiated evacuations in different regions following the discovery of unexploded World War II ordnance.

In Braunschweig, approximately 4,200 residents in Leiferde, Stöckheim, and parts of Rüningen were ordered to evacuate to allow for the excavation and defusal of a suspected bomb. The operation required a one-kilometer radius clearance and the closure of several major roads.

In Cologne, a 500-kilogram American unexploded bomb was discovered in the Rodenkirchen district near the Alt St. Maternus church. This discovery necessitated the evacuation of approximately 3,000 people and the establishment of a 500-meter danger zone affecting the A4 motorway, the Rhine waterway, and a local elderly care facility.

On September 29, 2026, the Cologne ordnance required a controlled detonation after technicians found that one of the two fuses could not be unscrewed. Due to this complication, authorities opted to transport the bomb to an uninhabited field in the Weißer Rheinbogen area rather than defusing it on-site. The operation resulted in the full closure of the A4 motorway between the Cologne-Süd interchange and the Heumar triangle, and the evacuation of 114 residents from the Caritas-Altenzentrum St. Maternus. Most residents returned to their homes following the successful explosion in the evening.