Cologne Faces Largest Postwar Evacuation Over Unexploded WWII Bombs
The German city of Cologne undertook its most significant evacuation since the end of World War II this week, requiring approximately 20,500 residents and workers to temporarily leave a large central area. The drastic measure was necessary to allow experts to safely defuse three substantial unexploded American bombs dating back to the Second World War.
The Discovery and Scale of the Threat
The formidable devices were unearthed on Monday, June 2, 2025, during preparatory groundwork for road construction at a shipyard located in the city’s Deutz neighbourhood. Authorities quickly identified the ordnance as a serious hazard. These were not small relics; the find included two massive 1,000kg (nearly 2,200 lb) bombs and one 500kg (approx 1,100 lb) bomb, all equipped with potentially volatile impact fuzes designed to detonate on contact.
Recognising the immense danger posed by such unexploded ordnance in a densely populated urban environment, city officials promptly established a comprehensive safety zone. A 1,000-metre (3,280ft) radius around the discovery site was sealed off, leading to the city describing the operation as “the largest operation since the end of WW2” in terms of the required evacuation scale.
A City on Pause: The Evacuation Zone
The mandated evacuation encompassed a vast and critical swathe of Cologne, including large portions of the historic Old Town and the Deutz neighbourhoods. Within the 1000m radius, a wide array of buildings and institutions were required to clear out. This included:
Thousands of residential homes
Businesses, shops, and restaurants
58 hotels
9 schools
The large Eduardus Hospital, necessitating complex transfers of patients, including those in intensive care, via ambulance
Two nursing homes
Numerous cultural institutions, such as the Philharmonic Hall, various museums, the trade fair center, the LANXESS arena, and the Musical Dome
Government buildings
The major transport hub, Messe/Deutz train station
Notably, the UNESCO World Heritage Cologne Cathedral is located just outside the perimeter of this extensive danger zone.
Logistics, Warnings, and Support
The evacuation commenced on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, beginning at 8 am local time. City officials went door-to-door, particularly in the Old Town and Deutz districts, to ensure everyone within the zone was aware and compliant. Authorities issued stern warnings, stating that refusal to leave could result in residents being escorted from their homes “if necessary by force” with police involvement, and potentially facing “expensive fines.”
To support those displaced, the city established two drop-in centres, augmented by tents and help centres staffed by aid organisations, providing food and water. Residents were advised to remain calm, bring essential items like identification and medications, and remember to care for their pets. The sight of numerous blue-light ambulances across the city was necessary to facilitate patient relocations from the hospital and care homes.
Widespread Disruption Across Cologne
The comprehensive nature of the exclusion zone brought large parts of the city to a standstill. Many typically bustling streets were eerily deserted as businesses complied with requirements to cease operations. The impact on transportation was particularly severe:
All roads within the evacuation zone were closed.
Numerous train services were cancelled, and the Messe/Deutz station was shut down.
Critically, three bridges spanning the Rhine river, including the heavily used Hohenzollern railway bridge which is a key link to Cologne’s central station, were closed.
Rhine shipping traffic was temporarily suspended.
Beyond infrastructure, daily life and scheduled events were significantly affected. Cultural venues were closed, and major events happening concurrently in the city, such as Seriencamp and AngaCom, faced massive travel disruption for attendees and participants, despite being physically outside the immediate zone. German broadcaster RTL even temporarily shifted its broadcasts to Berlin. Even personal events were impacted, with fifteen couples scheduled to marry at the historic town hall having their ceremonies relocated. Cologne Bonn Airport noted that while flights continued, accessing the airport by road or rail from affected areas would be challenging.
The Successful Defusal
The complex defusal operation was entrusted to experts from the Dusseldorf district’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service. The critical task of rendering the bombs safe could only begin once authorities were certain the entire danger zone was fully evacuated. A slight delay occurred when one individual in the historic centre initially refused to leave their home.
However, once clearance was given, the experts worked swiftly. The three hazardous devices were successfully defused on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, within approximately one hour of the team receiving clearance. Following the successful operation, city authorities began the process of allowing residents to return to their homes later the same evening.
A Common Legacy of War
The discovery of unexploded bombs from wartime air raids, even some 80 years after the conflict ended, remains a frequent occurrence across Germany. Cities like Cologne were heavily targeted during Allied bombing campaigns against Nazi Germany, leaving behind a dangerous legacy beneath the surface. Cologne alone experienced 262 separate air raids, during which around 20,000 people were tragically killed. An estimated 35 million tons of bombs were dropped on the city throughout the war.
While bomb discoveries and subsequent evacuations are relatively common, this event in Cologne stood out due to the sheer size of the three American bombs found, the resulting scale of the required evacuation affecting over 20,000 people, and its unusually prominent location so close to the city’s historic heart and major infrastructure. While other German cities have experienced larger total* evacuations in the past, this operation marked the biggest single displacement in Cologne since 1945, highlighting the persistent impact of World War II on modern Germany.
References
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj6r04e870do
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj6r04e870do
- https://deadline.com/2025/06/cologne-bomb-evacuation-disrupts-city-seriencamp-anga-rtl-1236422790/
- https://apnews.com/article/germany-cologne-wartime-bombs-evacuation-wwii-cd56b12a40a85296d5b7bc37580567eb
- https://ca.news.yahoo.com/around-20-000-evacuated-cologne-075219569.html
