Cologne in a state of emergency: largest evacuation since the Second World War!

Cologne in a state of emergency: largest evacuation since the Second World War!

On Monday, June 2, 2025, the Cologne district of Deutz drew attention with a dramatic incident. During construction work at the Deutz shipyard, three unexploded bombs were discovered: two American 20-can bombs and one 10-can bomb, all with impact detonators. This discovery led to one of the largest evacuation operations Cologne has seen since the end of World War II. The measures are unavoidable because the bombs must be defused.

The defusal is scheduled for Wednesday, June 4, 2025, and the explosive ordnance disposal service of the Düsseldorf district government has already taken all precautions. From 8 a.m. a danger zone with a radius of 1,000 meters will be set up around the site. Over 20,000 people have to be evacuated during this time, including from the entire old town of Cologne and large parts of Deutz. Affected residents and employees are asked to go to various evacuation locations such as the Cologne Messe/Deutz train station, the Lanxess Arena, the RTL building, the Cologne trade fair or the Eduardus Hospital.

Evacuation measures and support

The Cologne fire department actively supported the public order office in evacuating the affected residential areas. Residents were asked to leave their houses and apartments to ensure their safety. Had to be loud at night WDR Around 5,000 people in the city center temporarily left their homes.

The city of Cologne has set up a contact point for those affected in the gymnasium of the Humboldstrasse vocational college. You can also take important personal items with you here, such as ID cards, medication and baby food. However, pets must stay outside, which is a challenge for many animals and their owners. Some residents spent the night in the gym, while others found alternatives.

Background to the bomb discovery

The problem of unexploded bombs is not new in Germany. Loud ARD Alpha There are an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 tons of unexploded bombs from the Second World War stored in the ground. Around 5,000 of these objects have to be removed every year, with the danger zones being identified by analyzing old aerial photographs. Unexploded bombs are often discovered by chance during construction work, as in the current case in Cologne. Careful handling of these explosive relics requires special expertise as many bombs are over half a century old and the explosives can be unpredictable.

After defusing, the area will continue to be difficult to access. The closed Severins and Hohenzollern Bridges as well as the Deutzer Bridge make a quick return unlikely. The normal traffic situation will only be restored after the defused bombs have been recovered and transported. The Cologne Transport Association has already announced that buses and trains will no longer have any restrictions until the situation is clarified.

For further information on evacuation, the City of Cologne website is available: www.stadt-koeln.de. The coming days will be challenging for many Cologne residents, but the city administration and emergency services are doing a good job of dealing with this delicate situation.