Cologne in a state of emergency: Huge evacuation after bomb discovery!

Cologne in a state of emergency: Huge evacuation after bomb discovery!

An exciting, albeit tense, day lies ahead for Cologne: three bombs from the Second World War were discovered in Deutz during construction work on Monday, June 2, 2025. Defusing these dangerous relics will require the largest evacuation operation in the city since the end of the war. With around 20,000 people affected, the campaign, which is scheduled to start on Wednesday at 8 a.m., is taking on enormous dimensions. The find includes two 20-pound American bombs and one 10-pound bomb, all with impact detonators. This is reported by Tagesschau.

The evacuation will extend over a radius of 1,000 meters around the Deutzer shipyard. Not only residents are affected, but also numerous professionals who have to give up their offices and workplaces in the danger area. Facilities such as the Köln Messe/Deutz train station, the Lanxess Arena, the Eduardus Hospital, several retirement homes and various museums and educational institutions will be closed. It will be particularly difficult for visitors to the Cologne Trade Fair and the Musical Dome, who will also have to leave the city temporarily. Restrictions on light rail and bus lines are also expected at the Cologne public transport company (KVB).

Evacuation and closures

In order to make the evacuation process sad but necessary, the Severins Bridge, the Hohenzollern Bridge and the Deutzer Bridge will be closed to traffic. Deutsche Bahn will also reroute trains, which will lead to delays in long-distance traffic. In particular, the stop in Cologne Deutz/Tief is cancelled. Contact points are available for all evacuees in exhibition hall 10.1 and the Humboldtstrasse vocational college. However, you are not allowed to bring pets with you - an unusual additional rule for many who don't want to do without their four-legged friends.

The first evacuation bell will ring at 8 a.m., followed by extensive road closures. Anyone who does not get to safety in time must expect to be evicted by the police. The exact time when the bombs can be disposed of and the bans will be lifted remains uncertain. Köln.de reports that defusing by the explosive ordnance disposal service of the Düsseldorf district government is scheduled for Wednesday, June 4, 2025.

Massive impact on the local economy

The huge effort required to defuse bombs comes at an inopportune time for many companies. RTL Deutschland has already decided to move live broadcasts to Berlin while employees have to work in the mobile office. The evacuation also affects 58 hotels and numerous catering establishments, which have to be evacuated to make room for the security measures.

Anyone affected can obtain information and clarify what steps need to be taken using a citizen's hotline on 0221/221-0 or 115. A WDR employee also announced that they would keep the population informed about the evacuation and the ongoing defusing in several special editions on Wednesday, which brings additional liability to the situation.

The explosive situation in Cologne shows once again that the history of the Second World War still leaves noticeable traces, even almost 80 years later. The tension is palpable, but the city administration is approaching the work with a clear plan to ensure the safety of everyone involved. We keep our fingers crossed that the evacuation goes smoothly and defusing can be carried out without further incidents. Further updates on the situation can also be found on Spiegel.