Cologne Teddy Show postponed to Sunday due to bomb defusal!

Cologne Teddy Show postponed to Sunday due to bomb defusal!

There will be an exceptional state of emergency in Cologne on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. The reason for this is three American World War II bombs that were discovered during construction work in the Deutz district. This is the largest evacuation operation in the city since 1945, forcing around 20,000 people to leave their homes and stay within the danger radius of 1,000 meters around the site. The effects are noticeable: large parts of the city center are closed, including important traffic axes and even social facilities.

The first security measures began at 8 a.m.: doorbells were set up and the security service monitored all streets in the evacuation area from 1:30 p.m. The Hohenzollern Bridge was closed to train traffic, which resulted in significant restrictions for Deutsche Bahn. During the defusing, trains had to be rerouted and some domestic and international connections were canceled. Affected Cologne transport companies (KVB) lines were also unable to operate in the city center area. KVB recommended that citizens avoid this area on Wednesday, as buses and trains did not stop during the evacuation.

Teddy show postponed to the new date

The defusing also has a direct impact on numerous leisure activities. The first teddy show in the Lanxess Arena had to be postponed to Sunday, June 8, 2025. The new date was set in coordination with the artistic team and the arena administration. Admission for the rescheduled show begins at 5:30 p.m., the performance itself starts at 7:00 p.m. Visitors who are unable to attend the new date can return their tickets at the advance booking office.

But it's not just the Teddy Show that is affected. On the same day, 15 couples had planned to get married in the historic town hall, which was not possible due to the security situation. The weddings were quickly moved to the Porz district. The city has also set up two contact points for evacuees, in exhibition hall 10.1 on the right bank of the Rhine and in the Humboldtstrasse vocational college on the left bank of the Rhine. Seating, drinks and sanitary facilities are available there. However, pets are not allowed.

Information and help for those affected

The city of Cologne is constantly informing the population about the status of the evacuation and the further process via its website and social media. If they had any questions about the discovery of the bomb, the public could receive helpful information via a citizen hotline. Psychosocial support is also guaranteed for those affected in order to mitigate the challenges of this exceptional situation.

The defusing of the bombs is expected to be completed during the day, although the exact time remains unclear. The city has taken a variety of measures to ensure the safety of citizens and return to normality as quickly as possible.

These events illustrate how the shadows of the past can still hang over us. Despite the difficult situation, everything is being done to ensure the safety of Cologne residents and to restore normal processes as quickly as possible.

Cologne0221 reports that the Teddy show will be rescheduled for June 8th and how the city's security measures are working. WDR has compiled all the background information on the evacuation and the measures. DW follows the current status of bomb disposal in the city.