World War II bombs trigger huge evacuation in Cologne
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Cologne starts its biggest evacuation since 1945 to defuse WWII bombs
More than 20,000 residents are being evacuated from part of Cologne’s city center to defuse World War II bombs. The bombs were discovered on Monday during preparatory work for road construction. The area includes 58 hotels, nine schools, several museums and office buildings and the Messe/Deutz train station. It also includes three bridges across the Rhine — among them the heavily used Hohenzollern railway bridge, which leads into Cologne’s central station and is being shut during the defusal work itself. Shipping on theRhine will also be suspended.
One of the three unexploded bombs from the Second World War is fenced off with screens as specialists prepare to defuse them in Cologne, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (Thomas Banneyer/dpa via AP)
One of the three unexploded bombs from the Second World War is fenced off with screens as specialists prepare to defuse them in Cologne, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (Thomas Banneyer/dpa via AP)
One of the three unexploded bombs from the Second World War is fenced off with screens as specialists prepare to defuse them in Cologne, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (Thomas Banneyer/dpa via AP)
One of the three unexploded bombs from the Second World War is fenced off with screens as specialists prepare to defuse them in Cologne, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (Thomas Banneyer/dpa via AP)
COLOGNE, Germany — More than 20,000 residents were being evacuated from part of Cologne’s city center on Wednesday as specialists prepared to defuse three unexploded U.S. bombs from World War II that were unearthed earlier this week.
Even 80 years after the end of the war, unexploded bombs dropped during wartime air raids are frequently found in Germany.
Disposing of them sometimes entails large-scale precautionary evacuations such as the one on Wednesday, though the location this time was unusually prominent and this is Cologne’s biggest evacuation since 1945. There have been bigger evacuations in other cities.
Authorities on Wednesday morning started evacuating about 20,500 residents from an area within a 1,000-meter (3,280-foot) radius of the bombs, which were discovered on Monday during preparatory work for road construction. They were found in the Deutz district, just across the Rhine River from Cologne’s historic center.
As well as homes, the area includes 58 hotels, nine schools, several museums and office buildings and the Messe/Deutz train station. It also includes three bridges across the Rhine — among them the heavily used Hohenzollern railway bridge, which leads into Cologne’s central station and is being shut during the defusal work itself. Shipping on the Rhine will also be suspended.
The plan is for the bombs to be defused during the course of the day. When exactly that happens depends on how long it takes for authorities to be sure that everyone is out of the evacuation zone.
World War II bombs trigger huge evacuation in Cologne
The evacuation zone covers the entire historic district, 58 hotels, three Rhine bridges, the town hall, the Deutz railway station and several museums. Road traffic in and around the city has also been heavily affected. Thousands of tons of unexploded munitions remain buried beneath cities decades after the end of World War II.
The evacuation zone covers the entire historic district, 58 hotels, three Rhine bridges, the town hall, the Deutz railway station — located across the river from the city center — as well as several museums, a hospital and two care homes. Cologne’s iconic cathedral lies just outside the danger zone.
Germany’s national rail operator Deutsche Bahn warned of widespread disruption, with many train services diverted or canceled. Road traffic in and around the city has also been heavily affected.
Bomb discoveries are not unusual in Cologne or across Germany, where thousands of tons of unexploded munitions remain buried beneath cities decades after the end of World War II.
Just last December, the city carried out another large-scale evacuation after an unexploded bomb was found in the Sülz district, in the southeastern part of Cologne, prompting more than 3,000 residents to leave their homes.
Around 20,000 evacuated in Cologne after discovery of unexploded WWII bombs
The bombs were discovered on Monday during preparatory work for road construction. They were found in the Deutz district, across the Rhine River from Cologne’s historic centre. The city’s famous UNESCO-listed cathedral and its Philharmonic Hall are temporarily closed to the public until the end of the day. Experts believe that approximately 1.3 million tonnes of explosives were dropped on German cities during World War II. The number of bombs that failed to detonate remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from 5% to 20%.
More than 20,000 people were evacuated from their homes in the German city of Cologne on Wednesday as experts try to defuse three unexploded US bombs from World War II.
Authorities on Wednesday morning started evacuating about 20,500 residents, as well as workers and hotel guests, from a central area within a 1,000-metre radius of the bombs, which were discovered on Monday during preparatory work for road construction. They were found in the Deutz district, across the Rhine River from Cologne’s historic centre.
Disposing of such bombs sometimes entails large-scale precautionary evacuations such as the one on Wednesday, although the city described this as “the largest operation since the end of World War II”.
The evacuation zone City of Cologne
Those evacuated were directed to shelter points in exhibition halls and college buildings, while office workers in the affected area were advised to leave their offices before 8 am or to avoid the area altogether.
The city said residents who refused to leave their homes could face hefty fines.
“If you refuse, we will escort you from your home — if necessary by force — along with the police,” the authorities said.
Cologne’s Messe/Deutz train station is shut during the defusal work while shipping on the Rhine is also suspended. The city’s famous UNESCO-listed cathedral and its Philharmonic Hall are among the sites temporarily closed to the public until the end of the day, when the bomb defusal is expected to be completed.
The city said it planned to deploy bomb disposal technicians to defuse the bombs on site before transporting them to secure ammunition containers for dismantling and disposal.
Experts believe that approximately 1.3 million tonnes of explosives were dropped on German cities during World War II. The number of bombs that failed to detonate remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from 5% to 20%.
Similar discoveries have triggered other evacuations over the years. In 2024, 1,606 bombs were discovered and rendered harmless in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
“Every bomb that we find and neutralise is a service to our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister Herbert Reul said in April at a conference presenting the state’s latest annual statistics on unexploded devices.
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Stubborn resident delays removal of WWII bombs in central Cologne. Some 20,000 people ordered to leave the area by police and fire department.
The process of defusing World War II bombs in central Cologne has been delayed because of a resident refusing to evacuate, according to a city spokesperson.
An individual living in the old town resisted orders to leave their apartment, with public order officials, police, and the fire department enforcing removal measures.
The bomb squad cannot begin defusal until the area is fully cleared.
Large areas of the city center of Cologne were closed off on Wednesday as experts prepared to defuse three bombs left over from World War II, with some 20,000 people ordered to leave the affected area.
Read about the large scale evacuations in Cologne here.
Germany moves 20,000 to safety after WWII bombs found in Cologne
Cologne is set to carry out its largest evacuation since World War II on Wednesday. Approximately 20,000 people are being evacuated as bomb disposal units get ready to deactivate two 20-ton bombs and one 10-ton bomb. The evacuation area covers large sections of Cologne’s city center and historic old town, leading to the shutdown of 58 hotels, key museums, schools, kindergartens and government offices.
Cologne is set to carry out its largest evacuation since World War II on Wednesday, following the discovery of three unexploded bombs in the city’s Deutz district. Approximately 20,000 people are being evacuated as bomb disposal units get ready to deactivate two 20-ton bombs and one 10-ton bomb, all fitted with impact fuses, according to public broadcaster WDR.
A glimpse of the German city of Cologne as it gears up for its biggest evacuation on June 4, 2025. (AA Photo)
Closures in city
The evacuation area covers large sections of Cologne’s city center and historic old town, leading to the shutdown of 58 hotels, key museums, schools, kindergartens, and government offices. Additionally, the Hohenzollern, Deutz, and Severin’s bridges crossing the Rhine have been closed, along with the Cologne Messe/Deutz train station.
Deutsche Bahn cautioned about extensive delays and cancellations, including the suspension of the ICE Sprinter service between Cologne and Berlin, as well as certain routes to Stuttgart. Trains are being diverted, resulting in delays of up to 10 minutes.
Cologne officials stated that evacuations and closures started at 8 a.m. local time, warning that individuals who do not cooperate could be removed by police. The city has opened two drop-in centers for displaced residents, one in Exhibition Hall 10.1 and another at the Humboldtstrasse Vocational College. Pets are not allowed at these sites.
Large companies like RTL Deutschland have shifted operations to remote work, and live broadcasts are being relocated to Berlin for the day.
The exact timing of the bomb defusal remains uncertain.