Controlling an old World War II explosive device in Dresden - Disarmed: Ancient Explosive Device from World War I found and neutralized in Dresden
In Dresden, Germany, on August 6, 2025, a significant event unfolded as bomb disposal experts worked to defuse an unearthed World War II aerial bomb. The device, weighing approximately 250 kilograms and of English origin, was discovered during clearance work at the demolished Carolabridge.
The discovery led to the evacuation of approximately 17,000 people from large parts of Dresden’s Old Town, including areas near the Frauenkirche and the Elbe River bridges. The restricted area included the Saxon State Chancellery, ministries, shops, and residences, necessitating a wide evacuation zone of about 1,000 meters radius around the site.
This type of evacuation is not uncommon in Germany, as unexploded WWII bombs regularly surface during construction and infrastructure repairs decades after the war ended. Similar evacuations have happened in other German cities such as Cologne, where in June 2025, around 20,000 people were evacuated for the defusing of multiple large unexploded bombs.
The historical context is that Dresden experienced massive Allied bombing late in WWII, with the city subjected to intense aerial bombing raids in February 1945 that dropped thousands of tons of bombs. As a result, munitions from World War II are occasionally discovered during construction work in Dresden.
On the day of the evacuation, police officers checked the area in the morning to ensure it was clear of people. A temporary shelter was set up at the Dresden Trade Fair for evacuated residents, with 192 people accommodated according to the police. A helicopter circled over the affected areas before the bomb disposal began, and the all-clear was given by bomb disposal experts at 13:19.
Interestingly, the other two explosive bodies found at the Carolabridge site this year did not contain a detonator. The Carolabridge partially collapsed in September of the previous year, and the previous extensive disposal operation at the site occurred in January this year. Unfortunately, nothing remains of the prestressed concrete bridge in Dresden now.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges posed by the vast bombing campaigns, especially in heavily bombed cities like Dresden. Modern urban development and repair often uncover these bombs, necessitating frequent mass evacuations as part of bomb disposal operations, sometimes involving tens of thousands of residents evacuated for safety.
- The community policy in Dresden, Germany, requires immediate evacuations in the event of unearthed World War II bombs, as demonstrated by the August 6, 2025, evacuation of about 17,000 people following the discovery of an English aerial bomb during clearance work at the demolished Carolabridge.
- Despite the passage of several decades since the end of World War II, politics and general news continue to be deeply intertwined with the discovery of unexploded bombs, as shown by the war-and-conflicts implications in Dresden's vocational training programs, where students learn skills necessary for the safe handling and disposal of these potential Hazards.
