Years After World War II, Brandenburg Still Unearths Explosives
Almost nine decades since the end of the Second World War, Brandenburg continues to find remnants of explosive ordnance in its soil. This year, an estimated 570 tons of such hazardous items were recovered across the state, according to Interior Minister Michael Stübgen from the CDU party. This marks a considerable increase from the previous year's discoveries.
Oranienburg, Potsdam, the Oder-Neisse line, and the region south of Berlin are the areas most affected by these findings. It is noteworthy that Oranienburg, a town with a strong historical arms industry, was a frequent target of Allied bombing raids during the Second World War. This past bombing activity has led to the town's ongoing need to address and remove the leftover explosives from its ground.
The majority of the recorded 570 tons consisted of grenades, rockets, anti-tank missiles, weapons, melee weapons, incendiary bombs, mines, and explosive bombs weighing more than 5 kilograms. In addition, over 370,000 smaller-caliber ammunition pieces were found. Despite the significant quantities discovered, only around 90% of the items were destroyed. The remaining unexploded ordnance continues to pose a threat, making the removal process an ongoing and potentially dangerous task.
The removal of such explosives is a costly endeavor for Brandenburg. By the end of November 2023, the state had invested 15.4 million euros in the process. Oranienburg, the town that incurred significant damages during the Second World War, accounted for a significant portion of these funds, receiving around 515,000 euros for the disposal of explosives.
In total, municipalities in Brandenburg have been reimbursed around 2.49 million euros since 2017 for the removal of World War II explosive ordnance, with Oranienburg being the recipients of the largest portion of these funds. This year, the town received an additional 217,000 euros for groundwater protection efforts associated with explosive ordnance clearance.
Since 1991, Brandenburg has spent approximately 270 million euros on the removal of post-war waste, with additional contributions from the federal government bringing the total expenditure to over 300 million euros. A future Armaments Legacy Financing Act is now under consideration in the Bundestag to regulate the reimbursement of related costs.
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Although exact numbers for Brandenburg's post-war explosive ordnance discoveries are not provided, the general trend indicates that Germany has been making diligent efforts to address these issues for decades. Both the German navy and civilian organizations have played vital roles in this endeavor, working towards clearing maritime trade lanes and various land areas from leftover mines and other exotic weapons.
