World War II bomb discovered in Spandau: Evacuation and explosive planned!

World War II bomb discovered in Spandau: Evacuation and explosive planned!

On Wednesday, June 11, 2025, a 250 kilogram world war bomb was discovered in Berlin-Spandau. The dud, British origin, is located in the Breithornweg in Gatow, in a forest area. The find was owed to a forester who drew attention to the police who reacted immediately with the security measures. Defining the detonator on site is not possible, so the police criminal technician plan a controlled demolition of the bomb on Wednesday evening.

In the run -up to the controlled explosive, a blocking circuit was set up with a radius of 500 meters. This includes affected facilities such as three allotment gardens and a therapeutic facility, which is why around 90 people have to be evacuated. However, the nearby hospital in Berlin-Kladow is not affected. The Breithornweg remains closed for the time being, and it is unclear when the closures can be lifted again.

security measures and evacuations

The security precautions stipulate that an additional 100 meter wide range in the water is cordoned off by the water protection police. The authorities ask the population to leave the affected area immediately or to avoid extensively. These measures are necessary because unexploded goals from the Second World War are potentially extremely dangerous. It is estimated that there are still between 100,000 and 300,000 tons of these dangerous relics in the ground in Germany, which have to be defused year after year to ensure the safety of the population.

The identification and defusing of such bombs are usually carried out by specific analysis of aerial photographs that were made in the bombing raids, as well as targeted searches in the course of construction projects. Most of the time, the ignition mechanisms have to be removed before the demolition, since the transport of the duds is dangerous.

The risk and the challenges

older bombs are unpredictable because the explosives are over half a century old. In Germany there are self-detonations of such bombs once or twice a year, which can be injured and even dead. Therefore, the careful processing and defusing of this dangerous finds is of the highest priority. As a rule, the explosives are either blown up on site or destroyed in a burst -proof oven.

With this controlled explosion in Berlin-Spandau, another risk for residents is minimized and an important step to dispose of these historical threats is taken. The population is asked to respect the instructions of the authorities and observe security precautions. The event is also an impressive example of the continuing aftermath of the Second World War in Germany.

For further information on the dangers of blind companions and their defusing, read the reports from rbb24 , Tagesspiegel and ard alpha .