WWII Bomb Discovered and Defused in Hamburg’s Popular Sternschanze District

Late on Saturday evening, authorities in Hamburg evacuated parts of the busy Sternschanze nightlife district after the discovery of an unexploded World War II-era bomb. The 500-pound bomb was found during routine construction work on the grounds of a primary school, buried about six meters underground. The incident led to a major emergency response involving the evacuation of more than 5,000 residents from the surrounding area.

Emergency services, including the fire department and police, quickly cordoned off a 300-meter exclusion zone, with an additional 500-meter radius warning issued to keep people indoors and away from windows and doors. Restaurants, bars, and even a wedding celebration in the district were interrupted as the area was cleared.

Bomb Disposal Operation

Specialized bomb disposal units were dispatched to the site, and after several hours of careful preparation, the bomb was successfully defused around midnight. According to the Hamburg Fire Department, the actual defusing took only 30 minutes and was carried out without any complications.

This discovery is part of a common phenomenon in Germany, where unexploded bombs from Allied bombing raids during World War II are still found during construction projects. Hamburg, a city heavily bombed during the war, is no stranger to such incidents, with disposal operations carried out routinely across the country.

Transport and Public Disruptions

The discovery of the bomb also caused significant disruptions to public transportation and local traffic. The Sternschanze S-Bahn station, a key transit hub in the area, was within the evacuated zone, forcing trains to stop service between several stations. The city’s U-Bahn services also faced interruptions, with key stations being bypassed during the evacuation. Roadblocks set up by police led to traffic jams, particularly around the district’s main streets.

A temporary shelter was set up at a nearby school gymnasium for displaced residents. Around 220 people made use of the shelter, while others sought refuge in nearby restaurants or with friends to wait out the defusal operation. Shuttle buses were provided to help transport residents to the emergency shelter.

High-Security Evacuation

Complicating the evacuation process was the presence of a nursing home located at the edge of the exclusion zone. Special precautions were taken to ensure the safe evacuation of elderly residents, contributing to the hours-long operation. Emergency services worked throughout the evening to make sure all residents were safely out of the danger zone before the bomb disposal experts began their work.

Impact on Local Life

Hamburg’s Sternschanze district is a vibrant part of the city, particularly on weekends, with locals and tourists alike flocking to its bars, restaurants, and cultural venues. The bomb threat forced many businesses to shut down early, and police urged people heading to the area to turn back.

Even a wedding celebration was affected, with guests being asked to leave the venue as part of the evacuation measures. Some events, like those at the local cultural center Rote Flora, were canceled as a precaution, though the venue itself lay outside the immediate danger zone.

WWII Bomb Discoveries: A Common Occurrence in Germany

Germany has a long history of dealing with the remnants of World War II, particularly unexploded bombs. Thousands of munitions remain buried across the country, often discovered during construction or agricultural work. Bomb disposal teams are highly trained and defuse these explosives regularly, ensuring public safety while causing minimal disruption when possible.

Just a day before the Hamburg incident, a similar discovery in Cologne led to another large-scale evacuation. In that case, a U.S.-made bomb was detonated in a controlled manner after residential buildings and clinics were evacuated.

The quick response by Hamburg’s authorities, and the smooth handling of the bomb disposal, helped ensure that no one was harmed during the process. Residents were allowed to return to their homes shortly after the bomb was defused, and public transportation services gradually resumed by early Sunday morning.