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World War II bomb defused in Osnabrück: 11,000 people return home!
A 500 kg WWII bomb was defused in Osnabrück on June 17, 2025, forcing 11,000 people to evacuate.
World War II bomb defused in Osnabrück: 11,000 people return home!
There was great excitement in Osnabrück today, June 17, 2025, when a 500-kilogram World War II bomb was discovered and finally successfully defused. This dangerous discovery occurred during construction work in the Lokviertel and led to an extensive evacuation of around 11,000 people; around 6,500 households were affected. The evacuation was originally scheduled to be completed at 7 p.m., but was delayed and only began at around 10:30 p.m NDR reported.
To ensure the safety of local residents, an evacuation radius of one kilometer was set around the bomb. In addition to the Lokviertel, this also included the inner city, Fledder and Schinkel districts. The main train station, which is located in the affected area, was also affected. From 7 p.m., trains no longer stopped at the main station, which made the situation significantly more difficult for travelers. From 10 p.m. onwards, all ICE and IC trains were rerouted, resulting in delays of up to 40 minutes. Regional trains were also withdrawn; instead there was replacement bus service.
The city of Osnabrück ensured that both maps and street lists were provided on its website so that citizens could find out about the current situation. The citizens' hotline could be reached for questions and for medical transport on (0541) 323 44 90. However, it was not without difficulties: some residents refused to leave their homes or tried to break through barriers. The explosive ordnance disposal service decided that the bomb had to be defused on the same day in order to avoid possible dangers.
These problems are not new for Osnabrück. There have been several bomb disposals in the Lokviertel in the past, and the city is expecting more unexploded bombs. A similar bomb defusal was recently carried out in Cologne, which affected more than 20,000 people. Loud Deutschlandfunk it was the most complex operation since the Second World War.
Fortunately, the bomb was successfully defused and the city announced that people could return home. This means that normality is gradually returning to the evacuation area. However, further evacuations are planned over the next few days as scouting for possible additional bombs continues.