Walker discovers mysterious piece of ammunition in Fresenbrügge!

Walker discovers mysterious piece of ammunition in Fresenbrügge!

A walk can sometimes lead to unexpected discoveries. This was also the case for a man who found a round metal part between leaves and twigs near Fresenbrügge. The find immediately aroused his curiosity and suspicion that it could be old ammunition. In a responsible move, he immediately informed the police. How the northern courier Reportedly, officers quickly arrived at the scene and took a photo of the object, which was sent to the Ammunition Recovery Service (MDB) for further inspection.

Gilbert Küchler, head of the Ludwigslust police headquarters, explained that similar discoveries have been increasingly reported in recent weeks. Fortunately, the metal object, which weighed around ten kilograms, was classified as relatively harmless and the police were able to safely take it with them to the station. An MDB employee was also on site to pick up the item and assess what exactly it was about. However, at this point it was still unclear what specific type of ammunition this might be. Incidentally, similar finds were also documented in the towns of Vielank and Dömitz, which underlines the explosiveness of the topic.

Advice on dealing with suspicious finds

The police strongly advise that if suspicious items are found, you should immediately inform the MDB or the local authorities. Küchler recommends that walkers note the geodata of the site and mark the spot so that it can be found and cleared quickly. Dealing with collected or discovered explosive ordnance is not only a matter of prevention, but also a legacy that in Germany is still strongly linked to the history of the Second World War and the disposal of explosive ordnance at that time.

After the war, the GDR's ammunition recovery service was entrusted with the task of disposing of orphaned ordnance in the civilian sector. Unlike in many other countries, in the GDR this was a civilian-organized task and not left to the military. The need had increased due to the many unexploded bombs left behind by strategic Allied bombing. The approach has developed over the years, and after reunification it became clear that civilian specialist companies could also operate in this area, which has enabled further progress in the safe removal of contaminated sites.

Modern challenges and solutions

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service (KRD) in Germany is now responsible for civilian explosive ordnance disposal, especially for those that were produced before 1945 or come from the former Warsaw Pact Army. Experts estimate that around 100,000 pieces of ammunition are seized and destroyed in Germany every year. This work requires well-trained personnel because the risks cannot be underestimated: in the last two years, eight explosive ordnance disposal officers have tragically lost their lives during operations.

In Schleswig-Holstein, an innovative research project for the robotic recovery of ammunition in the sea is also being pushed forward in order to address the challenges of maritime ammunition. Hopefully, these advances will significantly improve not only safety but also the quality of life in the affected regions.

It remains important that the public remains vigilant and reports any suspicious finds immediately to minimize the risk of old ammunition and ensure our beautiful nature walks remain unhindered.