Dresden, January 9, 2025 – The Europe Today: A section of downtown Dresden, located in eastern Germany, was evacuated on Thursday morning after a World War II ordinance was discovered near the historic Carola Bridge. Bomb disposal units have been deployed to safely remove the explosive device.
The evacuation order impacted approximately 10,000 residents and workers in Dresden’s historic Old City district.
The discovery of the bomb occurred during repair work on the Carola Bridge, which partially collapsed early in the morning on September 11, 2024. This marks the second time the bridge, originally constructed in 1895, has suffered destruction. In May 1945, the German army deliberately demolished it to slow the Soviet advance. The current version of the bridge was rebuilt between 1967 and 1971.
World War II ordinances are frequently unearthed during construction and maintenance projects in Germany’s major cities. Dresden, in particular, was heavily bombed during the war, with the February 1945 Allied air raids leaving much of the city in ruins and resulting in the deaths of 25,000 people.
