In Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg in Germany, a bomb from the Second World War was found on Wednesday May 13. Some of the residents of the town must evacuate the area so that the explosive can be defused safely.
It did not explode, but remains dangerous. A bomb from the Second World War was discovered during construction work on Wednesday May 13 in the Oststadt district of Pforzheim, a German town located about thirty kilometers from Karlsruhe.
The bomb would weigh 1.35 tonnes, according to information from the German daily SWR. To defuse the projectile, 27,000 people from the town will have to evacuate the area on Sunday May 17.
Minesweepers, firefighters and police have been on the site since the discovery of the explosive. According to the SWR media, around 27,000 people will have to have left their apartments and houses before 8 a.m. on Sunday May 17. The evacuation perimeter extends over a large part of downtown Pforzheim. Firefighters assure that there is no danger to the population.
The evacuation perimeter is mainly located in the city center of Pforzheim./regions/2026/05/14/6a05b5e368b24454533090.png "1.3-ton bomb from World War II discovered in Germany, 27,000 people must be")
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© The town of Pforzheim
Rail traffic between Karlsruhe and Stuttgart, but also the city’s public transport will be greatly reduced, or even completely interrupted at certain times.
To answer the population’s questions, the municipality is setting up a telephone line which will be open from Friday May 15: 07231 39-1000.
