Bombing in Dortmund: 1,400 residents have to evacuate!

Bombing in Dortmund: 1,400 residents have to evacuate!

On the evening of February 6, 2025, the city of Dortmund will be confronted with a massive use of the ordnance clearing service. The reason for this are two American 500-kilogram bombs from the Second World War, which were discovered in the Westfalenpark. The defusing must take place on the same evening, but this results in a comprehensive evacuation of around 1,400 residents. This arrangement met the Arnsberg district government's ordnance disposal service, which set up the radius of evacuation of 500 meters around the site at 4:30 p.m. Most residents had left their households until 7:44 p.m.

Bundesstraße 1 will be closed in both directions from 7:45 p.m. to redirect car traffic. The city of Dortmund provides information about the current status of rail traffic that the U41 and U47 subway lines are interrupted. Regional trains from the Sauerland are also affected, which from 8 p.m. can no longer drive to Dortmund Central Station. Due to the closures, the diversions and the changes in public transport are a challenge for many citizens.

evacuation and support of the residents

The evacuation initially runs quickly and, according to the city of Dortmund, is almost 80 percent complete. 23 patient transports have already been carried out, of which 21 people are located in a provided center in the Max Planck High School. For the affected residents, including several companies, a daycare center and the job center, a bus is ready on the Märkische Strasse to transport them to the evacuation office.

The situation is particularly challenging for older and health -limited people. The city recommends using the lines U42 to the “Barop Parkhack” stop and switching to Hörde or Aplerbeck on bus line there to avoid the current traffic situation. Nevertheless, many residents are overwhelmed by the sudden evacuation, so that some also have to take help from the police.

historical context and danger potential

The defusing of such duds is not new in Dortmund. Historically, there are always finds that go back to the bombing during the Second World War. It was only on February 5, 2025 that a 250 kilogram American World War II bomb was successfully defused in the street “An der Wallhecke” in Gremmendorf. This shows that such operations have become commonplace for the authorities.

Nevertheless, the danger potential remains high. The defusing of the two bombs in the Westfalenpark requires concentrated work of the experts and cannot be taken lightly. The city of Dortmund has therefore taken all the necessary measures to ensure the security of the residents, while at the same time it depends on the support of the public in order to make the evacuation as smoothly as possible. In the hope that the bombs can be defused quickly and without incidents, the entire situation remains tense.