• Cologne held its largest evacuation since WWII, affecting over 20,000 residents.
• Three unexploded World War II bombs were discovered during road construction.
• The bombs were successfully defused within an hour after the evacuation.
• Evacuated area included schools, hotels, and key infrastructure.
• An individual initially refused to leave, delaying the defusal operation.

On June 4, 2025, more than 20,000 residents were evacuated from central Cologne, Germany, as part of the largest evacuation since World War II, prompted by the discovery of three unexploded American bombs. These bombs were unearthed during road construction on Monday in the Deutz district, located just across the Rhine River from the city's historic center, prompting extensive evacuation measures within a 1,000-meter radius, according to Indiatimes and Reuters.

Bomb disposal experts defused the ordnance within approximately one hour once the evacuation was completed. The operation was complicated by the necessity of evacuating not just homes but also 58 hotels, nine schools, a hospital, two nursing homes, and the Messe/Deutz train station. Key transportation routes, including three bridges across the Rhine, were closed, leading to significant disruptions in the city of over a million inhabitants, according to Le Monde, Los Angeles Times, and CBS News.

Despite the careful planning, the clearance operation faced a delay when one person in the historic area initially refused to evacuate their home. In Germany, unexploded WWII ordnance remains a persistent issue, necessitating large-scale evacuations even decades after the conflict ended. Previous instances, such as a 2017 incident in Frankfurt, demonstrate the ongoing challenge posed by these historical relics, according to Anadolu Agency and South China Morning Post.