At about 4:45 p.m., the Public Order Office closed Karmeliterstrasse between Friedenstrasse and Von-Ketteler-Strasse as well as the adjacent cemetery. The closure followed the discovery of an anti-aircraft gun from the Second World War. It had been found during excavation work by the municipal utility subsidiary Bonn-Netz, which was there to lay new water pipes.

Prior to the construction work, a spokeswoman for Stadtwerke Bonn (SWB) said that the area had been properly checked to determine whether any bombs or munitions from the Second World War were still in the vicinity. As it turns out, the area of the construction site had been classified as unproblematic. When they are proofing an area, experts evaluate reconnaissance images that the Allies used in World War II to prepare air raids.

As the city announced in the afternoon, residents were promptly informed about the finding. At the location, the Technical Relief Agency (THW) said that there was no danger to residents in the vicinity. The partly loaded anti-aircraft gun with a bullet caliber of two centimeters had already been secured shortly after it was discovered.

Still, the site was subsequently examined with metal detectors for possible further objects in the ground. According to the city, the detector scans had revealed possible indications of further objects in the ground, so an excavator was also deployed in the area. It carefully excavated the site further. But there were only indications of non-hazardous metal parts, according to the head of operations. The action was then terminated.

Bus traffic around the site was affected

Due to the work in securing the site, the area around the discovery site was closed to traffic until about 7 p.m., which also had an impact on the bus traffic running there. After 7 p.m., Karmeliterstrasse and Friedenstrasse were reopened to traffic. The construction site was cordoned off for safety.

(Orig. text: ga; Translation: ck)