Photo: DPA

WWII bomb found near Merkel’s apartment

Published: 25 Apr 09 11:04 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20090425-18871.html

Parts of Berlin’s historic centre were evacuated Friday evening, including Chancellor Angela Merkel’s apartment, after authorities found a World War II-era bomb in the area.

The 100-kilogramme bomb was discovered by construction crews working near the New Museum on the Museum Island. According to police, the explosive was a Soviet aircraft bomb, probably dropped in the closing days of World War II.

Train traffic through the centre of the city was disrupted, a performance at the Maxim Gorki theatre was cancelled and the famous Unter Den Linden avenue was closed to traffic. Chancellor Merkel’s apartment was within the 300 metre radius that was evacuated, forcing her to leave the building, the daily Tagesspiegel reported.

Berlin police reported massive traffic jams in the area for over an hour. Bomb disposal experts successfully removed the explosive and later detonated it at a special facility around midnight.

Berlin was a prime target for bombers during World War II and construction crews regularly come across unexploded bombs 64 years after the war ended.

DDP/The Local (news@thelocal.de)

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#1
07:45 April 26, 2009 by Archlich
Angela Merkel lives in an apartment?!? You'd think they'd build her a proper house.. ;-)
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#2
05:35 April 27, 2009 by DrGideonPolya
One faintly hopes that this potential blast from the past might remind Angela Merkel that post-1945 the New Germany adopted a post-war protocol summarized by the acronym C4A (CAAAA) of Cessation of violence to other peoples, Acknowledgment of the crimes (30 million Slav, Jewish and Roma holocaust dead), Apology, Amends and Assertion "never again to anyone". Yet under Frau Merkel Germany is involved in the appalling Afghan Holocaust (post-invasion non-violent excess deaths 3.2 million; post-invasion violent deaths possibly 2-4 million; post-invasion under-5 infant deaths 2.3 million, 90% avoidable and due to Occupier war crimes; and refugees totalling 3-4 million - an Afghan Genocide as defined by Article 2 of the UN Genocide Convention.
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#3
09:07 April 27, 2009 by Deccie
Train traffic through the centre of the city was disrupted, a performance at the Maxim Gorki theatre was cancelled and the famous Unter Den Linden ave…
Disrupted? There were no S-bahns or Trams from Mitte to anywhere? Ended up walking to Alex and eventually a night bus arrived. The police were not helpful either. I actually felt sorry for all the lost tourists wandering around not know what to do or where to go...
Angela Merkel lives in an apartment?!? You'd think they'd build her a proper house.. ;-)
Its a lovely apartment on the Museum Island. Very prestigious.
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