What a day ......................

.... I just got back home. We were evacuated this morning because they found a 5-zentner bomb from World War II right in our neighborhood last night.
What put my mind at ease was the great organization and the many friendly volunteers. But there were also refugees there, and their children were almost impossible to calm down. That really brought me back to reality and made me realize how important it is to help these families.
I’m glad to be able to live in a country—even if it’s sometimes too bureaucratic.
So, now I’m going to make myself comfortable and relax with some yarn.

Are you from Düsseldorf? I’d heard that a bomb was found there. With access roads to the airport blocked off and all that.
I think something like that is much worse for refugees than it is for us.

Hi Petra,

first of all—I’m glad everything turned out okay.

I only found out a few years ago that bombs are still being found in Germany. It’s so absurd—I still can’t wrap my head around it. Bombs are occasionally found in Karlsruhe and the surrounding area, too, but fortunately, it hasn’t affected me yet. To be honest, the thought of being evacuated horrifies me.
You hear about it in the media, of course, but I’d be really interested in the details. How much time do you have to get ready, how do you find out about it, what do you do where you are, and what are you allowed to take with you? I tend to panic in situations like that, and I don’t really like that feeling. You’ve been through it now—tell me about it; maybe it’ll help as a precaution...

Best, Inna

@Inna,
a few years ago, three aerial bombs were found on the soccer field behind my mother’s apartment. The neighborhood was evacuated, of course—but my mother couldn’t leave because my disabled brother was going through a rough patch and didn’t want to leave the house.

My mother said afterward that she’d never been so scared in her life.... And when it was all over and she found out that one of the bombs wasn’t a dud but was actually live, her heart sank.

I can imagine how terrible it must be for refugees from war zones. You think it’s safe in that country, and then this happens.

@Petra,

I hope you have enough peace and quiet now to regain your balance ;-)

Hugs, Sabine

@Sabine,
I don’t think anyone who has lived through a war can ever feel truly safe anywhere—some things, I believe, can’t be fixed. But you can push those experiences aside, and it’s clear that events like this aren’t exactly helpful in that regard.

I think it would be helpful if as many people as possible in such a situation were aware of what’s going on and had perhaps already taken a few precautions. The more people who are prepared and calm, the better it is for everyone.

@ Inna, I don’t think it requires much preparation.
I just had a big bag: ID, money, cell phone, crochet supplies, a book, water, bread rolls, fruit, and chocolate. That was it, and it lasted for about 9 hours.
Food was provided at the assembly point, after all.
The basic idea is that the house won’t burn down. In the worst-case scenario, some windows might break. So none of that would be a big deal.

Here, police and fire trucks with loudspeakers were already warning people last night, and we were told to be prepared for a possible evacuation. For us, it wasn’t that bad.
But there were so many “elderly” people who were already asleep that night and didn’t have local radio or the internet. They were woken up this morning by someone ringing their doorbell or knocking.

So, my conclusion is that the authorities handled this situation well.

@Petra,
thank you so much for the information.

I assume that everything is well organized in situations like this. But it’s important to me that I’m well-organized myself. I’ve had an emergency bag with all the essentials—the things I can pack right now—and a list of items I still need to add for quite some time.
Now I realize, though, that the list wouldn’t be much help in a situation like that, because I probably can’t count on being notified in time. Now I have to come up with something else.

It’s a good thing you came out of that one unscathed. You wouldn’t believe what kinds of old wartime remnants are still buried in our soil. Basically, any one of us could be living on top of a bomb. It’s just terrible—the war was 70 years ago, and we’re still dealing with explosives. But it’s actually no surprise. The Allies bombed Germany so extensively that it’s actually quite normal for there to still be some left. Still, I believe it was right for the Allies to fight Germany with such ferocity. Just imagine if those idiots had won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, unfortunately, we have to live with those remnants.
I agree with what you said about the asylum seekers. I also feel sorry for those poor people who fled bombs and are now being evacuated because of old bombs. But there’s nothing we can do about it—those things are still there. We all suffer because of it. I’m more moved by the people in nursing homes, who really went through more than enough during the war and are still suffering from the consequences today.

The issue with aerial bombs is still a thing here, too. I live very close to Wiener Neustadt in Lower Austria, and there used to be an aircraft factory there that was completely bombed out. And even today, before any digging takes place, a company specializing in locating aerial bombs comes in first to check whether it’s safe to dig out a basement.

I can confirm what you said about the “older folks.” My mother-in-law was born in 1936. Her father died in the war, and she lost two brothers. Both died of malnutrition. She’s always been on the sturdier side, and that’s what saved her life.
And even today, every Saturday when the noon sirens go off, she breaks out in a cold sweat. Because air raid alerts and bombs were her childhood. You never really get over that.

And when many people here speak out against refugees these days, she always says she doesn’t understand it. After all, we’re doing well—we all have food, more than enough. So surely it must be possible to give food to others who have nothing.

@Pe-Ka

My mother lives in Pernitz... that's not far from Wr. Neustadt either ;-)

Hello, dear colleagues,
I’m really happy about what I’ve read—it’s simply great—and I also believe that we don’t need to fear losing anything just because we’re giving something to others who are worse off. Ultimately, we’ll be enriched—through intercultural exchange in both directions. And our economy urgently needs apprentices for trades that our young people no longer want to pursue. I’m an architect, and we’re facing major problems with labor shortages in the construction industry—companies have far more requests for projects than they have staff. Many employees are now taking time off due to burnout—the situation is getting worse and worse. I’m always happy when an intercultural working relationship is established and it works out. These people are deeply motivated—right down to their very core—to learn everything and do their very best. I myself placed a Moroccan man in a company as a bricklayer’s apprentice, took him under my wing, and am tutoring him so he can do well in the theory classes at vocational school. He approaches his work with such enthusiasm and energy that it’s a joy to watch—even though he’s already 40 and has to sit in vocational school classes with bored young guys.

Oh, and about the bombs… we have poor soil for construction in the Allgäu—lots and lots of clay—so we often have to drive long bored piles down to stable ground—5–8 meters deeper than the basement would be… and now it’s mandatory to obtain a certificate confirming the absence of explosive ordnance before anyone can even begin this construction work. This has only been required for a few years, because the bombs have rusted through to the point where they explode more quickly than they used to. That’s why there are repeated evacuations everywhere. But at least everything is proceeding in an orderly manner…
We often travel to the Balkans—there, for example, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, you have to get used to maps that include mine warnings. The mines here were laid mainly along the roads, and you always have to be careful not to just pull over quickly and step into the field next to the road... It takes some getting used to, and I’m glad we don’t have that problem anymore. ...And if we don’t let agitators divide us and destroy the EU—which is actually a major peace project, something that somehow seems to be fading more and more into oblivion—then hopefully we won’t have to experience bombs falling and mines being laid here anymore.

That’s why, girls—great attitude!!! I’m proud to be part of your community—thank you :-))))

Best regards
Monika