250 kg aerial bomb defused near Böblingen – chaos on the A81!

250 kg aerial bomb defused near Böblingen – chaos on the A81!

On July 3, 2025, a 250 kg aerial bomb from the Second World War was discovered on a motorway construction site on the A81 near Böblingen/Sindelfingen. The police confirmed this discovery on the same day in the area of ​​the Böblingen/Sindelfingen junction, whereupon the explosive ordnance disposal service was deployed to defuse the bomb. The defusing took place in the afternoon of the same day and extensive security measures were taken.

Before defusing, the area was checked by the fire department and civil protection with the help of drones and finally released. The defusing required the temporary suspension of S-Bahn, regional and long-distance traffic as well as city traffic in Böblingen and Sindelfingen. In addition, Autobahn 81 and all access roads were closed to ensure the safety of residents and emergency services.

Evacuation measures

On July 4, 2025, an evacuation zone was established with a radius of 400 meters around the site where the bomb was found. This measure affected around 500 people, including local residents, hotel guests, people from a barracks and participants at a nearby event. The buildings affected included the Motor World and the Wildermuth barracks on the Böblingen airfield. According to the city of Böblingen, there was no danger to residents or traffic until it was defused.

The evacuation also included part of the Mercedes factory in Sindelfingen; However, vehicle production remained unaffected because the affected buildings were not part of the production area. All streets within a 400-meter radius were temporarily closed to bus and car traffic. The A81 was completely closed in both directions at this time.

Safe defuse and return of residents

The explosive ordnance disposal service was able to safely defuse the bomb late on Thursday evening. After the measures were completed, the relevant authorities began to gradually lift the security zone. Residents were then allowed to return to their buildings and traffic was gradually restored. The closures in Böblingen and Sindelfingen were quickly lifted after they were defused so that normal operations could resume.

The events surrounding the aerial bomb illustrate how important cooperation between the police, fire brigade and civil protection is in order to deal with such unexpected threats. The comprehensive security precautions also demonstrate the high level of responsibility that the emergency services take on to protect citizens.