Grenade discovery in Henningen: 65 people evacuated - kindergarten affected!
A World War II grenade was discovered during excavation work in Henningen on September 8, 2025, which led to the evacuation of 65 people.

Grenade discovery in Henningen: 65 people evacuated - kindergarten affected!
On Monday morning, September 8, 2025, a surprising find caused a stir in Henningen: During excavation work on a road construction site, a grenade from the Second World War was discovered. This protrudes from the excavator bucket and posed a significant danger. The construction machine was immediately switched off and the excavator arm lowered, which also pushed the detonator towards the ground. Security measures were urgently needed.
65 residents within a 150 meter radius of the site were quickly evacuated, including a kindergarten with 33 children. The volunteer fire departments from Henningen and Barnebeck actively supported the evacuation measures. Employees from the Altmarkkreis and the Salzwedel public order office were also on site and coordinated the necessary steps. At around 11:30 a.m., all lockdowns were finally lifted and evacuees were allowed to return to their homes. Loud az-online.de The situation went without any major complications.
The role of explosive ordnance disposal
Explosive ordnance disposal in Germany is an important, responsible task that deals with the disposal of war relics and their legacies. This not only includes defusing unexploded bombs, but much more. Essentially, ordnance can be classified as materials and substances that have fallen into custody and are intended for warfare. These include chemical substances, explosives or parts of military weapons, such as kmdb.info explained. After the Second World War, military and state organizations for explosive ordnance disposal were disbanded, and this task was initially taken over by the Allied occupying powers. From around 1950, the federal states took responsibility for this.
In Germany, each federal state has its own explosive ordnance disposal service, while in the former GDR there was a state-run ammunition recovery service. In addition, every federal state has an “Ordinance on Explosive Ordnance” that regulates civil measures to ensure public safety. The financing of explosive ordnance disposal is shared between property owners, the federal states and the federal government Wikipedia can be read.
The practical steps of eviction
In order to ensure that no further dangers arise from old ammunition residues, explosive ordnance clearance is a structured process. Historical exploration is necessary to detect possible evidence of explosive ordnance contamination. Using archive materials and aerial photographs, a clearing concept is created that takes parameters such as depth and ground conditions into account. The recovery itself is often carried out through soundings with geophysical detectors. Anomalies in the earth's magnetic field are identified and recovered. Weapons that cannot be handled must then either be defused or exploded on site.
The processes are complex and require both specialist knowledge and skill to ensure safety standards. The recovered ordnance is transported to an interim storage facility, where it is dismantled and ultimately destroyed. These precise measures are essential to minimize the dangers posed by old war materials and to ensure public safety. The events in Henningen make this clear once again and show that this topic is still very relevant.