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The War May be over.. but… the Bombs are still here.

As a foreigner in Berlin, these articles never cease to amaze me. By some estimates – British and American Bombers dropped over 2 million tons of bombs on Germany during WW2. As the city of Berlin (and other locations) continues to grow and have new construction, they’re still being found – unexploded – and do pose a risk to the public.
This is the latest instance – and makes me wonder… How safe is Berlin really – do I want to go walking through this empty lot? Do I want to plant a garden in my backyard? It also makes me wonder – if this much damage was done during WWII – and there’s still unexploded ordinance around – how exactly do we as a population (after a war) – make sure that the bombs are properly cleaned up and disposed of?
The Local Article –Thousands of Berliners had to find a place to sleep on Tuesday night after they were evacuated so police could defuse a 500-kilogramme (1,100-lbs.) bomb from the Second World War.
Tram lines and major roads were shut down and residents barred from their homes in Berlin‘s Wilmersdorf district for 16 hours while police bomb experts worked to defuse the complicated chemical detonator, police said on Wednesday morning.

Excavators found the bomb at a Mecklenburgstrasse construction site on Thursday afternoon, and police began evacuating the neighborhood at 10 pm. Residents were forced to stay at emergency accommodations or with family and friends.

The city mobilized a large-scale deployment of police, fire department and rescue workers that included some 400 emergency vehicles to help secure the neighbourhood. Water and gas companies were also alerted.

Bomb experts had initially hoped to defuse the bomb on site, but decided to transport it with a special vehicle to the nearby Wilmersdorf park to avoid having to evacuate a hospital near the bomb.

Police reported that the bomb was successfully defused via a controlled detonation early on Wednesday morning.

More than 60 years after the end of World War II, weapons recovery remains an important task for police and private companies throughout Germany. City-state Berlin and the surrounding state of Brandenburg, were some of the most heavily bombed parts of the country during the war.

The entire city of Berlin is considered potentially dangerous by bomb clean-up experts. Allied forces dropped more than 2.7 million tonnes of explosives across Germany during the war. Much of the ordnance did not explode and has become increasingly dangerous with time and corrosion. .. –> Article End –> .. –> Author Start –>

according to an old article in the USA TODAY

In Berlin, an average of 900 explosive cleanup operations take place each year. Of these, about 100 unexploded bombs are deemed too dangerous for removal — a job for “sprengmeister,” explosives experts like Mehlhorn and Neumann, who blow them up on site.
It then goes on to say:

Berlin, which was bombed heavily throughout the war and then captured by the Soviet army in a bloody battle in April and May 1945, has the most hidden bombs. The entire city is categorized as potentially dangerous.

The problem gets trickier with time as bombs corrode and destabilize. In an ongoing effort to find and remove the unpredictable relics, Luetzen’s office pays private firms $2.87 million each year. The companies uncover an average of 87 tons of weaponry each year in public and private projects. In 2004 alone, workers found 160 bombs, 2,400 grenades, 1,500 explosive devices and 2,700 guns and other weapons.

According to some estimates – getting Berlin off the “dangerous” list may take until well into the 22nd Century. In a word – Yikes.

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Anti Facism Demonstration by Communists?

Where to start… to try and make this clear – now that I understand what was going on and why I got strange looks – let me see ….
Teltow. It’s a small town – 1 street maybe 1000 people – if that. It’s tiny – and located between Berlin and Potsdam. It’s a bedroom community – where nothing really happens – even on the weekend – past 10 pm. Everything is closed after 6pm on most nights, and it’s just dead – you rarely see anyone on the streets.
That being said, May 17, as I rode my bike home from work, I saw this huge massive police force out – blocking the one main street. We’re talking completely closed off to vehicles – with police police police – in green vests, and a few in riot gear.
Line of Police
I thought there must have been a huge bad accident or something – because people go racing up and down the street all the time. Thing is that they were letting pedestrians and bikers through – so as I rode up the street (thinking to rubberneck and maybe snap a few pictures) I discovered the street was just closed – for seemingly no reason – and there was just a huge police force, and really no people. I was like what the heck? Weird.
Line of Police 2
Anyhow, I went home, sat out a 20 minute rain shower and started walking the dog, smartly taking the camera with me. As I rounded the corner, I start hearing people shouting chants and angry things in German – and realize it must be some kind of a protest march that these guys were covering for. So, I head up to the main street to see what’s going on. (After all, March 17 – to me – is any one of a possible 3 holidays – it is the Norwegian Independence day, Equality for gays/lesbians and against homophobia, and the global freedom of information day.)
So, I get down there and start taking pictures of the protest – as follows:
Anti-Facism March
Day 69: Anti-Facism March (1)
Anti-Facism March (2)
Anti-Facism March (3)
Now here’s the thing – the whole time I’m taking pictures, I’m reading the signs and they read “anti-facism” and stuff. (Oh – and I’m getting funny looks – really funny looks from the police who are appearing ready to come at me at any second – to which I keep saying “tourist tourist”) Anyhow, the protest signs – they appear to be being put on by the communist party of Potsdam, Babelsburg and Brandenburg.
To say the least – I’m puzzled. Really Puzzled.
Why are the communist party protesting against facism in tiny Teltow? What am I missing here? Shouldn’t they be in Berlin or Potsdam or something?
Well, after I get to work and start asking questions of the Germans I work with, here’s the explanation.
Apparently, there’s a facist /nazi clothing shop in Teltow (No, really – I didn’t know this either) under the name of something or other nordic blah blah. And these folks were protesting it.
As if that weren’t odd enough – the people protesting are not only communist – but are part of a movement of “anti germans” which have a history of riots and mob violence. You can read more about it here:

Anti-German (Modern communist)

So, this would explain the police being out en masse.

Also from Michael – the translation of that banner in the last picture is “do you know your neighobor? They could be a nazi!”

I’m feeling a little dumb now – a) because I didn’t understand there was a Nazi shop in town, b) because I stood at the protest (ok me and about 2 other people) going what the heck? while taking pictures and c) I’m sure to someone, it looked like I supported the anti-facism (which I do) AND the communists with a history of riots and violence (which I don’t).
Amusingly – they are pro-USA and anti Germans… go figure.
Live, Learn, and well, I guess this is one experience that now that I understand how much I’ve been missing – and be amused.
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Watching Paint Dry

I’m sitting here, at home, watching paint dry on my windows. Typical Germany, I had to take an entire day off to let the guys caulk and paint the inside and outside of 2 windows. (Ok he IS working the entire building – but.. it shouldn’t take 2 hours for 2 windows, then 3 hours to dry and 2 more hours to come back and do a second coat…)

On the bright side, it’s gorgeous weather outside (I’m trying to keep the dog from dashing out there and running away…) with sun and no breeze. It’s even warm enough where you’re comfortable in a t-shirt.

So, picture me sitting outside, on the patio sofa cross legged with my laptop strung out the door. The pup is sitting in the grass sunning himself, and I’m editing photos from Ireland among other places.

In the background, I have the TV turned on – and they’ve started with the hour of country music on viva. Not a bad thing… until this:

It made me pause, set down the laptop, walk in the house and look at the TV. I was laughing so hard that I almost had to go pee before the end of the video. Seriously, there is nothing quite like country music sung in that soft harmonic suthern accent… with German pronounciation and cheezy lyrics.
Hope you got as much of a kick out of it as I did.
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