Sprengplatz Grunewald, Explosives storage and detonation area in Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Germany.
Sprengplatz Grunewald is an explosives storage and controlled detonation site in a forested part of the Nikolassee district, in Steglitz-Zehlendorf. The site is run by Berlin's ordnance disposal service and is used to safely destroy ammunition and hazardous materials found across the city.
The site was set up after World War II, when large amounts of unexploded ordnance were found buried across Berlin. Construction work kept uncovering bombs and shells over the decades, making a permanent disposal facility necessary.
Berlin residents receive regular notifications about scheduled detonations as part of the city's commitment to public safety and communication.
The site is not open to the public and there is nothing to see from outside. Nearby residents are notified before planned detonations so they can be ready for the noise and shaking.
In 2022, a fire broke out on the site that was hard to put out and threw debris and explosive fragments into the surrounding forest. The fire showed how unpredictable decades-old ordnance can be, even in a controlled setting.
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