World War II Bombs Found at Volkswagen Headquarters in Germany
car&bike Team
1 min read
Jul 10, 2016, 08:04 PM
Key Highlights
- Construction workers found the bombs during the plant's expansion work
- An evacuation of the Sandkamp district is possible
- Production at the facility will remain unaffected by the evacuation
Germany's participation in World War II is known to the world and a part of this bygone era continues to live in the country underneath all the settled dust. In this instance, remains of the bygone era managed to make it to the surface when construction workers at Volkswagen's headquarters in Wolfsburg found metal fragments, which turned out to be unexploded bombs from the second world war.
The bombs were found during an expansion work at the massive manufacturing facility and led to a thorough search for more explosives. It is also possible that all 700 residents of the Sandkamp district in Wolfsburg will be evacuated when removing the unexploded devices safely. The unexploded bombs were found last month at the VW plant and work continued until the end of last month in four areas, until they reached for a scheduled break in production, allowing experts to check the unexploded bombs.
Interestingly, Volkswagen's facility is no stranger to World War II bombs. The plant was commissioned in 1938 to build a people's car by Germany's then Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. While the car later became the Volkswagen Beetle, the plant was converted during the second world war to produce Jeep-style military vehicles in addition to aircraft supplies and repair warplanes. As a result, the factory was on the receiving end of air raids from the allies.
There have been many unexploded devices found at the factory over the years as the Wolfsburg site, which was repeatedly bombarded during the war. In fact, there are several places across Germany that still carry remains of the war concealed under the debris, but make it back to the surface at some point or the other. In terms of production delays, a Volkswagen representative suggested that production won't be affected by the possible evacuation.
The automaker usually does not run shifts on Sunday and plant operations have been phased down at present since workers departed for the three-week summer shutdown period on July 1. On its peak days, the Wolfsburg facility is capable of manufacturing up to 3800 cars per day of the Golf, Tiguan and Touran. The Wolfsburg plant employs about 60,000 people in a town with a population of 1,25,000. It is almost three times the size of the city of Monaco and builds about 8,15,000 cars per year.
The bombs were found during an expansion work at the massive manufacturing facility and led to a thorough search for more explosives. It is also possible that all 700 residents of the Sandkamp district in Wolfsburg will be evacuated when removing the unexploded devices safely. The unexploded bombs were found last month at the VW plant and work continued until the end of last month in four areas, until they reached for a scheduled break in production, allowing experts to check the unexploded bombs.
The Wolfsburg plant was commissioned in 1938 to build a people's car
There have been many unexploded devices found at the factory over the years as the Wolfsburg site, which was repeatedly bombarded during the war. In fact, there are several places across Germany that still carry remains of the war concealed under the debris, but make it back to the surface at some point or the other. In terms of production delays, a Volkswagen representative suggested that production won't be affected by the possible evacuation.
The automaker usually does not run shifts on Sunday and plant operations have been phased down at present since workers departed for the three-week summer shutdown period on July 1. On its peak days, the Wolfsburg facility is capable of manufacturing up to 3800 cars per day of the Golf, Tiguan and Touran. The Wolfsburg plant employs about 60,000 people in a town with a population of 1,25,000. It is almost three times the size of the city of Monaco and builds about 8,15,000 cars per year.
Related News
3 mins read
Volkswagen Taigun: Old Vs NewPopular Volkswagen Models
Latest Cars
Upcoming Cars
Latest News
car&bike Team | Apr 18, 2026MG M9, Cyberster Prices Hiked By Up To Rs 5 LakhThe M9 electric MPV is now priced at Rs 75.90 lakh while the Cyberster witnesses a Rs 2.50 lakh hike.2 mins read
car&bike Team | Apr 18, 2026Kia Sorento Hybrid Spied Testing In India AgainThe Sorento is a three-row hybrid SUV which has been spied testing in India for the second time.2 mins read
Seshan Vijayraghvan | Apr 17, 2026Mercedes-Benz C-Class Electric Interior & Cabin Details RevealedThe highlights include - 39.1-inch edge-to-edge MBUX Hyperscreen, a panoramic glass roof with 162 illuminated stars and just a handful of physical buttons.1 min read
Bilal Firfiray | Apr 17, 2026Tata Sierra Claimed Fuel Mileage RevealedTata Sierra comes with three engine options and three transmission choices as well. It’s launched at Rs 11.49 lakh (ex-showroom).1 min read
Shams Raza Naqvi | Apr 17, 2026Renault Bridger SUV To Be Offered With 1.2-Litre Turbo-Petrol, Hybrid and Electric PowertrainsThe French carmaker has confirmed that its new sub-four metre SUV will come will multiple powertrain technologies to appeal to a wider section of buyers.1 min read
car&bike Team | Apr 17, 2026Simple Energy Ultra Electric Scooter Launched in India; Claims 400 Km RangeWith a claimed 400 km range on a single charge, the new Simple Ultra priced at ₹2.35 lakh (ex-showroom) enters the Indian market as one of the highest-range electric scooters yet.1 min read
Amaan Ahmed | Apr 15, 2026Kinetic DX+ Review: Pure Nostalgia Can Only Take You So FarNo smoke, no two-stroke – the reborn Kinetic relies heavily on the charm of the original’s design to sway buyers, but can it offer genuine substance to go with the style?12 mins read
Janak Sorap | Apr 10, 2026Triumph 350 Range First Ride Review: More Affordable, More Refined, Still Fun?Triumph’s shift to 350cc aims to cut costs, but does it affect the ride experience?5 mins read
car&bike Team | Apr 7, 2026Flying Flea C6 Review: Royal Enfield’s Electric Gamble?The C6 is the beginning of Royal Enfield's EV journey under the Flying Flea brand. Does it make a strong impression? Read on.8 mins read
Janak Sorap | Mar 31, 20262026 Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex – First Ride Review: The Update That Changes EverythingAfter riding the updated 2026 Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 for a round trip of over 140 km from Guwahati to Shillong, the new Apex variant feels like the version of the Guerrilla 450 that should have existed from day one.6 mins read
Amaan Ahmed | Apr 6, 2026Yamaha EC-06 First Ride Review: Building Is Hard, Repackaging Is ECTo develop a capable maiden electric two-wheeler for India, Yamaha Motor didn't have to dig deep -- it just needed to strike up a clever partnership with a promising Indian startup.8 mins read