On a brisk Tuesday morning in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, the city’s usual hum of commuters and construction was abruptly replaced by sirens and the urgent calls of police officers. The cause: a 500-pound (225-kilogram) bomb, a deadly remnant from World War II, had been discovered the previous evening during routine construction work. The find, announced by city officials, set off a chain of emergency measures that would paralyze a significant swath of downtown just as the day was beginning.
According to the Associated Press, the bomb was unearthed on Monday evening, September 8, 2025, in an area close to the modern Apollo Bridge and near the site of the former Apollo oil refinery. This refinery, as historical records and reporting from The Slovak Spectator confirm, was a significant target during the war, sustaining heavy bombardment by Allied forces between June and September 1944. The presence of such a device, more than 80 years after the end of World War II, is a chilling reminder of the city’s turbulent past.
By dawn on Tuesday, September 9, the situation had escalated. Authorities ordered the evacuation of several central blocks, including residential and commercial buildings, and a major bridge spanning the Danube River. Public transportation and all vehicular traffic ground to a halt during the morning rush hour, a rare occurrence in a city known for its efficient transit system. As reported by CBS News, the police commissioner took to the airwaves, urging residents to remain indoors and stay safe until further notice.
Bomb disposal experts, called to the scene overnight, faced a tense and delicate task. Their plan was to defuse the bomb by midday, a deadline that underscored both the urgency and the danger of the operation. The device, which had somehow failed to detonate during the original wartime raids, now posed a risk not just to the immediate area but to the heart of Bratislava itself.
Jan Ferer, head of the bomb disposal unit, offered a sobering perspective on the situation. "The original wartime terrain is still here and the construction work is uncovering it," he said, as quoted by The Slovak Spectator. He explained that much of the area around the former refinery had been buried by the devastation of Allied bombing and subsequent flooding. With each new excavation, the city’s wartime history—sometimes literally—comes to the surface.
Slovakia’s role in World War II is a complex and often painful chapter. During the conflict, Slovakia was a puppet state aligned with Nazi Germany, and Slovak military divisions participated in the invasions of Poland and the Soviet Union, including the infamous Operation Barbarossa. The city of Bratislava, with its strategic position along the Danube and its industrial assets, was a significant target for Allied bombers seeking to cripple the Axis war effort. The Apollo refinery, in particular, was subjected to repeated attacks, with several tons of ordnance dropped in the summer of 1944 alone.
While the discovery of unexploded bombs from World War II is not unheard of in Europe, the frequency of such finds appears to be increasing as urban development accelerates. This incident in Bratislava follows a similar discovery in 2021, when another wartime bomb was unearthed during construction in the city. Ferer noted at the time that, "the entire complex was buried by Allied bombing and subsequent flooding," a situation that has left the ground beneath Bratislava riddled with hidden dangers.
But it’s not just Slovakia grappling with these hazardous legacies. Across the continent, cities like Dresden in Germany, Cologne, and even Paris have reported recent discoveries of World War II-era bombs. In August 2025, a bomb was found during clearance operations for a collapsed bridge in Dresden, triggering evacuations and a massive response from emergency services. Each incident is a stark reminder of the scale and intensity of the conflict that once engulfed Europe—and the enduring risks that linger, decades after peace was declared.
The Apollo Bridge, now a sleek modern structure spanning the Danube, stands as both a symbol of Bratislava’s postwar renewal and a marker of its wartime scars. The area surrounding the bridge, once home to the Apollo refinery, has been transformed by redevelopment, but the ground beneath still holds secrets. As construction continues to reshape the city, the likelihood of further discoveries remains high.
For residents and workers in downtown Bratislava, Tuesday’s events were both disruptive and unsettling. The evacuation forced many to abandon their homes and offices, while the suspension of public transit left thousands stranded or delayed. The city’s emergency services, however, responded with efficiency and calm, coordinating the evacuation and securing the area around the bomb site. According to officials, there were no injuries reported during the operation, and the public’s cooperation was praised as exemplary.
As midday approached, all eyes were on the bomb disposal team. Their task was as much about precision as it was about courage—one wrong move could have catastrophic consequences. The experts worked methodically, drawing on years of training and experience with similar ordnance. While the final outcome of the defusing operation was not immediately available, authorities expressed confidence in the team’s ability to neutralize the threat.
Beyond the immediate drama, the incident has sparked renewed discussion about the legacy of World War II in Slovakia and across Europe. The presence of unexploded bombs is a tangible reminder of the devastation wrought by the conflict, as well as the resilience of the cities and people who rebuilt in its aftermath. It also raises questions about the responsibilities of governments and developers to ensure safety as urban landscapes continue to evolve.
For Bratislava, the events of September 9, 2025, will be remembered as another chapter in its long history—a day when the past quite literally resurfaced, demanding attention and respect. As construction crews return to their work and the city’s rhythms resume, the lessons of history linger just beneath the surface, waiting to be uncovered once again.