Demining – hidden relics from the world wars
In Austria and Germany, millions of explosive bodies from World War I and II are still around: primitive projectiles from the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy, arsenals from the CIA, water mines from the Nazis and unexploded bombs and grenades from the allies. Right after the Nazis were defeated, humanitarian demining services were established in Germany and Austria to make the countries bomb-free and safe again – and as researchers estimate, they will continue to find tons of bombs for the next 300 years. Wolfgang Korner and Andreas Bednarek from the official Austrian Demining Service showed what has been found in the last 65 years and described 23 concrete items: explosive bodies from every military force involved in World War I and II, some of them rotten, some of them in perfect shape. Photographed for DATUM – SEITEN DER ZEIT, texts: Clemens Marschall.
