4. Bom in Wels – “I’d rather mine be an umbrella stand”

The fourth aerial bomb in ten days at the construction site of the Westbahn at the Wels shunting yard – there is still more work to be done by the army’s demining specialists. “During the week, two colleagues in Hörsching are on duty for Upper Austria, Salzburg, Tyrol and Vorarlberg, and at the weekend the Viennese join in,” explains Wolfgang Korner, head of the 15-strong mine clearance service.

Used three times a day
Parking extra people in Wels is not possible – even without massive construction sites, too much is still happening: “On average, we are called up three times a day.” How many bombs are lying dormant in Upper Austria? “Nobody knows. The numbers floating around here are nice, but nothing more,” says Korner.

Because the data of the dud hits and especially of the unexploded bombs defused during the war are unclear. The files are missing. “No one thought then that this would concern us now.”

Also gives false alarm
Every tenth bomb did not go off, the ravages of time only gnaw at the surface. “The best was always good enough for war equipment,” says Korner, whose people are trained for three years — and learn from day one on the ground. There are also false alarms. A classic: the long-forgotten umbrella stand in grandma’s garden, which has sunk into the ground over the years. “At first glance it looks like a mine. But I’m always happy as long as it’s just an umbrella stand.”