Over 50,000 residents of Augsburg, Barvaria have been evacuated and the city’s medieval centre closed while the Army defuse a 1.8-tonne bomb dropped by the Allies over 70 years ago.
The Christmas Day evacuation involves 32,000 households and 4,000 police and firefighters.
Augsburg officials have opened some schools for evacuees who cannot stay with family or friends with police admitting it is impossible to say how long the operation will take.
Most Germans have their main Christmas meal on 24 December, rather than on Christmas Day: the Sunday disruption is unwelcome but necessary.
Augsburg, in Bavaria, was extensively bombed during WWII, and much of the city was destroyed on 25-26 February 1944, when attacked by hundreds of British and US bombers.
In a final Big Week mission, the US Eighth Air Force bombed the Messerschmitt aircraft works during the day on 25 February, 1944. That night (25/26 February), RAF Bomber Command followed up with 594 aircraft and destroyed large parts of the centre of Augsburg. The RAF lost 21 aircraft, at least four due to collision.
This last bombing raid killed 730 German people and injured 1,335 with 85,000 left homeless. Nearly a quarter of homes in Augsburg were destroyed.
Due to frozen hydrants and other water sources, the temperature being -18°C, fire fighting was difficult.
Evacuating the centre of the city due to an unexploded bomb is preferable to the devastating events of nearly 73 years ago.
