Two towers on the eastern end of a World War II era bridge — immortalized by the 1969 US film "The Bridge at Remagen" — are up for sale, German authorities confirmed on Monday.
The Federal Railway Property Fund (BEV) is selling the ruins located on the side of where the bridge formerly stood across the Rhine from Remagen.
"There are already several interested parties," BEV spokesman Jürgen Rothe told news agency dpa. The German newspaper Rhein Zeitung first reported on plans to sell the towers.
The listing did not set a price for the bridge towers, rather stating that they will go to the highest bidder.
Interested buyers have until May 18 to make their offers.
Read more: World War II: US forces’ capture of the Bridge of Remagen was a turning point
Some 50,000 Allied troops were able to cross the Rhine for the first time in March 1945 using the bridge
Owning a piece of history
A property listing on BEV's website described the towers as "the remains of a monumental bridge construction of national significance to war history."
The large, stone towers once formed part of the Ludendorff Bridge between the German towns of Remagen and Erpel. Allied forces came across the mostly intact bridge on the Remagen side in March 1945 despite efforts by Nazi German troops to destroy the bridge.
The bridge allowed Allied troops to cross the Rhine River for the first time, although the bridge finally collapsed days after they crossed. The capture of the bridge signified a turning point in the war.
Read more: Pre-summer heat explodes WWII-era munitions in German town
Towers located on the western Remagen side currently house a museum about the bridge's history
Renovation required
Any prospective buyers should be warned, however, that the historical ruins are going to need some serious work.
"It is in serious need of renovations," the property listing stated.
Due to the danger posed by falling bits of the towers' facade that could land on pedestrians or motorists, "the duty to ensure public safety must be taken into account," the BEV listing added.
Read more: Swastika and Nazi inscription wiped from German church bell
Those hoping to turn the old bridge towers into a unique home or historic hotel are out of luck — the building cannot be used as housing, BEV said.
Despite the restrictions and renovation work facing the future owners, Rothe said the ruins may be of interest to historical societies or artists.
The towers on the Remagen side of where the Ludendorff Bridge formerly stood are currently being used as a museum.
-
Unexploded ordnance in Germany - a legacy of the Allied Forces
What is unexploded ordnance?
Unexploded ordnance (UXO or sometimes also abbreviated to UO), unexploded bombs (UXBs), or explosive remnants of war (ERW) are explosive weapons such as bombs, shells, grenades, land mines, naval mines and cluster munitions that did not explode when they were deployed. Unexploded ordnance still poses the risk of detonation, even decades after they were used or discarded.
-
Unexploded ordnance in Germany - a legacy of the Allied Forces
Why does Germany have a bomb problem?
Between 1940 and 1945, US and British forces dropped 2.7 million tons of bombs on Europe. Half of those bombs targeted Germany. Experts estimate that close to a quarter of a million bombs did not explode due to technical faults. Thousands of these bombs are still hidden underground, sometimes a few meters down and sometimes just below the surface.
-
Unexploded ordnance in Germany - a legacy of the Allied Forces
How big is the issue?
The industrial Ruhr area and the Lower Rhine region were heavily bombed, as were the cities of Dresden, Hamburg and Hanover. So this is where most of the unexploded ordnance is found. Bombs are usually unearthed during construction work or are discovered during the examination of historical aerial images. Experts say it could still take decades to clear all of the remaining unexploded ordnance.
-
Unexploded ordnance in Germany - a legacy of the Allied Forces
What happens when an unexploded bomb is found?
When confronted with the discovery of an UXO, UO or a UXB, bomb disposal experts have to decide whether to defuse it or to carry out a controlled explosion. Many have lost their lives on the job. German authorities are under pressure to remove unexploded ordnance from populated areas. Experts argue that the bombs are becoming more dangerous as time goes by due to material fatigue.
-
Unexploded ordnance in Germany - a legacy of the Allied Forces
How many bomb disposal experts have died?
Eleven bomb technicians have been killed in Germany since 2000, including three who died in a single explosion while trying to defuse a 1,000-pound bomb on the site of a popular flea market in Göttingen in 2010.
-
Unexploded ordnance in Germany - a legacy of the Allied Forces
Which was the biggest evacuation?
A 1.8-ton bomb dropped by Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) was found in the city center of Augsburg on December 20, 2016. The find prompted a large-scale bomb disposal operation and consequently the evacuation of over 54,000 people on December 25. To date, this remains the biggest evacuation for the removal of World War II unexploded ordnance in Germany.
-
Unexploded ordnance in Germany - a legacy of the Allied Forces
What’s the latest?
Authorities conducted another big bomb disposal operation in May 2017, with 50,000 residents in the northwestern city of Hanover forced to evacuate their homes. Thirteen unexploded ordnances from the 1940s were removed. Hanover was a frequent target of Allied bombing in the latter years of the war. On October 9, 1943, some 261,000 bombs were dropped on the city.
Author: Aasim Saleem
rs/kms (AFP, dpa)
Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.