Potential hazards caused by former military training areas in the days of terrorism

Abstract

Since the reunification of Germany and the withdrawal of the last Russian troops, Brandenburg has developed into a centre for the conversion industry. The reasons for this are primarily historical. For more than a century, large areas (for example more than 2300 km2 of military training areas) of the land have been used for military purposes. Dangerous military waste continues to hinder economic development and endanger the public security in some areas. Most of these areas are easily accessible to the public. Both conventional and chemical ammunition can be found in these terrains. This paper will introduce the Armed Forces Training-Centre in the Döberitzer Heide area as an example of the problems and risks of the contamination with unexploded ordinance (UXO). © 2007 Springer.