AO Edited
Himmelsweiher (Sky Ponds)
In the city forest of Augsburg are oval, artificial ponds formed from a World War II bombing campaign.
On the night of February 25th to 26th 1944, thousands of bombs fell on Augsburg destroying large parts of the city.
Their original target was the aircraft works of the former aviation company Messerschmitt AG, one of the predecessors of Airbus SE. However, thousands of bombs missed their target and hit the city forest Siebentischwald.
Countless impact craters still bear witness to this terrible time, but the growing vegetation has obscured their visibility. Since 2011, a public charity transformed some of these craters into ponds. However, many have nearly disappeared due to protection measures against floods and groundwater.
These new ponds are now habitats for amphibians, dragonflies, and other water-dwelling creatures. In 2021, even goldfish were discovered, an invasive/non-native species.
Know Before You Go
The sky ponds are scattered across the city forest. Two of the ponds are found at:
48.336386, 10.918187 (48°20'11.0"N 10°55'05.5"E)
48.330924, 10.917343 (48°19'51.3"N 10°55'02.4"E)
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