What happened to the land and the debris of war such as weapons and vehicles that were left after long and destructive battles like Verdun or Stalingrad? Basically, who cleaned up the mess and how did they do it? | AskHistorians Archive Observer

What happened to the land and the debris of war such as weapons and vehicles that were left after long and destructive battles like Verdun or Stalingrad? Basically, who cleaned up the mess and how did they do it?

by Fresh_Prince_of_War

I'm specifically interested in battles that took place in one area for an extended time like first world war trench warfare and urban combat like that which occured at Stalingrad that basically destroyed entire villages and cities.

IonicSquid

Note that many areas which have seen prolonged fighting in modern wars haven't been completely cleaned up, with some still containing dangers such as live explosives.

With this in mind, I'd like to ask a follow-up question: which areas have seen prolonged fighting with significant leftover debris/ordnance that was cleaned up, and why was the decision made to clean up these areas and not others?