Then the machines moved in. One big machine with a large ‘thing’ at the end of the arm made short work of the roofs and walls. Before then, a number of men had taken off the asphalt covering and any wooden beams. They were separated for recycling.
Here you can see the the change in landscape, including the main machine. In German it is called ‘der Bagger’. My dictionary translates this as excavator, digger, earthmover. Interesting that I didn’t know the word in English and had to use a dictionary!