Panzer Grenadier Brigade 37

Panzergrenadierbrigade 37 "Free State of Saxony" - PzGrenBrig 37 - X
Association badge
active	April 1, 1991
Country	Germany
Armed forces	armed forces
Armed forces	army
Subordinate troops	Headquarters / Telecommunication Company Reconnaissance Battalion 13 Supply Battalion 131 Panzer Battalion 363 (under construction) Panzer Grenadier Battalion 371 Panzer Grenadier Battalion 391 Panzer Battalion 393 Panzer Engineer Battalion 701
Strength	~ 5000 men
Insinuation	10th Armored Division
Seat of the staff	Frankenberg / Saxony
march	Kesselsdorf March
Awards	Flag ribbon Saxony (2010), flag ribbon Thuringia (2013)
Web presence	PzGrenBrig 37
commander
commander	Brigadier General Gunnar Brügner

The Panzer Grenadier Brigade 37 "Free State of Saxony" with headquarters in Frankenberg / Saxony is a major unit of the German army . In the course of taking the ARMY2011 structure , the brigade has been subordinate to the “new” 10th Panzer Division since December 2014 . The brigade is stationed in the federal states of Saxony and Thuringia .

assignment

The units of the Panzergrenadierbrigade 37 are trained in the entire range of tasks and intensity and focus on providing troops for operations in national and multinational units with the aim of conflict prevention, conflict avoidance and crisis management within the framework of NATO or the European Union . In the event of a defense, the brigade performs national defense duties. Within the framework of NATO, it is used to defend allied states.

Association badge

The association badge essentially corresponds to the Saxon state coat of arms and is bordered with a silver cord (black thread woven in). Blazon:

Settled by a silver cord with black thread woven into it, in the field divided ten times by black and gold, a diagonal green diamond wreath .

In its history, the brigade changed its association badge several times. The first association badge as homeland security brigade corresponds to the current one. As with all homeland security brigades, the symbolism of the association badge goes back to the place where it was stationed and, like all association badges set up after 1989, was framed with a silver cord with woven black thread. Normally this border was reserved for the divisions in the traditional heraldry of the army, but in the case of the newly established Homeland Security Brigades this border was chosen because there was initially no higher division.

The second association badge essentially corresponded to the association badge of the superior 13th Panzer Grenadier Division . The brigade, however, had a coat of arms with a red border (instead of the silver / black corded edge of the division's badge). Blazon:

Red bordered, split with a curved tip grafted into the bottom with a field roughened diagonally on the right in silver and blue. On the right, in blue, an upright, eight-fold red and silver striped, gold crowned and gold armored lion; on the left in the field divided ten times by black and gold a diagonal green diamond wreath.

The heraldic figures represent the Free State of Thuringia (top right with the Ludowinger lion , cf. also the colors of the flag of Saxony ), the Free State of Saxony (top left) and Bavaria , cf. Bavarian diamonds . It wasn't until 2008 that the brigade returned to its original association badge.

• 

  Current association badge

• 

  2nd execution

• 

  First association badge

See also : List of Association Badges of the Bundeswehr

structure

Organization of the brigade until June 30, 2014

Partial view of the Wettin barracks in Frankenberg

• Headquarters / Telecommunication Company, Panzergrenadierbrigade 37, Frankenberg / Sa.
• Panzerbataillon 363, Hardheim (under construction)
• Panzerbataillon 393, Bad Frankenhausen / Kyffhäuser
• Panzergrenadierbataillon 371 , Marienberg
• 391 Panzer Grenadier Battalion , Bad Salzungen
• Reconnaissance Battalion 13, Gotha
• Panzer Pioneer Battalion 701, Gera
• Supply Battalion 131, Bad Frankenhausen / Kyffhäuser
• Panzergrenadierbataillon 909, Marienberg , supplementary troop unit (Couleur: Panzergrenadierbataillon 371, not active, no large equipment of its own available or long-term storage.)

history

The history of the brigade begins in 1990 with the dissolution of the GDR's National People's Army . In 1991 the brigade from parts of the 7th Panzer Division of the NVA was set up as Homeland Security Brigade 37 with the nickname "Free State of Saxony". In 1993 the first conscripts began to train. In 1995 the brigade was renamed Panzergrenadierbrigade 37 and relocated from Dresden to Frankenberg / Saxony before it was renamed Jägerbrigade 37 in 1996 . The brigade at that time consisted of a paratrooper battalion, a mountain infantry battalion and an armored infantry battalion. In 1997 the brigade helped with the flooding of the Oder , in 1998 the major association provided the first forces for the 2nd SFOR contingent in Bosnia . When Panzerbrigade 39 "Thuringia" was disbanded in 2001, the brigade took over Panzergrenadierbataillon 391 and Panzerbataillon 393. In return, they handed over parachute battalion 373 to Airborne Brigade 31 . In 2001/2002 the brigade provided the majority of the 4th SFOR contingent (Bosnia); In 2003 the Panzer Pioneer Company 370 in Doberlug-Kirchhain was dissolved. In 2004/2005 the brigade provided forces for the 6th German mission contingent ISAF and the 2nd German mission contingent “PRT Kunduz ” in Afghanistan . In 2005 the tank artillery battalion 375 was dissolved. In 2006, the brigade provided forces for the 11th German ISAF contingent and took over logistics battalion 131 in Bad Frankenhausen .

On January 25, 2007, the tank pioneer company 390 in Bad Salzungen was disbanded. To this end, the Pioneer Battalion 701 in Gera , the Telecommunications Battalion 701 in Frankenberg / Saxony and the (tank) reconnaissance battalion 13 in Gotha, which was previously directly subordinate to the 13th Panzer Grenadier Division, switched to the brigade . The Jägerbrigade 37 was reclassified to the Panzergrenadierbrigade 37 on April 1, 2007. At the same time, the repair battalion 131 became the logistics battalion 131 and the engineer battalion 701 became the armored engineer battalion 701. To take over the "New Army" structure , the armored reconnaissance battalion 13 was reclassified to the reconnaissance battalion 13 on July 31, 2007 and the units previously subordinated to the armored reconnaissance battalion 13 in peacetime Panzer Reconnaissance Company 370 and 390 dissolved or incorporated into it. The 371 Jäger Battalion was reclassified to the 371 Panzer Grenadier Battalion in July 2007. In 2008 the two units of the supply company 370 and the mountain hunter battalion 571 stationed in Schneeberg (Ore Mountains) were disbanded.

By resolution of the 13th Panzer Grenadier Division , the mechanized infantry brigade was 37 transitional mid-2013 the Airmobile Operations Division in Veitshöchheim assumed, but changed on October 1, 2013 to Division South , which in December 2014 in the course of taking the structure HEER2011 "new" for the 10th Panzer Division was.

On June 2, 2014, the 701 telecommunications battalion in Frankenberg was disbanded with a major roll call on June 30, 2014. Parts of the disbanded telecommunications battalion were taken over into the renamed headquarters and telecommunications company of Panzergrenadierbrigade 37 (St / FmKp PzGrenBrig 37).

In 2015, units of the Panzergrenadierbrigade 37 were deployed as part of the NATO Response Force (NRF) as a NATO rapid reaction force. Here, the 371 Panzer Grenadier Battalion from Marienberg had the main responsibility.

The Panzergrenadierbrigade 37 supported refugees in Saxony and Thuringia with around 600 soldiers at almost twenty facilities at peak times. The focus was on the construction of the facilities, the transport of people and material, as well as support in the operation of the facilities.

From August 2017, units of the Panzer Grenadier Brigade 37 were deployed in Lithuania as part of the "enhanced forward presence " (English: Enhanced Forward Presence, abbreviated EFP ). Here the soldiers of the Panzer Grenadier Battalion 371 from Marienberg in Saxony bore the main responsibility. The stationing serves the security needs of the NATO states Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which feel threatened by the annexation of Crimea and the continued destabilization of Ukraine by Russia. The Iron Wolf II and Winter Wolf exercises were carried out together with the Lithuanian armed forces, above all the Iron Wolf Brigade .

Since August 2018, units of the Panzer Grenadier Brigade 37 have again been deployed in Lithuania as part of the "enhanced forward presence " (English: Enhanced Forward Presence, abbreviated EFP ). The soldiers of the 393 tank battalion from Bad Frankenhausen in Thuringia bear the main responsibility.

On December 6, 2018, then Federal Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen announced during a visit to the Munster training center that the German Armed Forces would be setting up a sixth tank battalion in Hardheim to be stationed in the Carl-Schurz barracks . It concerns the tank battalion 363, which is subordinate to the tank brigade 37 and is supposed to have about 450 soldiers. The complete formation is carried out with the help of the two active companies of the Mountain Armored Battalion 8. The 3rd company from Pfreimd (Bavaria) and the 4th company from Bad Frankenhausen (Thuringia) will be relocated to Hardheim with around 70 posts each. The new tank battalion continues the tradition of the 363 tank battalion, which was stationed in Külsheim until 2006 and was subordinate to the 36 tank brigade until it was dissolved.

On October 1, 2019, the first 65 soldiers of the new 363 tank battalion began their service in Hardheim's Carl Schurz barracks. It was also announced that the federal government will invest 55 instead of the originally mentioned 20 million euros in the location. The headquarters and supply companies are set up. The 4th Company from Bad Frankenhausen (Thuringia) will follow on October 1, 2020 and the 3rd Company will be relocated from Pfreimd (Upper Palatinate) to Hardheim on April 1, 2021. The second company of the new tank battalion will be completely reorganized (planned from the end of 2021). At the end of the deployment process (expected in 2022), the 363 tank battalion should comprise a total of 463 soldiers.

In 2020, the reconnaissance battalion provided 13 reconnaissance forces for the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Lithuania in Lithuania as well as parts of the mixed reconnaissance company MINUSMA in Mali.

Commanders

The following commanders led the brigade (rank when taking command):

No.	Rank	Surname	Beginning of the appointment	End of appointment
11	Colonel	Gunnar Brügner	April 27, 2018
10	Colonel	Ruprecht Horst von Butler	December 9, 2014	April 27, 2018
9	Colonel	Carsten Breuer	March 14, 2013	December 9, 2014
8th	Colonel	Gerd Kropf	October 19, 2010	December 31, 2012
7th	Colonel	Jörg Vollmer	October 27, 2006	October 19, 2010
6th	Colonel	Markus Kneip	November 12, 2004	October 27, 2006
5	Colonel	Armin Staigis	February 23, 2001	November 12, 2004
4th	Colonel	Rainer Glatz	January 29, 1998	February 23, 2001
3	Colonel	Reinhard Gunzel	September 22, 1995	January 9, 1998
2	Colonel	Wolfgang Gülich	June 27, 1991	September 22, 1995
1	Brigadier General	Andreas Wittenberg	3rd October 1990	June 27, 1991

literature

In 2013, the historian Claus Heinrich Gattermann presented the study From Saxony to the Hindu Kush: The History of the Panzer Grenadier Brigade 37 , which was published as Books on Demand . Commander Carsten Breuer wrote the foreword .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ tungsten Skupio: Frankenberger Fernmelder log out. BMVg, June 4, 2014, accessed on June 16, 2014 .  
2. ^ Bundeswehr.de: readiness for defense of the second rotation. Retrieved January 26, 2018 . 
3. ↑ bundeswehr.de: Topic of the week: Winter Wolf - high point of training in the Lithuanian snow. Retrieved January 26, 2018 . 
4. ↑ One year of “increased presence” in Lithuania. Retrieved January 26, 2018 . 
5. ^ EFP Battlegroup Lithuania: EFP in Lithuania: The fourth rotation has taken over. Bundeswehr, August 3, 2018, accessed November 30, 2018 . 
6. ^ The army places sixth tank battalion on newspaper articles from the time online from December 6, 2018
7. ↑ Order of the day of the Bundeswehr Inspector General of December 5, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2019 . 
8. ^ Federal government invests 55 million in the Carl Schurz barracks. In: Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung. October 22, 2019, accessed October 23, 2019 . 
9. ↑ Hunters are training for deployment abroad in Mali. In: https://www.bundeswehr.de/ . PIZ German Army, December 17, 2019, accessed on June 20, 2020 . 

Coordinates: 50 ° 54 ′ 32.6 "  N , 13 ° 2 ′ 53.7"  E