US garrison Augsburg
The US garrison in Augsburg existed from 1945 to 1998. During this time, various units of the US Army were stationed in Augsburg . They moved into the Augsburg Wehrmacht barracks , which survived the Second World War relatively undamaged.
On June 19, 1998, the US Army left Augsburg after 52 years. The farewell party took place with a military ceremony, a troop parade, a US military choir and a joint " big tattoo " of German and American soldiers in the Rosenaustadion .
Stationed units
In the immediate post-war period, until July 22, 1945, Augsburg was the headquarters of the 7th US Army. The 7708th War Crimes Group was also stationed here.
Many different associations were stationed in Augsburg at different times. The most important four were units of the 11th US Airborne Division , the 24th US Infantry Division , an artillery corps of the 7th US Army and the 66th Military Intelligence Brigade.
On March 5, 1956, the 11th Airborne Division replaced the 5th Infantry Division at the Augsburg site. This was part of Operation Gyroscope ., A US Army program to improve the morale of troops and their families and improve combat effectiveness. In addition, costs should be reduced. The program provided for the regular exchange of entire units when they were abroad, instead of exchanging individual soldiers as before. On June 30, 1958, the 11th Airborne Division was formally dissolved and reorganized as the 24th Infantry Division.
Parts of the 1st, 5th, 9th and 43rd Infantry Divisions and various units of the military police were also in Augsburg . From 1970 the ASA (Army Security Agency) Field Station was located in the Sheridan barracks. She was responsible for the operation of today's BND branch in Gablingen . This closed on January 12, 1993 or was handed over to the Federal Intelligence Service .
Locations within Augsburg
The soldiers use three locations in Augsburg: the Sheridan barracks , the Reese barracks and the flak barracks . Other facilities were the Quartermaster Supply Center and the 34th General Hospital.
Four housing estates were built around the barracks for the families of the US soldiers: Sullivan Heights , Centerville, Cramerton and for the officers of Fryar Circle.
A list from 1978 mentions the following institutions:
- Centerville Housing
- Cramerton Housing
- Flak barracks
- Fryar Circle Housing
- Gablingen barracks
- Quartermaster Supply Center
- Reese Barracks
- Sheridan Barracks
- Sullivan Heights Housing
- NCR Leased Housing
- Schwaben Center Leased Housing
- Lilienthal Leased Housing
When they moved into Augsburg in 1945, the occupiers also confiscated apartments and hotels in the city center.
Importance of the garrison Augsburg
Augsburg was the largest garrison town in Swabia.
In 1991, the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact led to major organizational changes, troop reductions and site closures. On October 1, 1991 the " USAREUR Military Communities" were merged into Area Support Groups (ASG), Base Support Battalions (BSB), and Area Support Teams (AST). The largest German ASG, the 99th, took over the site operations for the former "military communities" of Ansbach, Augsburg, Bamberg, Bad Tölz, Göppingen, Heilbronn, Munich, Neu-Ulm and Nuremberg. They were divided into four Base Support Battalions and eight Area Support Teams. The 236th BSB had its headquarters in Augsburg. In December 1993 the 99th ASG was dissolved and the BSB Augsburg was assigned to the ASG Stuttgart.
Site Commanders
The last site commander was Barbara G. Fast , who later became known in connection with the Iraqi Abu Ghuraib prison .
Influence on Augsburg
Up to 17,000 soldiers lived in Augsburg at the same time. If you include their family members, up to 30,000 Americans lived in Augsburg. They contributed to the fact that American (life) culture was omnipresent in Augsburg. With their purchasing power, aided by the dollar exchange rate, they were also an important economic factor.
The German-American folk festival took place annually on the Volksfestplatz on Bürgermeister-Ackermann-Straße . The "American ice-cream" (" Häagen-Dazs ") as well as original American hamburgers, chilli and corn on the cob were considered delicacies by many Augsburgers. The intervention of the "MP" in physical disputes in the area around the fairground is also legendary .
At the Second Gulf War 1990/1991, soldiers from Augsburg participated. Through personal contact with the soldiers as well as reporting in the local media, the Augsburgers experienced the fate of the soldiers.
The 66th Military Intelligence Group supported the IFOR with military intelligence work during the Yugoslav wars.
Since the withdrawal
The barracks abandoned by the Americans are gradually being converted into residential and business districts as well as areas for cultural operations. One example is the Abraxas cultural center . The area of the former Sheridan barracks now bears the name SheridanPark and is designed for 35 hectares of commercial and mixed areas and 19 hectares of residential area.
Some buildings are preserved as a reminder of their previous use, e.g. B. the officers' mess , the American Church and the kindergarten, which continues to be used as such.
Some former US soldiers stayed in Augsburg. Their clubs and events are an integral part of life in the city. The American (life) culture that the soldiers brought to Augsburg can sometimes still be felt.
literature
- Markus Pöhlmann , Günther Grünsteudel : US Armed Forces , in: Stadtlexikon Augsburg (2nd edition print edition).
Web links
- America in Augsburg eV, association for the documentation of the 50-year history of the garrison
- The US Army in Germany, eyewitness reports and photos from Augsburg, search on www.usarmygermany.com via Google
- The Augsburg garrison, plans and photos