SS barracks (Nuremberg)
The SS barracks is a listed building complex in the south of the city of Nuremberg in Bavaria .
geography
The almost 19 hectare , completely ground-level site is located in the Gibitzenhof district of Nuremberg at an altitude of 322 m above sea level. NN . In terms of its natural surroundings, it is located on a sandbank in the glacial valley of the Pegnitz . It extends from what is now Frankenstrasse 200-224 in the north, east to Münchener Strasse , south to Ingolstädter Strasse and west to Tiroler Strasse .
history
In 1936, no barracks were planned for the Nazi party rally grounds. But the SS , who provided security for the site, wanted one. In addition, the SS wanted to expand their responsibilities and set up their own troop units - barracks were needed for this. In March 1936 SS-Gruppenführer Ernst-Heinrich Schmauser began planning to house an SS-Sturmbannes Nuremberg , in 1937 the Nuremberg city expansion office selected a site on Frankenstrasse. In July of that year, Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler commissioned General Building Inspector Albert Speer to submit building plans within three months. Because of the quick planning, the additional effort required, such as the relocation of companies, supply lines, roads and tracks, was not checked.
After a tour of the building site by Himmler together with Speer and the Lord Mayor of Nuremberg Willy Liebel , it was decided to expand the plans and Franz Ruff was commissioned as the architect. Ruff also directed the construction of the neighboring Nazi party rally grounds. In the following, Adolf Hitler also got involved in the chaotic construction planning. For example, Ruff submitted a building plan without clarifying any compensation issues or naming a property developer.
In September 1937, Hitler ordered construction to begin immediately, and the accommodation should be ready by the 1938 party congress - but work did not begin until October 20. At Hitler's request, the tram tracks in front of the building were laid underground. The costs were also driven up by additional demands from Ruff. The topping-out ceremony for the main building was celebrated on June 2, 1939, and the building complex was largely completed by 1940. Officially it was always called an SS accommodation, never a barracks.
According to contemporary representations, an area of 175,000 m² was built, 4500 windows and 3500 doors were installed. In addition to the main building with two side wings, there were a few auxiliary buildings around the central parade ground: a kitchen building (no longer available), a team casino (today's H building), a horse stable and garages. The Führerheim (today's Z-Building) was located directly on Frankenstrasse . The main building alone (with basement, ground floor, two upper floors and an attic) had 1000 rooms. A large eagle hung over the main entrance , the ceilings were covered with mosaics designed by Max Körner . The floor of the ballroom was made of marble mosaic in the form of swastika ribbons. "The palace-like, closed monumental building was classified as the 'most important barracks of the Third Reich' in Germany in the 1990s." During the Second World War , radio operators were trained for various units. In addition, the SS-Nachrichten-Ersatzabteilung (Nuremberg) had its headquarters here. From May 1940, police officers were also stationed, the Police-Division-News-Department was transferred to the Waffen-SS in 1942/43 . In May 1940 prisoners from the Flossenbürg concentration camp came to the barracks for construction and other work.
When the area was conquered by the 7th US Army in the Battle of Nuremberg in April 1945 , German units from the SS barracks offered last resistance. On April 18, the barracks were taken by soldiers of the 45th US Infantry Division .
Reuse
US Army
Apart from a few infantry bullet holes in the main building, the barracks was hardly damaged in the Second World War . In April 1945, the building complex was renamed Merrell Barracks , after a fallen soldier of the 3rd US Infantry Division .
Former foreign forced laborers, the so-called displaced persons , now lived in the empty buildings . From the beginning of 30,000, 13,300 were still in Nuremberg in June 1945 and half lived in the SS barracks camp , partly in tents on the parade ground. After the last residents left the barracks in 1946, the city of Nuremberg wanted to use the building, but in 1948 the US Army took over the former SS accommodation, officially known as the South Barracks since the end of the war .
From 1952 the 2nd US Cavalry Regiment (2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, 2nd ACR) was stationed there. Between 1955 and 1958, the 3rd US Cavalry Regiment took its place in the course of the Gyroscope troop rotation . The approx. 2300 strong 2nd US Cavalry Regiment secured the border with Czechoslovakia between Hof and Zwiesel during the Cold War . The Große Straße was used as a landing strip until the Army Airfield Feucht, north of the site of the former Muna Feucht , was completed in 1968 .
Since the 1950s, the Americans have been inviting the population to the barracks on the annual open house . In the 1970s, the barracks were in a bad condition. It was not until 1985 that the measures to reduce noise from generators and machines, which had long been required by neighbors, were implemented. In 1986 the facade and windows were renewed.
A short time after the fall of the Wall , the 2nd US Tank Reconnaissance Regiment was transferred to Saudi Arabia in 1990 and took part in the Gulf War in 1991 . The complete withdrawal from Nuremberg back to the USA to Fort Lewis was carried out in 1992. In September 1991 the barracks were returned to the Federal Republic of Germany.
Federal Office for Migration and Refugees
As early as April 1991, the further use of the 18 hectare site was discussed. The city, state and federal authorities signaled their interest and in March 1992 it became clear that the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) would be awarded the contract. In the middle of 1993, the conversion of the main building into an office building began which cost around DM 122 million and has since provided office space for around 1000 employees. The entrance area and a canteen were newly built. By December 1996 the office moved in with the Basic and Central Administration departments . Asylum procedures and notifications are not processed here, but in the branch offices spread across the country. This part of the building (Frankenstraße 210) is protected as a monument .
Other authorities
The UNHCR , the Federal Office for Goods Transport, the ITZ Bund as well as the Federal Police and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution have branches in the building.
The west wing has been used by the Federal Customs Administration since 2000 . The main customs office in Nuremberg and the customs investigation office in Munich - Nuremberg headquarters, are housed in the building with a total of around 400 employees. The customs offices of the main customs office in Nuremberg at the Nuremberg port , Nuremberg airport , and in Ansbach, Erlangen-Tennenlohe and Weißenburg are responsible for clearing goods for imports and exports as well as mail .
furniture shop
A large furniture store was built on the eastern part of the former barracks site on Münchner Strasse . The walling around the parade ground and the former horse stables were demolished for this purpose.
Z-Bau - house for contemporary culture
This part of the building (Frankenstrasse 200) is protected as a monument . The Z-Bau has been an established arena for art and culture in the south of Nuremberg since the 1990s. After a comprehensive renovation of the property at the beginning of the 2010s, the Z-Building was reopened on October 2, 2015 as a cultural center of the city of Nuremberg. Since then there has been a lively cultural scene again, with a focus on concert events.
literature
- Federal Office for the Recognition of Foreign Refugees (ed.): One building - many names , Nuremberg 2000, ISBN 3-9805881-6-5 .
Web links
- Download the PDF of One Building - Many Names
- Page about the Merrell Barracks
- Another page about the Merrell Barracks with current pictures
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Lfd list for Nuremberg
- ↑ SS barracks on BayernAtlas
- ^ Federal Office for the Recognition of Foreign Refugees (ed.): One building - many names , Nuremberg 2000, ISBN 3-9805881-6-5 .
- ↑ usarmygermany.com (accessed January 16, 2020)
- ^ Z building
Coordinates: 49 ° 25 ′ 49.5 " N , 11 ° 5 ′ 51.3" E