Fact Sheet

Baumholder, Germany

U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder, Public Affairs Office, Unit 23746, APO AE 09034-0027

DSN: 485-1600, Civ: 06783-6-1600, FAX Mil: 485-7415, FAX Civ: 06783-6-7415

Serving the communities of Baumholder, Neubrücke and Strassburg

HISTORY OF BAUMHOLDER POST

Baumholder post was constructed in 1937 as a result of German rear armament. The Third Reich was looking for an area with appropriate terrain to be a large military training area and Baumholder was the choice. The government appropriated over 22,000 acres, displacing about 842 families from 14 different villages around Baumholder, and resettled these families in the surrounding areas. After the resettlement of families was completed, construction began immediately.

Three thousand laborers worked rapidly and by 1938, 20 houses, an Officer's camp with post headquarters, a quartermaster depot and separate barracks for each company were completed. Large numbers of German and Austrian units were trained in Baumholder after WWII began in 1939. The year 1944 brought allied bombing raids on the post, in which several buildings and the rail yards were badly damaged. Baumholder surrendered to the Americans in March 1945 without a fight, after abandoning previous plans for defense. From July 1945 until 1951, French military units occupied the area.

In 1951, Americans took over the larger part of post and with the help of German workers erected dwellings for American families. Schools, churches, clubs, and warehouses were also built at this time. Baumholder is now the home for one of the largest concentration of combat Soldiers outside the United States. Besides the main post, it consists of one sub-community and is populated by more than 13,000 American Soldiers, Airmen, Civilians and family members.

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