Defense Minister plans to return to barracks in Herford!

Defense Minister plans to return to barracks in Herford!

The Ministry of Defense is very interested in retaking some former barracks in East Westphalia-Lippe. These considerations are no coincidence, because in the context of the ongoing Ukraine conflict there is a greater need for places for soldiers and material. Currently there are a total of11 properties on the list, of which the Harewood barracks in Herford and the monument estate in Minden particularly stand out Radio Herford reported.

Five potential locations are also listed in Bielefeld that would be suitable for military use. These properties were originally intended for civilian purposes, so the decision to use them again for military purposes represents a notable change of course.

Harewood Barracks and its history

Particularly interesting is the history of Harewood Barracks, which was originally named Otto Weddigen Barracks after a successful submarine captain from the First World War. After the war she was renamed Harewood and served numerous British units for many years. According to information from BAOR Locations From 1945 onwards it was home to important military units, including the HQ of the 21st Army Group Support Services and various signal regiments.

The barracks infrastructure has changed little over the last 20 to 25 years, while current uses are primarily as storage facilities. Sports facilities such as a swimming pool can also still be found on the site, which gives the barracks a certain nostalgic charm.

Military properties in transition

The Bundeswehr is planning to expand across the entire republic and at the same time, numerous properties used for military purposes that were previously intended to be left to civilian interested parties should remain in the possession of the Bundeswehr. Current information from daily news state that the conversion freeze for 200 properties is justified by the high demand for military locations.

Overall, the affected properties should become part of the “Strategic Property Reserve of the Bundeswehr”, which makes short-term use possible. This affects 13 properties that are actively operating and 187 former properties that are considered suitable.

In summary, it appears that the Defense Ministry's interest in the repatriated barracks is not only a response to current geopolitical tensions, but also represents a clear shift in the use of military properties. It remains to be seen whether this will create the necessary space for the Bundeswehr and how the planning will develop.