City of Speyer demands clarity: Use of the Kurpfalz barracks is shaky!

City of Speyer demands clarity: Use of the Kurpfalz barracks is shaky!

Time is ticking in Speyer. The city is eagerly awaiting a written communication from the Federal Ministry of Defense, which is expected to arrive this week. How Speyer courier reports, the Ministry of Defense announced on October 27, 2025 that the conversion of former military properties into civilian use has been stopped until further notice. This also affects the areas of the Kurpfalz barracks, the Bundeswehr service center and the polygon area, which are currently being examined.

In this context, Mayor Stefanie Seiler expresses the desire for direct information about the ministry's decisions. The fact that the city of Speyer has to evaluate public communications independently is anything but ideal for it. Seiler emphasizes the city's intensive work on the sustainable reuse of the former barracks areas and calls for prompt clarity about the effects on the local properties.

A heartfelt wish for clarity

The city sees the effects as unfortunate, as the loss endangers potential development areas for housing and business. In particular, the planned commercial development on a 4.4 hectare area north of the Kurpfalz barracks is considered important. In addition, the city is making a clear statement about how to deal with the existing initial reception facility on the Kurpfalz barracks site. Full use of the property by the Bundeswehr is seen as a sensible solution in this context.

The Bundeswehr's decision to end civilian use is not isolated. The background is loud BR that there is an increased need for land due to the planned increase in the armed forces. A total of 187 former military properties and 13 active locations are affected. These areas, including parts of Tegel Airport in Berlin and the location in Fürstenfeldbruck, are to be transferred to a “strategic property reserve” in order to be available at short notice if necessary.

An outlook

State Secretary Nils Hilmer emphasizes that the decision could potentially lead to conflicts with states and municipalities, especially with regard to existing plans for civilian use. In order to clarify the situation, dialogues between the ministry and the municipalities are planned. The conversion of military land into civilian use, which has been underway since the early 1990s after the end of the Cold War, could now come to a halt.

So Speyer stays in tune with the times. The city has invested a lot and continues to show great commitment to the sustainable development of its areas. But whether these plans can be realized in the near future remains to be seen. One thing is certain, however: the coming week will be crucial for Speyer. The clarity that everyone is hoping for could have far-reaching effects on future urban development.