From the raisin bomber to the high-tech center: Oberpfaffenhofen's change

From the raisin bomber to the high-tech center: Oberpfaffenhofen's change

The Oberpfaffenhofen special airport has developed into a flourishing high-tech center since the end of the Berlin blockade. Around 8,000 people are employed here, 4,000 of them at the airport alone. What once seemed to be a success story after the deduction of the American troops is a success story that impresses.

On June 24, 1948, there was a decisive moment in the history of the airport when the Soviet authorities initiated the blockade of Berlin. This measure not only led to the darkness in the streets of Berlin, but also to the need for an air bridge, which was organized over the Oberpfaffenhofen Airport. The “raisin bombers” stationed there were of enormous importance for the supply of the West Berlin population.

the upswing through the raisin bomber

After the Americans were deducted in 1947, the airport temporarily became a shadow. The local population was faced with a dark perspective when the US troops were pulled off and the workshop operation for American aircraft. But the unforeseen came: the maintenance of the raisin bombers took over the former military location and secured many jobs in the region. Up to 2500 employees found a new place in the aviation industry in these turbulent times, and the local population quickly adapted to the loud but urgently needed air traffic.

The memories of the groaning machines that circled across the city are unforgettable for many Gilchinger. A chronicler stated that despite the noise and disorder by the aircraft, people in the area showed understanding; It was just a different time to survive by solidarity and the will.

The Berlin blockade ended on May 12, 1949, and the maintenance work for the raisin bombers was stopped soon afterwards. But the question that many occupied at this time was: what?

a new chapter for the airport

The closure of the airfield was just around the corner and caused concern among Gilching's citizens. Reports in Munich Mercury described the concerns of hundreds of workers who looked into an uncertain future. The absence of the American soldiers not only left economic consequences, but also cultural traces. The community had to adapt to the loss, but the history of the airport should not end yet.

With the reopening of the plant's drive in 1956, the Oberpfaffenhofen location took a decisive turn. Over the years there have been a number of changes. Fairchild-Dornier's bankruptcy in 2002 was a turning point, at the end of which the Airbus Group took over the area and modernized the surroundings. When the permits for qualified business flight traffic were obtained in 2003, a real heyday for the location began.

In recent years, numerous well -known companies have settled in and around the airport. With over 8000 jobs, the Oberpfaffenhofen special airport is not only a symbol of change and adaptability, but also an important economic hub in the region. Gilching's residents can proudly look back on their airport, which has become an important center of the aviation transport and maintenance industry from a military location.