Heuberg Training Area

Geography

On the Großer Heuberg, a plateau in the southwest of the Swabian Jura in an altitude of 800–970 meters, is the area between Albstadt in the north, Stetten am kalten Markt with Lager Heuberg and Albkaserne (both army) in the southeast, Schwenningen in the south and Meßstetten with the Zollernalb barracks (air force with air traffic control) in the northwest.

The barracks, the training area and the proving ground comprise approximately 47.9 km². Of these, 2,480 ha are exercise area, of which 1,245 ha are suitable for tracked vehicles. The two sites of the Bundeswehr in Stetten am kalten Markt - Lager Heuberg and Albkaserne - account for 141.8 hectares, where approximately 1620 hectares to the boundaries of the municipality Stetten am kalten Markt and 129 hectares in the district of the Municipality Schwenningen are omitted.

The city of Meßstetten had to sell in 1909 nearly 40% of their district area to the Reich Treasury.

In connection with the training area Heuberg a radome on the "Weichenwang" (district Meßstetten) and the following external firing positions were created in:

Prehistory

The training area Heuberg goes back to the demands of the XIV. Army Corps in 1885. Its desire was formulated to receive a new military proving ground that is sufficient to Military exercise On August 1899 the Grand Duchy's Ministry of Finance was informed by the General Command in Karlsruhe about the requirements for a future proving ground. In addition to many criteria, the future proving ground should not be elevated, have a railway terminal and should be approximately circular. The search by the mandated domain directorate soon realized that the wishes of the military could be met by none of the candidates.

In 1905, the interest of the authority focused on the Heuberg. Because there both the location and the purchase prepared the fewest difficulties, it was decided, despite the fact that the future training area was only one-third in Baden area and would not have a railway connection, to choose the Heuberg. Plans for a military station below the outer firing position Blumersberg in Meßstetten were worked out in detail for 8000 gold marks.

From 1908 purchase negotiations were held for the areas in Baden, Württemberg und Prussia, which dragged on for some time. It came in some cases to forced expropriations by the Reich Treasury, since not all private sellers were in agreement with the land prices offered by the military.

Construction and commissioning

From 1910 the first military exercises by the XIV. Badische Corps could take place at the training course, which was only partially purchased at this time. Because there were not enough solid accommodations, the soldiers were housed in tents or quarters of the surrounding communities. Between 1912 and 1916 Lager Heuberg was built in the district of Stetten am kalten Markt.

Because of the establishment of the training area, several previously relocated farms in the former rule Strassberg had to be torn off. for example, the Harthof (Strassberg) and Lenzenhütte - also called Glashüttehof - (both district Strassberg), the Ochsenkopf and Waldhof (Kaiseringen) (both area Kaiseringen), the Knobelhof (district Heinstetten) Sebastiansweiler with the Sebastian Chapel and Weinitz in Hardt (both district Frohnstetten).

A special challenge was the water supply of 6000 exercising soldiers and 2500 horses. For this purpose, the National Military Treasury acquired on 19 February 1910 for 35.000 Reichsmarks the so-called Hammermühle, an old ironworks in Thiergarten (Beuron) with channel and weir from the House of Fürstenberg (Swabia). They also bought a well (Rainbrunnenquelle) situated between Neidingen (Beuron) and Thiergarten .

After the demolition of the Hammerschmiede a pumping station was erected at its place. Along the more than 300 meters higher positioned training area three elevated tanks and a pressure line were built from 1909. In 1912 a power plant was built, which supplied the training ground with electricity via a power line from Thiergarten. In 1911 the planning of a wastewater treatment plant begann, the construction took place 1912-1914. 1914, it was able to go into operation. 1925 Stetten was connected to the sewage treatment plant with the western center part, 1981 the district Glashütte was added.

A goods funicular was inaugurated in 1912 to build and supply the training area. It went from train station in Kaiseringen to the Alb plateau with a length of 2.4 kilometers. At the end of World War I (1914-1918) the training ground could initially no longer be used because of the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty demanded the demilitarization of military proving grounds. The funicular was decommissioned in 1921 and never rebuilt.

First and Second World War

In May 1914, shortly before the war began, the course was opened. About the naming of the training area the War Department in Berlin. carried out detailed considerations. In addition to the proposals as "Truppenübungsplatz Stetten" it was ultimately selected "Truppenübungsplatz Heuberg" and approved by the Minister of War. In both World Wars (1939-1945) was set up at the practice site a POW camp.

At the beginning of 1933 the existing buildings on the Heuberg were used as one of the first concentration camps of the Nazi regime. Up to 2,000 people, mostly political opponents of the regime, were taken in Protective custody. After nine months, Concentration Camp Heuberg was dissolved. Most prisoners were then deported into larger concentration camps, such as for Dachau.

On the Ochsenkopf, about three kilometers from the camp Heuberg, launched on 1 March 1945 the 23-year-old Air Force soldier Lothar Sieber with the Bachem Ba 349 "snake" the world's first manned flight of a perpendicular starting rocket plane. At the crash near Nusplingen (district of Stetten am kalten Markt) he was killed. In March his remains were buried with military honors in the cemetery of Stetten am kalten Markt. The grave exists there today, also can be seen at the starting point, the bottom plate of concrete and the wood stump of the launch pad.

Postwar years until today

From 1945 to 1959 the place was under French administration. The last French army unit moved 1997 from the camp Heuberg.

In 1966 the Bundeswehr expanded in Stetten am kalten Markt with the construction of the Albkaserne. At the spot were stationed at the time of Cold War missiles

1995 City Meßstetten has reacquired the outdoor fire pit "Blumersberg". Until the turn of the century, principally for the Armored Corps, Heuberg is now used in many ways (besides practicing Force basic training Army, bomb disposal, Military Police Force (Bundeswehr), Technisches Hilfswerk, professional fire, Federal Police, customs and police, NBC defense).

Nature and landscape protection

The area is divided into 40 per cent forest cover and 60 percent open meadow areas, some interspersed with juniper heath. It is characterized by the traditional shepherd economy. So it is possible to hold on the training area, the typical landscapes of the past centuries. On the hills are old bunkers, or what is left after bombardment yet of them to see. Since the training area is burdened by its nearly century-old military use to a large extent with ammunition and parts, the entering and driving is extremely dangerous and therefore strictly forbidden for civilians.

Natura 2000 site

The training area Heuberg is Natura 2000 - Area On the grounds the Bundeswehr is planning in Spitalwald the construction and expansion of a new and an existing explosive place It consists of a large main area, which is predominantly in the military training area Heuberg, and several small subdivisions in Frohnstetten and south Ebingen. The total area of the FFH area is 4732 hectares. Of these, are 4134 hectares within the military use training area. This has been protected since 2001 as a bird sanctuary and since 2005 as a conservation area. For the privileged nature of the area - it is particularly suitable as a summer meadow for sheeps - are poor grasslands and juniper heath.

Literature