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military historical sights around Koblenz

Military Museum Koblenz, 56070 Koblenz-Lützel

 

Historical Defense Technology Museum of the German Army (WTS)

One of the largest military museums in Europe: Weapons, vehiclesequipment, uniforms a.s.o.  from the early 19th Century to the present ... on 7,200 m2You should plan for the issuance minimum two hours. If one wants to study the upper floors extensively, the visit will be at least half a day.

Reviews at TripAdvisor:

"Probably one of the best military equipment museums in the world! The Marine Museum in Virginia is laid out very well, but the sheer volume of items in Koblenz is absolutely incredible. It is ran by the German Army, but had tons of American and Russian stuff in it as well. There was SO MUCH to look at! Being a woman, I got rather overwhelmed by our second hour of walking through the endless hallways filled with guns and rifles neatly displayed in lit up cases. So, all in all, interesting and unique place to visit. If you are a guy - by all means go!"
 
"Inside there is everything from a big transport airplane to pistols that you can hide in the palm of your hand. Memorable items for me include planes, missiles, tanks, motorcycles, jeeps, helicopters. Every topic of modern military equipment is covered from communications to artillery, and from field medicine to uniform design. The emphasis is on German stuff but there is also lots of American hardware as well as Russian, French and assorted other EuropeansSo if you are into military stuff, you will have a field day and otherwise you will be bored witless."
 
"Military Heaven ... We enjoy military museums and sites and have seen most everything in Europe. Thought we'd give this place a half-hour. But what a fun surprise this place was. We spent 2 hours and could easily have gone longer. Not mentioned on any of the military museum lists so was an unexpected find. Four floors of military hardware. Not an enourmous square footage of space but crammed with fun stuff. Vehilces, armor, engines, airplanes, rockets, cannon, guns, electronics, uniforms, gear, a small submarine, you name it. Many of the pieces have been cut apart so you can seen inside. My favorite was the tank sliced down the middle with great care so it's like standing in the center and seeing all the internal workings - including the crew at their positions. Several other tanks were similarly cut open. The place is operated by the German gvt and is used for militrary instruction so I guess that explains the time and expense that must have gone into making many of the displays. One of the most entertaining military museums in Europe. If you are interested in the military don't miss this place."

"Deutsches Eck" (Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial), Koblenz (rhine/mosele)

 
   
 
With the settlement of the Teutonic Knights at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle in 1216 the place at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle got the name "Deutsches Eck" (German Corner). In 1897 the monument with copper equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I. was builtThe "German Corner" is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.
 
 
"Everywhere you turn around and look you could take pictures ! The river scenery is gorgeous , the monuments , flags and stairs are impressive , the boats sailing by are interesting , the mountain and fortress on the other side are are a nice mix of nature and human construction and the people walking by could generate some interesting shots !"
 
"The confluence of the Mosel and Rhine, the massive, rebuilt statue of Willliam 1 and as the symbol of German reunification during the Cold War make this one of must-sees of any trip to Germany. We could imagine that during some warmer, drier months, the park would be very gemutlich."
 
"There's a bit of history here which attracts many people. Definitely worth a visit amongst the things to see in Koblenz."
 
"This is an extremely popular stop. Time your visit so that you can shoot your camera towards the west and south east. Don't leave it till too late in the day (or arrive too early). Your pictures won't be as great. That's the (unsigned) monument to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany, consisting of three slabs rescued from the hammer and chisel fragmentation of the wall and erected here at this sacred site of German nationalism. That it is unsigned and unmarked and most people walk right past is worth meditating on. Once you've done this statue, its sisters, the Niederwald, Hermanns Denkmal, Kyffhäuser, and the Völkerschlacht Monument await. The style is the same, drawn from Barbarossa's palaces, as well as from the Wartburg in Eisenach. Even without the history, it's impressive."
 
"Beautiful surroundings. Impressive statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I. Nice park nearby with areas for children to play, and even some outdoor restaurants for a snack or a drink."

Fortress EHRENBREITSTEIN, 56077 Koblenz (Rhine)

 

Located on a rocky crag, where the Ehrenbreitstein-fortress stands today, there were different fortifications  over a period of three thousand years. A three thousand years continuity of "fortification" is detected anywhere else in Germany.
 
In the early 11th th century the archbishops of Trier started to expand an existing small castle on the Ehrenbreitstein to a fortified center of their power near the Rhine.
 
In the 12th century Bishop Hillin had built a mighty keep and had secured the northern flank by building a trench (Hellegraben). Further extensions followed.
 
400 years later - under Archbishop Richard of Greifenklau - the northern front of Ehrenbreitstein was  reinforced  with a lot of stone weir works.
 
The Trier dominions controlled the Rhein-Mosel-Eck with one of the most refined fortresses of its time - armed with everything contemporary weapons technology could offer  ... among it the "bird griffin", in the 16th century one of the largest powder cannons Europe.
 
In the 16th and 17th century the baroque previous building of the Ehrenbreitstein-fortress was the residence of the Electors of Trier.
 
Between 1795 - 1799 a repeated blockade of Ehrenbreitstein-fortress by French revolutionary troops took place. By starving out and destruction the water pipe the garrison was forced to an honorable surrender of the fortress. Apart from the fortress Kolberg the Ehrenbreitstein-fortress is the only fortress which was occupied by the French only after a long resistance and without any combat operations.
 
1801 the "Peace of Luneville" the Ehrenbreitstein came back to the German Reich. Before the French occupation troops left the fortress, they blew it up with 30,000 pounds of gunpowder.
 
According to the Final Act of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the Rhineland became a Prussian province and Koblenz became the seat of a Prussian General Command.

The fortification of the Koblenz area became a Prussian military priority, because of its proximity to France and the fact that Koblenz was a bottleneck for all means of transportation (ships, railways, land transportation because of bridges). Hence, the Prussians built a system of fortification around Koblenz, the so-called Fortress Koblenz, from 1817 until 1834 and the Fortress Ehrenbreitstein (built between 1817 and 1828) was a part of it.

Fortress Koblenz was said to have been the largest military fortress in Europe except for Gibraltar and. the largest garnison in Germany.

In the 19th Century Prussian fortress Ehrenbreitstein was considered impregnable, firstly because of its location on the mountain, and on the other, because the enemy could always be attacked from all sides by the other fortresses and forts in the fortress compound. In case of war Ehrenbreitstein should defend 1,500 troops with 80 cannons.

The fortress was armored (made ready for defense) eight times due to external political events and revolutions, but it was never attacked, apart from eight air raids in World War I at Koblenz from October 1917.

The entire fortress Koblenz was in active service until 1890, but was performed in 1886 as a fortress already inferior importance. 1890 began the abandonment of the left-bank fortifications. The right-bank fortifications with Ehrenbreitstein remained, with the exception of Bien horn hill, ready for use until the end of the First World War.

The last crew of Ehrenbreitstein formed the III. Battalion of Infantry Regiment "von Goeben" (2 Rhenish) No 28 and the second battalion of the Schleswig-Holstein Foot Artillery Regiment No. 9, in the First World War, especially even the replacement of the latter regiment formations.

The Ehrenbreitstein was used by the army until 1918.

Reviews at TripAdvisor:

"Unbeliveble location: This amazing fortress is my favorite point in Koblenz: you can see th "Deutsches Eck or German corner" where the Mosel River kiss the Rhine and the whole region Koblenz with its beautiful skyline till to the hightest top of the Hunsrück. You must do it !"

"Plan your visit to Koblenz at least half-day there and enjoy the view from above to "German Corner or Deutsche Eck" while eating your lunch or sipping your coffee.... or sipping the Mosel Wine by sundowner on the restaurant terrace"

"This is a must see Fortress even if fortresses are not your thing - they are not mine! The history of the area begins with the first traces of human habitation date from approximately 4000 BC & moves forward from there. So much to see for those keen on battle gear & tools of the past among other exhibitions. I was fortunate to see the Prussian landscape designer Peter Joseph Lenne (1789-1866) exhibition of Rhineland gardens he designed in Koblenz, Schloss Stolenfels, Potsdam, Munich & other cities. Beautifully curated. Pleasant cafes & food booths are available in the area where the best views of the rivers & Deutsches Eck are seen. There is something here for everyone."

Cannon "Bird Griffin" on the Ehrenbreitstein

 

One of the biggest cannons in the 16th Century, called cannon "Griffin " ("Bird Griffin"). In the checkered history of the FORTRESS Ehrenbreitstein the 1524 cast, 12 ton and over 5 meters long cannon was repeatedly prey different warlords, was brought to France, retaken, after the 2nd World War II finally brought back to Paris. During the Franco-German reconciliation, it came back in 1984 as a permanent loan to the Ehrenbreitstein - an authentic piece of history!

other objects in the exhibition on the Ehrenbreitstein
     
Memorial for the Inf. Reg. „von Goeben“ (2. Rheinisches) Nr. 28

 

On the Helfenstein, the southern front of the upper part of Ehrenbreitstein, there is a memorial to the fallen soldiers in World War I. Infantry Regiment "von Goeben" since 1934..

The unveiling of the memorial took place during a meeting of the Regiment on 15th of June 1935. Originally on the preserved base was a grenade launcher.

After the replacement of the U.S. troops by French soldiers, the infantryman was dismantled in the wake of a monument cleanup ... the base was badly damaged on this occasion. A relief plate (a mother who mourns her fallen son) received, and a plaque with the inscription casualty list of the regiment remained.

In 1960 the soldiers Infantry Battalion 142, added the remnants of the broken base together for a new memorial stone in simple form and put a bowl with flame base on it. The old relief plates were added to the memorial.

1820-23 was the first time the Regiment "von Goeben" was in Koblenz Ehrenbreitstein 1831-32 ... then again in 1839, 1851-60 and 1859. From 1877 until the war began in 1914, the regiment was:

 

  • the first battalion in the timber barracks on Asterstein
  • the second battalion in the Bubenheimer Flesche, the "Neuendorfer Flesche", the "fortress Franz" and the new "field kaserne Neuendorf".
  • the III. battalion on the upper Ehrenbreitstein, the "Hornwerk" (only 12th company) and the prior mounting "Helfenstein".


The regiment was involved in the fighting in 1815 and Couillet Gilly battles of Ligny and Belle Alliance (Waterloo). 1866 at the regiment at the Battle of Königgrätz.

During the First World War, the regiment was used repeatedly in the trenches on the western and eastern fronts. This also explains the high casualty figure of 308 officers and 10,086 NCOs and men of the regiment and its field formations.

Fortress Asterstein, 56077 Koblenz-Asterstein

 

Fort Asterstein was built from 1818 to 1828 as a part of the of Prussian fortress Ehrenbreitstein on the Pfaffendorfer-height (right bank of the river rhine)

www.fort-asterstein.org

Memorial to the War of 1866, Koblenz-Asterstein

 

The memorial to the victims of War of 1866 was erected by the officers of the Eighth Army Corps in the vicinity of Fort Asterstein and inaugurated on the 4th of July 1869.

Fortress "Kaiser Alexander" (Lions Gate), 56075 Koblenz-Karthause

 

The fortress Kaiser Alexander was the largest fortification which was built in 1817 to 1822 near Koblenz (Koblenz-Karthause). Today you can only see the "Lions Gate", the outpost "Fort Constantine" and the battery Hübeling".

Fort Konstantin, 56075 Koblenz-Kartause
   

Fort Constantine was built between 1822 and 1827 as an outpost of the fortress "Kaiser Alexander". It was named after the brother of Russian Tsar Alexander I, Konstantin Pavlovich. It is associated with the fortress Kaiser Alexander by an underground passage.

Until 1918, Fort Constantine there where different units in, for example:

1860: the musicians of the Queen Augusta Grenadier Guards Regiment No. 4
From 1888 part of the Second Battalion of the same regiment, and last
the regiment chamber and tailoring workshop of the 6th Rhenish Infantry Regiment No. 68

Feste Kaiser Franz, 56070 Koblenz-Lützel

 

The fortress "Kaiser Franz" was build from 1816 to 1822 and named after Franz I. Emperor of Austria. Since 2002, the fortress Kaiser Franz is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Die Neuendorfer Flesche, Koblenz Lützel

 

 

The fortress "Neuendorfer Flesche" was probably dragged from 1911 on ... that means, all above-ground parts of the fort were demolished and the demolition filled in the main ditch of the plant. The underground parts remain largely intact to this day.

On the grounds of the fortress in the following years the Train-KaserneCoblenz-Lützel was built.

In World War II the population of the Koblenz Districts "Lützel" and "Neuendorf" looked for protection from air raids in the aisles. Parts of the equipment can still be seen.

On the ground of the former fortress "Neuendorfer Flesche" today there is the "Rhine Kaserne".

The documentation in the "Rhine Kaserne" (Building No. 20) shows in four rooms many details about the Fortress Koblenz, the fortress-system Feste Kaiser Franz, the fortress Neuendorfer Flesche and the history of the Rhine-Kaserne.

 

 

Kaiserin Augusta Memorial, Koblenz Rhine-Plants

 

The memorial in honor of the German Empress Augusta was inaugurated on 18.10.1896. Since 2002, the memorial is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The "Rhine-Promenaden" on the left bank of the river rhine are 3.5 km long and divided into the "Konrad Adenauer Bank" and the

"Empress Augusta Boulevard". The southern part was designed on behalf of "Empress Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach," the wife of Emperor Wilhelm I of Peter Lenné. During the 2nd World War II, much was destroyed.

Die Rhein Promenaden am linken Rheinufer sind 3,5 km lang und sind unterteilt in die "Konrad Adenauer-Bank" und "Kaiserin-Augusta-Boulevard". Der südliche Teil wurde im Auftrag von "Kaiserin Augusta von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach", der Ehefrau von Kaiser Wilhelm I. von Peter Lenné gestaltet. Während des 2. Weltkrieges wurde  vieles zerstört. 

War Memorial "die Eul" (the owl), Koblenz-Metternich

 

The foundation of the War Memorial was on 15th June 1913 at the Kimmel mountain. It has at the top a Prussian eagle. It is the symbol of Koblenz-Metternich and the residents of Koblenz-Metternich call it "the Eul" (the owl). From the place of the Monument you have a wonderful panoramic view over the city of Koblenz.

War memorial Koblenz-Rübenach
   

The War Memorial was built in 1913 for the deaths of the war 1870/71. It islocated in the "Aachener-Street", corner of "Old Street". The inscription reads: "In honor to the soldiers fallen for their country of the last three wars ... to honor all the dead and as a reminder for all the living people of Rübenach." 

The main cemetery of Koblenz

The main cemetery in Koblenz is the largest cemetery in the city of Koblenz and at the same time a country park. The terraced complex was inaugurated in 1820 and is on the edge of the "Goldgrube" on the northern slope of "Karthause". There are still some interesting grave monuments from the 19th Century as rare classical pillars and Gothic tombs.

At the Koblenz main cemetery are:

 

  • Ehrenhain to the fallen of World War I

  • Honor burial for the fallen of World War II with a memorial hall in the battery Hübeling (part of the fortress Koblenz), the civil honors the war dead from Koblenz

  • Allied Cemetery

  • Memorial to the German veterans of Napoleon's army

  • Grave of honor for the eight victims of the air raid on Koblenz on 12 March 1918

  • Memorial grave for the dead of the bridge disaster in Lützel during the Rheinland-liberation ceremony on 22 July 1930

  • Memorial cross for the dead of the German East

Batterie Hübeling

 

The battery Hübeling was a so-called inter-plant, designed to cover the right flank of the Fortress Kaiser Alexander. Built from 1828 to 1830 as defensibles powder magazine, located about 50 meter below the Fortress Alexander.

1920, an application was made to maintain the battery to use for cemetery purposes. Today it is located in the main cemetery. It was established in 1956 as a memorial to the dead and missing population of the city of Koblenz in World War Two. The system is now freely accessible.

Tombstones of commanding generals of the VIII prussian army corps

 

The cemetery contains the graves of some commanding generals of the VIII Prussian army corps, including August Karl von Goeben, Karl Gustav Julius von Griesheim and Johann Adolf von Thielmann.

Memorial to the German veterans of Napoleon's army

 

The Memorial to the German veterans of Napoleon's army is on the Koblenz main cemetery. It was inaugurated on the 5th of May 1843 to commemorate the dead people of the Napoleonic wars.

Memorial plaque for the Infantry Regiment "von Goeben"

 

Memorial plaque for the Infantry Regiment "von Goeben" on the central memorial for the dead of the 1st World War in the main cemetery in Koblenz.

von Goeben Memorial, Coblenz Falckenstein Kaserne

 

 

From 1884 the Goeben Memorial stood on the "Paradeplatz" of Koblenz, which was called "Goeben Square" from 1890 to 1948 and today is named "Josef Gorres-Platz".
 
After the Second World War the place was "demilitarized" and they removed the Goeben Memorial.
 
Since 1960 the Goeben Memorial stood in the Gneisenau Kaserne in Koblenz-Horchheim. When they closed the Gneisenau Kaserne in 2006 they placed the Goeben Memorial in the Falckenstein-Kaserne.

Marceau-Memorial, Koblenz-Lützel

 

The Tomb of General Marceau is located in the French Cemetery in Koblenz-LützelIt was on established in October 1797demolished in May 1817 and at its present location (a bit smallerrebuilt end of 1818.
 
François Séverin Marceau-Desgraviers (1 March 1769 – 21 September 1796) was a French general of the Revolutionary WarsMarceau conquered the city of Koblenz in 1794, ending the rule of the archbishops of Trier.
He was hardly woundet on 19 September 1796 at Höchstenbach (Westerwald) and died four days later in Altenkirchen from the consequencesHis body was brought to Koblenz, and buried on the north end of St. Peter's in LützelTo commemorate the popular general they put 1797 a pyramid in place of his tomb. Marceau was exhumed and his body cremated, and the urn with his ashes found their resting place in the pyramidThe urn of General wore the inscription "HIC CINERESUbique NOMEN(Here is his asheshis name is overall).
 
With the construction of "Bubenheimer Flesche" at the Petersberg, which was created as part of the Prussian fortress of Koblenz, the monument was broken off in 1817 and a part of the stones used to build the fortressAfter violent protests in the city finally turned the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IIIand decreed that the pyramid was built at its present location at the foot of the mountain.
 
Around the memorial in the French-German war of 1870/1871 they crated a cemetery for dead French soldierswho were interned in POW camps on the Petersberg.
 
The urn of General Marceau was transferred to the Panthéon in 1889. Marceau was immortalized in Byron's "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage":

former prussian Militaria Academy Castle Engers, Neuwied-Engers

 
 
Castle Engers was build as a hunting and pleasure palace (Maison de plaisance) for the Kurfürst (elector) Johann Philipp von Walderdorff from 1759 to 1762 right near the Rhine, where is an ornate staircase. The spacious courtyard enclose magnificent wrought iron railing between sandstone pillars and two guard houses.
 
Here the Elector could have his favorite activities hunting trips during the autumn hunting season, enjoy sensual baroque pleasures such as dance, music and theater and celebrate carefree social occasions.
 
Engers Castle is a "jewel of Rococo" and the only brarocke pleasure palace around Koblenz, which survived the destruction of the Napoleonic Wars. Architecture and location make it the best preserved baroque palace between Bruehl and Wuerzburg.
 
Do not miss a visit to the two-storey ballroom "Hall of Diana", which is located on the first floor of the central projection. It represents one of the most valuable Rococo interiors of the Rhenish-Franconian Baroque.  Here impressed including the grand and only surviving ceiling painting of a secular building of "Januarius Zick", "Triumph of Diana" (Link), which shows the hunting goddess Diana surrounded by her Nyphes and Fauns.
 
From 1862 to 1914 the CASTLE ENGERS was used as Prussian cadet academy ... the fourth Prussian war college besides Potsdam, Erfurt and Neisse. King William had decided for Engers as a cadet academy after he had visited Engerspersonay.l The castle was reconstructed for 120 000 Mark. Near the street to Bendorf a "covered horse arena" was created.
 
On 3rd of January 1863 the opening of the first course was held in the ballroom. 82 cadets of the infantry and cavalry formed the first course, which was followed by the end of the school (1914) for a further 60 courses with 5,000 cadets
 
Besides "Friedrich Paulus" (Commander of the 6th Army in Stalingrad) "Werner von Fritsch" (Commander of the German Army 1936-38) and "Wilhelm Groener" (Defense Minister 1928-32) were graduates of the Engers cadet academy.
 
Engers was  in the Prussian time the only garrison in Neuwied.
 
In the 1870/71 war and the First World War the CASTLE ENGERS was used as a Military Hospital.
 

Today there is a HOTEL in the ENGERS CASTLE.

"Here, even the courtiers of the Elector has spent the night, also the world-class soloists of the Villa Musica sleep there. Cozy rooms in castle Engers with their beams, the ceiling moldings and wrought iron grilles are living from the flair of the 18th century. From most guest rooms you have a wonderful view directly on the Rhine. All rooms are very comfortable. It's just something very special to stay in a real baroque palace. "
 
Your contact for the hotel: Tel.: +49 2622 926 42 95, e-Mail: rezeption@schloss-engers.de
 
The CASTEL MUSEUM with the "Hall of Diana" is open on sundays and public holidays from 11am to 5pm for visitors. From monday to friday you can  to take a look at the" Hall of Diana" during the day by appointment
It's also possible to arrange guided tours for you by appointment.
 
Your contact for sightseeing: Jan Höfer, Tel. +49 2622 926 42 65, e-Mail: j.hoefer@schloss-engers.de

War Memorial 1870/71 in Neuwied

 

The War Memorial is located in the Wilhelm-Street (Carmen Sylva Garden) in Neuwied.

Marceau-Memorial - near Höchstenbach (Westerwald)

 

The memorial of General Marceau is located between the "Hartenfelser Kopf" (wind farm) and Höchstenbach on the main road No. 8 (old post road from Frankfurt to Cologne). It was donated by Emperor Napoleon III in 1863 for General François Séverin Desgraviers-Marceau.

The monument stands on the place where the French General Marceau was wounded (at the age of 27 years) on 19th of September 1796 in the forest near Höchstenbach. He was shot during a reconnaissance ride of the  Austrian Tyrolean hunter Frederick Hodler.

"Ici fut blessé le jeune Général Marceau, aimé, éstimé des ennemis, des soldats et des habitans" (Here, the young General Marceau was wounded loved mourned and honored by the enemies, soldiers and residents) is the inscription of a marble slab.

The wounded General was immediately taken to the castle "Altenkirchen" where Archduke Charles received him. There Marceau died on 21th of September 1796.

Memorial of the DEF prison camp Siershahn

 

On 13 May 1945 began the establishment of the prison camp "Am Berggarten" (mountain garden) between Siershahn and Ebernhahn by the American occupation forces. 25 hectare agriculturally used land between the Poststreet of Siershahn and highway A3 - including the plants of Keramchemie - was surrounded by two-meter high barbed wire fences. In the camp were 25,000 to 30,000 prisoners (former soldiers - including many invalids, amputees - but also many civilians) crammed under the open sky.

The submitted prisoners were not prisoners of war but so called Disarmed Enemy Forces (DEF) ... they were men, women and minor young people who were picked up after the German surrender on the way to their homes by American patrols.

On 8th of July 1945 the camp was passed to the French occupation forces.

How the outside world saw the camp, according to a report of "Count of Meran", on the 27th August 1945 he went to the Plant Manager of Keramchemie: "A glimpse into the crisscrossed with barbed wire fenced area with walkways and passing through, which was surrounded by guard towers, had a look at the misery and the desolation. The Earth from the railroad tracks to the top of the mountain moved by people who were in the mud of the earth, which had been transformed by the frequent downpours in a swamp. An inferno that the one who has seen it will never forget. What of hunger, disease and despair had to experience that time thousands of bare earth is unimaginable, and many people do not leave the camp alive. Uninterrupted shots were fired, and it was dangerous to approach the barbed wire."

Life in the camp was marked by deliberate coercion that led to the death of the prisoners: Indiscriminate shooting of prisoners, denial of medical assistance, totally inadequate diet and catastrophic housing (outdoor) and inadequate clothing.
The conditions in the camp were worse than the conditions in the concentration camps of the Nazis.

In early August 1945 began the closure of the camp. All those who were under 17 and over 40 years old and do not belong to a Waffen SS or police formation, were sacked. All the others were divided into march blocks of 500 or 1000 men and driven on trucks and taken away. In early September 1945 the camp was emptied in half, and the daily truck shipments went to nearby Rheinwiesenlager Andernach. There was soon after the loading into cattle cars for onward transport to France.

In 1961, the state government set up in collaboration with the People's Alliance "German War Graves Commission" on the Siershahner cemetery for the dead of the camp a memorial, which was dedicated on Memorial Day 1961 ceremony.

Link

Memorial of the DEF prison camp "Goldene Meile"

 

In late March 1945, the Americans established in the fields between Remagen and Bad Breisig along the Rhine. the prisoner camp "Golden Mile". I was one one of the various camps for German prisoners called Disarmed Enemy Forces (DEF) "Rhine Medow Concentration Camps".

it is estimated that by July 1945 some 300,000 people passed the camp, including women and young people ... but also Polish, Hungarian and Austrian soldiers were said to be among the prisoners. More than 1,300 of them died and were buried at the memorial cemetery Bad Bodendorf.

End of April, according to American statistics were 169,036 prisoners alone in PWTE Remagen (which was proposed for 20,000 prisoners). In addition, the DEF prison camps "Sinzig" (118,563 prisoners) and "Andernach" (39,570 prisoners) were opend.

The camps were as if a flock of sheep was pushed in a meadow, it seals off with barbed wire and the animals left to itself. The Americans let the prisoners intentionally die from cold, disease and hunger. It dominated by absolute inhumane conditions and there were serious violations against the Geneva Convention.

On 10 July 1945, the French took over the military government in this zone and also the prison camps.

Video

Castle Braunfels, 35619 Braunfels

 

 

Furstliches private museum with spears and halberds, dueling pistols, bayonets, ceremonial rifles and hunting equipment of Prince Ferdinand (1797-1873). Knight's Hall with numerous impact and edged weapons, armor, etc.

Link

Militaria collection Castle Laurenburg  , 56379 Laurenburg

 

Small militaria collection with helmets, sabers and firearms from the first half of the 20th century

Private Collection in the Castle "Runkel", 65594 Runkel

 

Video

History of the Family and the Castle, weapons, art.

Museum "Prussian Generalfeldmarshall BLUECHER" (1813),

56349 Kaub

 

The former Gasthaus 'Zur Stadt Mannheim " (a beautiful Baroque building erected in 1780) was in 1813 Bluchers headquarter. The former living quarters from Blucher are nearly unchanged.

Link

Peace Museum "BRIDGE at REMAGEN", 53424 Remagen

 

In March 1945, when the Americans were facing the Rhine, the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen was the last intact bridge over the Rhine.

Video

Cemetery of honor of Birnbach

 
 
In the military cemetery of 57612 Birnbach (5 km north of Altenkirchen, at the B 8, near Weyerbusch-Westerwald) are 52 stone crosses with the names of the fallen (mostly) from March 1945.
 

There ere are also three of the officers buried, which were blamed for the loss of the Bridge at Remagen, and was sentenced to death. Four of those were executed on the spot and buried in the woods. The remains of Major Strobel were later transferred - at the request of his son - to his homeland.

   
 
The memorial stone in the cemetery of Birnbach bears the inscription: "In memory of Major Hans Scheller, Major Herbert Strobel, Major August force, Lieutenant Karl-Heinz Peters, fought around the Bridge of Remagen, innocently sentenced to death in Rimbach and Oberirsen, according to martial law shot on 13 and 03/14/1945"
 

At the withdrawal of the Heeresgruppe B under Field Marshal Walter Model on the right side of the Rhine 1945, all Rhine bridges should be blown up by the will of the Wehrmacht leadership.
 
When Adolf Hitler heard was that the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen has not been blown up, but fell into the hands of the Americans, and within 24 hours, 8,000 Americans had crossed the Rhine there, he became furious. He gave three orders:
  • First, he fired the "Oberbefehlshaber West" - Field Marshal von Rundstedt - and replaced him with Field Marshal Albert Kesselring.
  • He gave the order to destroy the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen with all available means.
  • A court martial must hold accountable the responsible persons.
In the press there were rumors that the unsuccessful destruction of the bridge at Remagen was an act of sabotage. Hitler felt confirmed in his view that in wide circles of the Wehrmacht-officers was indiscipline ... and so he wanted to set an example. Since he had no confidence in the military justice, he convened on March 9, 1945 personally a "flying court martial", which was only responsible to him and should  condemn as soon as possible the guilty in the case of the Bridge at Remagen to death and execute them. Hitler demanded the execution of minimum of three officers among whom should be a General.
 
The court martial was led by General Hübner. Hübner was a fanatical Nazi with a blind trust in Hitler. The assessors were Lieutenant Colonel Anton Ernst Berger and Lt. Col. Paul Penth (before the war honorary mayor of Bad Hönningen). Penth was like Hübner a fanatical Nazi and supporter of Hitler. The court martial was prosecutor and judge in one person and was not linked to the German military law but oriented exclusively to the instructions of Hitler. The flying Court West had - what was unique - two military policemen as own execution squad who traveled with the court, waiting to fulfill their task, after the court had issued its judgment. General Huebner dominated the court martial. Since none of the three officers had a legal education, in the negotiations in the case of "Bridge at Remagen" the head of the court-martial system of Army Group B Colonel Judge Felix Janert has been allocated to the court as an observer and legal advisor.
 
The headquarters of Army Group B (Field Marshal Walter Model) was the beginning of March 1945 in the Gastwirtschaft "Zur Linde - Katzman" in Rimbach (near Altenkirchen/Westerwald).
 
On March 11, 1945, the "Flying court martial West" arrived at the headquarters of Army Group B in Rimbach and was housed in the Gastwirtschaft Pick (Oberirsen). Hübner had come to set an example by letting a few people execute because of the unsuccessful Bursting of the Bridge at Remagen, and Hübner could not care who he would put to death.
 
The interrogations started directly on March 11 in the "best room" of farmer Eschermann in Rimbach.
 
First, the court martial interviewed (on 11 and 12 March), the responsible generals of the region. These were:
  • Generalleutnant Walter Botsch, from 05.02.1945 commander of the 18. Volks-Grenadier-Division and from 06.03.1945Commanding General of the L III (Korpsgruppe Botsch) in the Defense Section Bonn-Remagen.
  • General Joachim von KortzfleischGeneral for Special Affairs in the Heeresgruppe B and since March 2, 1945 commander of the Rhine bridgeheads of Army Group B.
  • Generalmajor Hermann Janowski, higher pioneer leader 113 of Army Group B, one of the oldest generals of the Armed Forces (born 1884).
  • Generalleutnant Richard Wirtzsince October 24, 1944 General of the pioneers in the Heeresgruppe B.
  • Generalleutnant Kurt Freiherr von Bergcommander battle area XII north.
 
 

V-1 launch point "Eye of God", 53572 Bruchhausen

 

Link 2        Link 3

War Cemetery Cologne-Porz (Wahner Heide)

   

 

Within the military restricted area of the air force barracks is a public military cemetery of Cologne (enclave) for the fallen soldiers of the war 1870/71 and the First World War. 
 
In addition, there is an obelisk for French and a memorial for deceased Russian prisoners in commemoration of the war dead from the period 1914 to 1916, on this public burial ground. The bronze plaque on the memorial stone for the tsarist troops was made by Russian prisoners of war and bears the crest of the last Tsar Nicholas II.

Military History Collection, air force barracks Cologne-Wahn

 
 
The military history collection in the air force barracks Porz-mania offers an interesting look back at the 190-year history of the site, which is accomplished by numerous faithful exhibits.
 
The collection, which is located in Building 1, the former police headquarters, covers, VI departments with a total of 250 image documents that document the 190-year history of the military use of the Wahner Heide.
 
In Division II, the period 1817 to 1936 is treated. Are e.g. as exhibits to this era Visit Pictures of Kaiser Wilhelm II or used during the war carbine. Moreover, the expansion of the site is illustrated by means of some maps and sketches.
 
Division III covers the period from 1936 to 1945 in which the military training area reached an area of ​​52 square kilometers, fortified with 60 miles of roads, 160 km field and forest roads, 16 kilometers continuous light railway network, 20 kilometers moving tracks and a creek and grave network a length of 85 kilometers. 30,000 soldiers were meanwhile temporarily stationed there for training. The military camp offered 300 officers, 7,000 officers and men and 1,750 horses a hotel.
 
The Military History Collection, each week on Tuesdays, except for holidays, be viewed from 10.00 bis 12.00 clock clock. In addition, guided tours are available by appointment through the exhibition and the air force barracks and slide shows about the military history of the Wahner Heide.

Castle "ELTZ", 56294 Münstermaifeld

 

One of the most beautiful and best preserved castles in Germany. Lying in a romantic setting surrounded by an unspoilt landscape, inviting and majestic at the same time - like a fairy-tale castle come to life.

Castle "STOLZENFELS" (at the river rhine, near Koblenz)

 

Finished in 1259, Stolzenfels was used to protect the toll station at the Rhine, where the ships, back then were the main transport for goods, had to stop and pay toll.

Over the years it was extended several times, occupied by French and Swedish troops in the Thirty Years' War and finally, in 1689, destroyed by the French during the Nine Years' War.

For 150 years the ruins decayed, until in 1815 they were given as a present to Frederick William IV of Prussia by the city of Koblenz.

Following the romantic traditions, the prince started to completely rebuild the castle after 1826 as a summer residence. Supported by famous neoclassic architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the castle was completely remodeled in the then fashionable neo-Gothic style, aiming to create a romantic place representing the idea of medieval knighthood - the architects even created a tournament site.

Reviews at TripAdvisor:

"If you're staying near Koblenz the castle is best visited by car- only 10 minutes from the centre. There ins a pleasant 800 m or so of a walk uphill from the parking and there is even more walks beyond the castle with even better views.  You should take the guided tour of the interior ... but you get to spend plenty of time in the beautiful garden on the terrace with the river view and the court yard. Definitely, the place worth visiting."

Castle "MARKSBURG", 56338 Braubach (Rhine)

 

Marksburg Castle is the only hill castle on the Rhine that has never been destroyed. It has been lived in for over 700 years and thus represents an ever-changing and developing building complex that has been growing into its present shape over the centuries.

Castle Lahneck, 56112  Lahnstein (Rhine/Lahn)

 

Castle Oranienstein, Diez

 

Diez is an old garrison town. 1618 the garrison life began in the then flourishing commercial city.

Oranienstein Palace in Diez an der Lahn was build in 1672 and 1681 as a dower house for the Diezer Albertine Agnes Countess of Orange-Nassau. It is one of the root of the Dutch royal palaces.
 
From 1704 to 1709, the castle was converted into a baroque palace and is considered a gem of the German-Dutch Baroque. 1743 Oranienstein lost its importance as Oranienstein Palace Royal Palace in favor of residence in Dillenburg. First used in 1801 by William V of Oranien again a member of the Nassau Oranienstein as a residence. In 1811 Napoleon had auctioned all the decoration of the castle. After the Congress of Vienna Oranienstein came to the newly formed "Duchy of Nassau".
 
After the war of 1866, the "Earldom of Nassau" came to Prussia. In Oranienstein Palace was a Prussian cadet school established (which lasted until 1918). The cadet school was first with 200, later occupied by 160 to 170 cadets.
 
Famous students of the military academy Oranienstein were
  • Kuno General von Steuben (1868-1871)
  • Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt (from 1887)
  • General and Eichenlaub carrier Friedrich Hossbach (1905 - 1910)
  • Colonel and Eichenlaub carrier Oskar von Boddien
The Prussian cadet school was disbanded after the First World War and the castle was occupied by French troops.
 
1934 in Castle Oranienstein a "National Political Educational Institute (NPEA/NAPOLA)" was established, which existed until 1945. It took over the tradition of the 1919 externally largely resolved "Royal Prussian cadet school." To accommodate the 250 Napola-students the "Kameradschaftshaus" was built on the verge of the castle-building in 1934/35.

NAPOLA-Kameradschaftshaus
Antretehalle
   
 
 
Of the 318 rooms of the castle to the blue and gold room, Marshall Hall, the garden cabinet, the chapel, the garden terrace and the Museum of Nassau-Orange, which documents the history of the Royal Family and the Prussian cadet, be viewed in the context of interesting tours.
 
Guided tours only:
 
First April to 31 October: Tue-Fri 9.00 am, 10.30 am, 2 pm and 3:30 pm. Sat, Sun, public holidays (except Monday): 10.30 am, 2 pm and 3:30 pm, closed on Mondays
 
First November to 31 March, Tuesday to Friday, 9:00 am, 10:30 am, 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm, Saturday and Sunday only by prior appointment (Tel. +49 6432 9401 666, leitung@oranienstein.de) Public Holidays and Monday  closed
 
Please don't forget your ID card because the Castle is a military object of the German Army.

wikipedia-schloss oranienstein                           burg-direkt

Commemorative plaque on the Greifenberg (Battle of Limburg and Diez 1796)
 

Old town of Limburg (Lahn)

 

One of the most beautiful old towns in Germany

Virtual City Tour

small Marine Museum in the "Cat-tower", 65549 Limburg

 

Below the Old Lahn Bridge is the Katzenturm (cat-tower) a residual of the former city walls, which surrounded the city as a circular wall from the 13th century on. The tower contains a small Museum of the Marine-comradeship of Limburg: Pictures and models of ships, naval uniforms, a figurehead and information on European lighthouses.

Link

Fortress of Mainz

 

The Fortress of Mainz was a fortressed garrison town between 1620 and 1918. At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, under the term of the 1815 Peace of Paris, the control of Mainz passed to the German Confederation and became part of a chain of strategic fortresses which protected the Confederation with the dissolution of the Confederation control of the fortress passed to the German Empire.

Today the citadel is owned by the city of Mainz and accommodates numerous municipal offices. The Mainz Citadel belongs officially to the cultural heritage since 1907. The trench in the southern part of the citadel had been considered natural heritage since the 1980s. One of the buildings near the Drususstein accommodates the Historical Museum of the Town Mainz today.

The grounds of Mainz citadel is open all year. The two gates to the Citadel (Kommandantenbau and bridge at Windmill Hill) are no longer closed. The Citadel can thus be seen late in the evening. Just because a few certain events (open ear etc.) access be limited to the citadel.

Limited accessibility of the buildings from sio manifests, the City History Museum, the Garrison Museum and the underground passages. The latter can be visited by guided tour.

The garrison-museum at the Citadel Mainz

 

The extensive collection includes uniforms, photographs, documents and Reservistika about the history of the garrison city of Mainz.

The museum is located in the casemates of the citadel ... above the train station Mainz-Roman-Theater. Accessed through the "Zitadellenhof".

Visits are only possible by appointment. If you are interested or have any questions to the museum you can send an email to Alexander Renz (garnisonsmuseum@festung-mainz.de) or contact Mr. Wolfgang Balzer under Tel. +49 6249 7908.

Niederwald-Memorial (Germania) near Rüdesheim (Rhine)

 

The monument was inaugurated on 16.09.1877. The Niederwald monument remembers the defeat of France in the year 1870/1871 and the subsequent (re-) creation of the German Empire. The 10.5-meter-high and 32-ton figure of Germania proudly holds in his right hand the imperial crown.

Limes tower - Hillscheid

 


The Limes tower is part of the UNESCO World Heritage "Limes". The Limes tower is in the period from April to October every Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 14 to 17 clock open to the public.

Railway museum, 56070 Koblenz

 

Memorial to the victims of the Nazi-"euthanasia"-crimes, 65589 Hadamar

 

End of 1940, the "T4" Office" changed the State Hospital to a killing center for the "Action T4". A gas chamber, a dissecting room and two incinerators were installed, and a bus garage was build. From 13th of January  to 24th of August 1941 they killed more than 10,000 victims in the gas chamber Hadamar. From August 1942 until 26th of March 1945 - in the "second death" phase - nearly 4,500 other victims died. There also very severely wounded German soldiers were killed.

Volcano Brewery, 56743 Mendig

 

The lowest storage and fermenting beer cellar in the world (30 meters below the ground)

Militärmuseum Diekirch (Luxemburg)

(Luxemburg) aprox. 200 km (2 hours) from Ebernhahn.

Militärmuseum Bastogne (Belgien)

(Belgium) aprox. 240 km from Ebernhahn, 45 km from Diekirch

Map of military historical sights in the area:


larger map

Auf dem Weg nach Ebernhahn - On the way to Ebernhahn - En route to Ebernhahn - Sulla via di Ebernhahn - W drodze do Ebernhahn - Na cestě k Ebernhahn - На пути к Эбернхахн

 

© Geschichtsverein Siershahn e.V.