Bundeswehr stops civilian conversion of military sites

The Ministry of Defense is suspending the conversion of properties used by the military for civilian purposes. This also affects sites in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. The reason for this is the increased need for sites due to the planned expansion of the Bundeswehr, as announced by the ministry. The conversion freeze will initially affect 187 former military properties owned by the Federal Agency for Real Estate. These are generally suitable for use by the Bundeswehr.

The Ministry of Defense did not initially make the list public. ARD-Hauptstadtstudio reported on a document that also included the Bavarian Erding air base and the Rhine property in Koblenz. This list was also made available to the German Press Agency.

These sites are affected

The list includes six properties for Saxony-Anhalt, including former barracks in Schönebeck and Stendal, a disused training area in Halberstadt and the former Krähenberge airfield in Burg. For Saxony, a former ammunition depot in Mockrehna, a property in Kossa and a former ammunition depot in Elsnig are listed.

The change of course could thwart local authorities' plans for the use of the sites. "We are very aware of the implications of the decision and know that in many cases there are already plans to use the affected areas for civilian purposes," said Nils Hilmer, State Secretary at the Ministry of Defense. "Wherever possible, we will also try to take existing civilian plans into account."

The conversion of Bundeswehr sites for civilian purposes was begun in the early 1990s after the end of the Cold War and continued after the suspension of compulsory military service in the 2010s.