Eschwege Airfield

Military and Governmental Conversion. The airfield was closed to aviation following its transfer from the departing US Army to the German Federal Border Guard (Bundesgrenzschutz), which later became the Federal Police (Bundespolizei). The site was comprehensively redeveloped into a major training center, which involved dismantling or repurposing all aviation-related infrastructure like the runway and taxiways.

The site of the former airfield is now the German Federal Police Training and Education Center Eschwege (Bundespolizei Aus- und Fortbildungszentrum Eschwege). It is one of the largest training facilities for the German Federal Police. The original runway has been partially removed and converted into a main road for the facility, and the surrounding area is covered with modern administrative buildings, accommodation blocks, driving courses, firing ranges, and other specialized training structures. The site is a secure, active government installation and is not accessible to the public.

The Eschwege Airfield has a multi-layered and significant history.

1. **Luftwaffe Era (1935-1945):** It was originally constructed in the mid-1930s as a German Air Force base ('Fliegerhorst Eschwege'). During World War II, it served as a base for various Luftwaffe units, including fighter wings (like Jagdgeschwader 4) and flight training schools.

2. **US Army Occupation (1945-1949):** In April 1945, the airfield was captured by American forces and designated as Advanced Landing Ground R-11. Its most notable post-war role was from 1946 to 1949 when it was converted into a large Displaced Persons (DP) camp administered by the UNRRA. The camp housed approximately 1,770 Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, creating a temporary, self-governing community with schools, workshops, and cultural activities.

3. **Cold War Era (1949-1994):** After the DP camp closed, the site was repurposed by the US Army as 'Eschwege Kaserne'. Due to its strategic location near the Inner-German border, it served as a sub-post for US Army units tasked with border surveillance and defense during the Cold War.

4. **Post-Reunification:** Following the reunification of Germany and the drawdown of US forces, the base was handed over to German authorities in the early 1990s, marking the end of its aviation and military history.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening the airfield. The land has been permanently and completely repurposed for a high-security, critical government function. The original aviation infrastructure has been almost entirely dismantled, and the area is now densely developed with the buildings and facilities of the Federal Police training center, making any return to aviation use infeasible.