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Ordensburg
Vogelsang
In 1934 work began on
three construction projects to build "Order Castles" or "School
Castles" where the future leadership of the Nazi Party would be trained.
These projects were under the direction of Dr. Robert Ley, head of the Deutsche
Arbeitsfront (Labor Front). These Ordensburgen were built at Sonthofen in the
Allgäu (Bavaria), Crössinsee in Pomerania (now in Poland), and Vogelsang in
the Eifel (North Rhein - Westfalia).
The Vogelsang Ordensburg
was designed by architect Clemens Klotz, built on a hillside overlooking a large
lake valley. The school was completed in 1936 and the first class of
"Junker" (cadets) began training immediately. The overall project as
planned was never completed, with a large "House of Knowledge" hall, a
2000-bed hotel, and other buildings being omitted. During World War II the site
was used for military purposes and to house refugees from bombed German cities.
The U.S. Army overran the area in February 1945 and briefly occupied Vogelsang,
before turning it over to the British military. In 1950 Vogelsang and the
adjacent military training area were turned over to the Belgian Army, who
controlled the area until 1 January 2006. Since then the Ordensburg Vogelsang
has been open to the public.
(MapQuest
Map Link to Vogelsang)
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| Two
distant views of Vogelsang, showing how the site was built down the
hillside toward the lake valley below. (Gerdy Troost, "Das
Bauen im neuen Reich," Vol. 1, Bayreuth, 1938) |
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| Entrance
to the site was through an enclosed building complex. The period photo
was taken before the columns were added to the entrance (1939), and the
flanking buildings with the towers that are found on the site today. The
Reichsadler eagles flanking the entrance have long been removed (see
below and here), and the
building retains Belgian military insignia today. ("Bauten
der Bewegung," Vol. 1, Berlin, 1938) |
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| Where
two of the eagles once reposed above their wreathed swastikas (chipped
out), and one of the original entryway eagles that is now on display in
the Adlerhof. |
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| The
entry road into the Ordensburg is flanked by two towers bearing relief
sculptures of a mounted torch bearer (left) and armored knight with
sword (right), both by Willy Meller. |
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| The
Vogelsang Adlerhof was an open square surrounded by buildings, featuring
a stone fountain and two stone eagle statues. The modern view looks
different because the building on the eastern side of the square was damaged by bombing in 1944 and never rebuilt. (period
postcard) |
This photo from February 1945 shows the
bombing damage to the main compound.
(U.S. Army Signal Corps Collection, National Archives)
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| The
Adlerhof eagles were by sculptor Willy Meller. Along with most of the
other Vogelsang stone artworks, these eagles suffered damage after the
war, but the remains of one are again on display in the Adlerhof. (Werner Rittich, "Architektur und
Bauplastik der Gegenwart," Berlin, 1938) |
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| On the
left is an artist's conception of the Burg (castle), tower, and
Appellplatz (assembly area), with a similar view today on the
right. (Georg Fritz, "Straßen und Bauten Adolf Hitlers,"
Berlin, 1939) |
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| Looking
across the Appellplatz at the Burg and tower. The Burg building adjacent
to the tower was originally three stories, but the upper story was not
rebuilt when the bombing damage was repaired in the postwar
period. (Werner Rittich, "Architektur und
Bauplastik der Gegenwart," Berlin, 1938) |
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| A large stone eagle is built into the
wall overlooking the Appellplatz. |
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| On the
left, a view from the tower overlooking some of the cadet barracks. On
the right is a view of some of the barracks buildings today. Two of the
original barracks buildings were destroyed by bombing and not
rebuilt. ("Illustrierter Beobachter," Special Edition
1937) |
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| The
sports field was downhill from the barracks area. On the hillside
between the barracks level and sports field was a Freilichtbühne which
served as a Thingplatz for the cadets (the
stage was the semi-circular edifice in the center). |
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| Overlooking
the Sportfeld was a relief sculpture "Sportlers" (Sportsmen),
crowned by an eagle with swastika. This artwork by Willy Meller suffered greatly during
the years of postwar military occupation, the sportsmen and the eagle
all losing their heads. (courtesy Marco Janssen) |
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| The
"Fackelträger" (Torch Bearer) is a detached sculpture by
Willy Meller located
on the northeast periphery of the site. The inscription originally read
"Ihr seid die Fackelträger der Nation - Ihr trägt das Licht des
Geistes voran im Kampfe für Adolf Hitler" (You are the torch
bearers of the nation - you carry the light of the spirit forward into
battle for Adolf Hitler). The blocks containing the words Fackelträger,
Adolf Hitler, and the swastika have been replaced. The
"Fackelträger" himself also suffered considerable damage
during the postwar military occupation. (Meller also designed works for
the Berlin Olympic Stadium.)
(Werner
Rittich, "Architektur und Bauplastik der Gegenwart," Berlin,
1938) |
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A view of the Vogelsang castle tower.
For further information:
"Ordensburg Vogelsang
1934-1945" - www.hans-dieter-arntz.de
(German and English)
Lernort Vogelsang - http://www.lernort-vogelsang.de/
(German language)
Serviceagentur Vogelsang - http://www.serviceagentur-vogelsang.de/home.htm
(German language)
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