Braunschweiger
Zeitung (Helmstedter Nachrichten) 15th June 2009
A friendship carved in stone
Monument in
Langeleben recalls the British soldiers who left their
traces in the Elm.
By Arne
Grohmann
LANGELEBEN. It was only a small spot in the woods on
the Elm. Nevertheless the era of the British radio
station in Langeleben marks a significant chapter in
the history of Königslutter.
“Where
occupiers became friends” is the title of an exhibition
in the Königslutter Town Hall foyer, which can still be
viewed this morning. For that, which developed between
the British soldiers stationed in the Elm and the people
of Königslutter, there now stands a commemorative stone
on the carp park in Langeleben.
Paul
Ellis, whose father was a soldier in Langeleben, carved
the memorial from York stone in England. It has the
following inscription in English and German: “We came
here as youths in an uncertain world; left it older and
wiser in peace and friendship and a world full of hope.
Friendship and cooperation. In the name of peace.”
On two
plaques, again in both languages, stands the following
text: “Dedicated as a sign of lasting friendship between
the inhabitants of Königslutter am Elm and the British
soldiers stationed in Langeleben between 1951 and 1992.”
Worked as a relief engraving on the side of the stone is
the town’s coat of arms and on the front and rear the
flags of Germany and Great Britain.
The
speeches were –like the entire ceremony- moving. Indeed,
numerous soldiers and civil personnel of the barracks in
Langeleben were present, while the reading of the roll
of honour took up no small amount of time. The many
guests also learned that a minute’s silence – as opposed
to the short intimation usual in Germany – in Great
Britain lasts a minute.
After the
ceremony the soldiers fell out to do just what
Bürgermeister Ottomar Lippelt in his speech
euphemistically described as “enriching the local
breweries”. As is old times the British took part in the
social life of Königslutter and attended the
Schützenfest.
FACTS
From 1951 to 1992
British soldiers were stationed in the Elm.
The main task
was the monitoring and decoding of military voice or
Morse transmissions of the Soviet and National People’s
Armies in East Germany.
In the first years
intensive contact with the civil population was
discouraged.
The Association
is represented in the Internet at www.langeleben.co.uk
Hello
Helmstedt! (Comment)
The
ceremony in Langeleben to unveil the commemorative stone
to recall the British soldiers formerly stationed there
was moving. Not much remains of the barracks. Only a few
crumbling concrete foundations are still there. Here and
there lies some broken glass, probably left-overs from
the demolition. Pieces of plastic have survived over the
years. Caps, which protected screws from the weather in
the Elm – in olive green, of course, - lie near the
foundations. The military buildings played an important
role in the Cold War. By means of the radio station the
British soldiers monitored the activities of the
military formations stationed in East Germany.
Over the
years occupiers became friends. These came to the
unveiling of the memorial. The robust appearance of the
British Army with its stamping on command is really
impressive. And all that irrespective of the age of the
soldiers. The military band, complete with bass-drummer
in tiger skin (hopefully not real!) and the
highly-polished instruments had style.
Arne
Grohmann
Braunschweiger
Zeitung (Helmstedter Nachrichten) 13th June
2009
How occupiers became friends
Yesterday the
exhibition about the British barracks in Langeleben
opened – today the memorial will be unveiled
By Arne
Grohmann
KÖNIGSLUTTER. The British are not shy of hard work.
They even bring their own stones with them to Germany.
One of these has become a memorial, which will be
unveiled today at 11 o’clock on the car park in
Langeleben.
Yesterday
an exhibition about the history of the British barracks
in Langeleben opened in the foyer of the Königslutter
Town Hall. It can be viewed today, tomorrow and Monday
in the mornings.
“Do you
remember him?” in German or English was a question which
was often to be heard in the Town Hall. Former British
soldiers, who had been stationed in Langeleben, civilian
labour, friends and relations came to view the
exhibition.
The
history of the listening post in the Elm is described on
boards in English and German. The end came in 1992,
after the first Gulf War. A private individual bought
the camp, which fell into disrepair. Finally, the
District Authority had the buildings demolished. Today
there are only a few foundations to be seen in
Langeleben. The site is not open to the public.
Paul
Ellis carved the stone, which will be unveiled in
Langeleben today. It is made of York stone, which is
found in England. The stone is tough, the mason told us
yesterday, who, together with his father, visited the
exhibition in the Königslutter Town Hall. His father had
been stationed in Langeleben.
“A small
German town – where occupiers became friends” is the
title of the exhibition. John Richardson conceived it.
Technical equipment, as well as uniforms, can be seen,
which the British soldiers in those days used. In the
days of the Cold War they had the job of monitoring the
radio transmissions of the Warsaw Pact troops stationed
in East Germany.
There
were special operators trained to receive Morse code,
and also analysts who spoke foreign languages.
At its height around 140 men were stationed in
Langeleben. After duties they did not stay up in the
Elm. Quickly they captured the town of Königslutter and
also captured many female hearts on the way.
The
British soldiers even played football as the
Königslutter third team. Once they won the league. The
later World-Cup-winning goalkeeper in 1966, Gordon Banks
was part of the team. John Richardson, who speaks very
good German, met his wife in Königslutter, and now lives
with her in Wolfenbüttel. After his army service in
Langeleben he worked for the German Police in
Wolfenbüttel.
Helmstedter Sonntag 14th June 2009
Anglo-German friendship
New commemorative stone unveiled
By Nicole Grandt
Königslutter’s
Bürgermeister Ottomar Lippelt and
British
Major-General (Retd.)
Peter
Baldwin shook hands like brothers, as they officially
unveiled a new commemorative stone on the car park in
Langeleben yesterday. Both emphasized, that the stone is
dedicated to the lasting friendship between Germans and
British.
British
soldiers were stationed in the military camp with radio
station in Langeleben until 1992, which gradually fell
into disrepair and became a victim of vandalism and was
finally demolished. The camp bore the name “Anderson
Barracks”.
After
demolition in 2008 no buildings are left on the site.
Only the concrete foundations and roads recall the
former camp. No fence surrounds the site, it is freely
accessible and nature is reclaiming the former military
estate.
Langeleben looks back on a long history with the British
soldiers. They first pitched their tents there in 1951.
Officially, fraternisation by the occupation forces with
the German population was frowned upon, but after a
short time girls from Königslutter were meeting
soldiers. A few years later the first marriages between
German women and British soldiers took place.
The
expansion of the camp made it into an important economic
factor for Königslutter. After the end of the East-West
conflict in 1992 the camp was closed and the soldiers
were bade farewell.
Although
the soldiers returned to their homeland, neither they
nor the people of Königslutter forgot the common years.
In 1993 a Veterans’ Club was founded in England, whose
members were also present at the car park to witness the
unveiling of the stone. The column was led by the “Heavy
Cavalry and Cambrai Band”, a 35-man military band from
England.
The
erection of the stone was made possible by donations of
the Veterans’ Club.
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Helmstedter Blitz from Wednesday, 17th June:
A Commemorative Stone has been officially unveiled in
Langeleben
Germans and British remember a lasting friendship
LANGELEBEN. “We came as youths in an uncertain world,
left it older and wiser in peace and
friendship and a world full of hope.” This is
the inscription on the commemorative stone,
which was officially unveiled last Saturday in
Langeleben.
This
memorial reminds the old soldiers who were
stationed there of the army camp, which closed
after the end of the Cold War in 1992. The first
soldiers pitched their tents in 1951 in
Langeleben. After initial resentment, relations
between the soldiers and the civilians developed
in a very positive way. The camp also became an
economic factor.
The
memories of time spent in Langeleben were so
enduring, that a veterans’ club, called the
“Langeleben Reunion Association”, was formed in
1993. Many of the members of the Association
turned up on Saturday to be present at the
official ceremony.
Maj.-Gen.
(Retd.) Peter Baldwin spoke the words of
greeting for the British guests. He emphasised,
that it is always difficult to accept foreign
soldiers in one’s own country. Nevertheless,
positive and friendly relations to the Germans
developed rapidly. “This went so far that some
soldiers even found their wives in Germany”,
remarked Baldwin. The British soon took part in
social life as well, for example in sport clubs.
And the local breweries also profited from the
soldiers’ good custom, added Baldwin with a
smile.
The stone
was financed by the veterans and was crafted by
stone mason Paul Ellis, whose father was a
soldier in Langeleben and whose mother came from
Königslutter, said Baldwin.
Bürgermeister Ottomar Lippelt thanked Baldwin
for the kind words, which expressed very well
the friendly coexistence which prevailed between
Langeleben Camp and the inhabitants of
Königslutter. He further emphasised that the
unveiling of the stone is taking place in a very
special year, marking the 20th
anniversary of the end of the Berlin Wall. In
this connection, it is clear what the British
soldiers in Langeleben Camp had achieved in
making “a contribution to overcoming the
consequences left by the inhuman Nazi regime”,
according to Lippelt.
As an
example of the partnerships formed in daily
life, the Bürgermeister recalled the soldier
Gordon Banks, who kept goal for the third team
of Viktoria Königslutter. Years later, in 1966
he became a World Cup winner with his national
team. Many old Königslutter inhabitants can
remember this well.
Friedrich
Düerkop from the State Military Reservists’
Organisation came to thank Peter Baldwin for the
dedication to the friendship which binds the two
peoples. He thanked the British soldiers for
more than 40 years’ service in Germany, which
guaranteed the freedom of the country.
The
musical enhancement was provided by the
35-man-strong “Heavy Cavalry and Cambrai Band”.
The blessing of the stone was also part of the
programme. A moving part of the ceremony was the
reading of the roll of honour, which took no
little time.
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From the German Federal Reserve Forces’ magazine, August 2009 issue:
Commemorative Stone as a sign of friendship
The
British Army’s Langeleben Camp left visible
traces.
“We
came as youths in an uncertain world, left older
and wiser and in peace and friendship and a
world full of hope!” Maj.-Gen. (Retd.) Peter
Baldwin read this inscription from the
commemorative stone and unveiled the small
memorial, together with the Mayor of
Königslutter am Elm, Ottomar Lippelt.
For
over 40 years a Signals unit of the British
Rhine Army was
stationed in Langeleben Camp beneath the
towering antennas, where up to 120 soldiers were
on duty. From 1951 they listened in to the East
and carried out radio reconnaissance. With the
collapse of the Warsaw Pact these operations
became superfluous. In 1992 the British Army
closed down the listening post. The soldiers
were posted elsewhere. However, the reservists
and veterans founded a “Langeleben Reunion
Association”. Here,
the idea was born to erect a commemorative stone
at the former camp in Langeleben near
Königslutter. The President was Maj.-Gen.
(Retd.) Peter Baldwin. The Königslutter town
council and the responsible bodies approved the
intentions immediately, as over the 40 years a
feeling of mutual trust and friendship had
developed between the civil population and the
British soldiers. Family ties were no longer a
rarity. In this spirit, Stone Mason Paul Ellis
created the commemorative stone. His father was
a soldier in Langeleben, and his mother came
from Königslutter.
In
his speech Bürgermeister Lippelt emphasised the
good and deferential relations with the British
soldiers in daily life. „“It is a good moment in
time to remember and thank Great Britain for its
efforts in creating a free democratic basic
order based on of human rights in Germany”.
The
vice-chairman of the Lower Saxony Reserve Forces
Association, Reserve-Hauptfeldwebel Friedrich
Düerkop praised the contribution of the British
Army to the reunification of Germany. On behalf
of the Lower Saxony Committee he presented
Maj.-Gen. Baldwin with a commemorative plate.
In
front of a large assembly of civil
representative from Königslutter and district,
as well as British reservists and veterans,
Chaplain to the Forces Philip Bosher blessed the
commemorative stone. A British military band
played the national anthems of Germany and Great
Britain and provided the musical accompaniment
for the ceremony. An impressive Act of
Remembrance completed a stylish ceremony in the
former camp location in Langeleben near
Königslutter.
Picture captions (from top to bottom):
British reservists, veterans and colour party
Speech by the vice-chairman of the Lower Saxony
Reserve Forces Association, HptFw d.R. Friedrich
Düerkop
Presentation of a commemorative plate to
Maj.-Gen. (Retd.) Peter Baldwin (r.)
Blessing the Stone
National anthems and act of Remembrance
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Translation of the above
newspaper articles - Courtesy John Richardson
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