Garrison location Fürth and its regiments
On April 19, 1945, the city of Fürth surrendered without a fight to the approaching42nd US (Rainbow) Division. As a result, Fürth was spared the fate of destruction that befell many other cities in the final phase of World War II due to senseless hold-fast orders. Fürth suffered very little from Allied bombing raids. Less than 10% of the city’s building stock was affected by the effects of war. After the war, Fürth became the largest American military base in Bavaria. At its peak, around 15,000 American military personnel with their families were in the city and ensured steady economic growth.
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With the surprising withdrawal of all American occupation forces in 1995, a more than 100-year-old phase of militarily dominated urban history came to an end. A difficult period followed, as there was a need for a completely new urban planning and, above all, economic concept. Local politics acted exemplarily across all party lines. Within 10 years, the former barracks in the south of the city gave rise, through a federally and state-massively fundedconversion, to a completely new and modernly designed area that today offers a home and work to many people with its approximately 2,000 apartments, lofts, and commercial properties.
The military history of Fürth began in the second half of the 19th century. Following massive disturbances at the 1872 Kirchweih festival, which could only be pacified by the deployment of more than 100 soldiers from the Nuremberg garrison, the city magistrate had repeatedly petitioned the Bavarian government for the establishment of its own garrison. The petition was only granted in 1890. At that time, the policy of the German Empire, geared toward world power ambitions, also had its effects in Fürth. Emperor Wilhelm II dismissed Imperial Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, who had acted with foreign policy prudence. The Reinsurance Treaty with Russia was not renewed. The Reichstag was dissolved because it was unwilling to support the offensive military doctrine favored by the Emperor. On July 15, 1890, the new Reichstag passed a military service law by a narrow majority, introducing general conscription and massively increasing all military units. A military-political development had begun that would ultimately find its peak and provisional conclusion in the First World War.
In the course of rearmament, the time had also come for Fürth in 1890, and the establishment of a garrison was ordered. After artillery with about 360 men and 200 horses (later Königlich-Bayerisches 6. Feldartillerie-Regiment (Royal Bavarian 6th Field Artillery Regiment)) moved in immediately, the 1st Battalion of the Königlich-Bayerischen 14. Infanterie-Regiments (Royal Bavarian 14th Infantry Regiment) joined it in 1893. From this unit and parts of other regiments emerged in 1897 the legendary Königlich Bayerische 21. Infanterie-Regiment (Royal Bavarian 21st Infantry Regiment), which was reverently called “die Anerzwanzger” by the people of Fürth. In fact, only the regimental staff and the first battalion were stationed in Fürth; the other units were formed in Eichstätt and Sulzbach. As a third regiment, a transport and supply unit, the 3rd Train Battalion, was stationed in 1900. Shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, another artillery unit, the Königlich-Bayerisches 3. Fußartillerie-Regiment (Royal Bavarian 3rd Foot Artillery Regiment), came to Fürth for a short time, and during the war, parts of the Königlich-Bayerischen 6. Reserve-Infanterie-Regiments (Royal Bavarian 6th Reserve Infantry Regiment).
The above excerpt from the regimental history of the K.B. 6. FAR (6th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment) describes in detail the daily routine of soldiers at the Fürth garrison until the outbreak of war in August 1914.
Except for the 3. Fußartillerie-Regiment (3rd Foot Artillery Regiment), which was quartered in the so-called artillery depot on Schwabacher Straße, all other units gradually found their place on the large barracks grounds being built south of the city in the Flößauäcker area. As the first structures, simple wooden barracks for the artillery were erected starting in 1890 between today’s Flößau-, Sonnen-, Fronmüller-, Liesl-Kießling-, and Ullsteinstraße. These gave way to massive brick buildings, which were later referred to as the artillery barracks. Worth seeing is the enlisted men’s quarters on Flößaustraße, originally consisting of two parts and connected in the 1930s, which is still the largest multi-story building in the city of Fürth today. Starting in 1893, additional buildings were erected adjacent to the artillery barracks for an infantry barracks, which was given the name “Sedan Barracks”.
In 1903, an officers’ mess for the K.B. 21. Infanterie-Regiment (21st Bavarian Infantry Regiment) was built in Art Nouveau style on the former Sedanstraße, today’s Steubenstraße. The impressive building has since been converted into luxury apartments. The regiment’s coat of arms still graces the entrance portal.
Between 1900 and 1907, east of the existing areas, the buildings of the Train-Abteilung (train battalion), which was responsible for the supply and provisioning of the troops, were constructed. Here, some interesting structures can be found, for example several carriage houses, which were likewise converted into high-end apartments and commercial spaces while preserving the essential exterior building structure. In the course of forming a machine gun company, a significant expansion of the Infanteriekaserne (infantry barracks) up to Dr.-Frank-Straße took place starting in 1912. However, this part of the facility was not used until 1916.
In early August 1914, with mobilization, World War I also began for the Fürth regiments. K.B. 6. FAR (6th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment) and K.B. 21. IR (21st Bavarian Infantry Regiment) belonged to the 5th Division of the III Bavarian Army Corps. The units fought in the offensive battles in Lorraine before being deployed from September 1914 for nearly 2 years with Armee-Abteilung Strantz (Army Detachment Strantz) in the southern Frontbogen von St. Mihiel. K.B. 21. IR, along with its sister regiment, K.B. 14. IR (14th Bavarian Infantry Regiment), was deployed in the costly battles for the Feldschanze im Bois Brûlé as well as in the Bois d’Ailly. When the British opened the Battle of the Somme in July 1916, the entire 5th Bavarian Division, along with the Fürth regiments, was withdrawn and transferred to the northern sector of the army front, where they were deployed primarily in the Artois, Somme, and Flanders sectors until the end of the war. After the armistice in November 1918, the remnants of the units did not return to their garrison in Fürth until mid-December 1918.
The barracks in Fürth were considered exemplary at the time, so that military use was continued even after the Treaty of Versailles. About 500 men of the Reichswehr remained in Fürth. Units of the Bavarian Schutzpolizei moved into part of the Sedankaserne. Gustav Schickedanz acquired a larger section of the grounds in the early 1930s. The Quelle mail-order business emerged from the manufacturing halls built there. With the National Socialists’ seizure of power, the military use of the area expanded once again. The three previously separately administered barracks were combined. In 1938, the newly established Infanterieregiment 21 (21st Infantry Regiment) moved in, and a motor transport battalion (Kraftfahrabteilung), a trench mortar company (Minenwerferkompanie), and Flak-Regiment 8 (8th Flak Regiment) were added. Parts of this regiment were deployed in the Spanish Civil War under the designation “Condor Legion”.
During the Second World War, the barracks remained largely undamaged. In September 1944, only the Schickedanz manufacturing halls were hit in an Allied air raid. Following the capitulation on April 19, 1945, the Americans moved onto the grounds and in March 1949 named it after a general who fell in Italy “William-O.-Darby-Barracks”. Beginning in May 1946, all areas where barracks and military facilities were located in the greater Nuremberg and Fürth area were consolidated as an American military administration unit ultimately under the name “Nuernberg Military Community”. American use lasted until the mid-1990s. On December 19, 1995, the American flag was hauled down for the last time at the William O. Darby Barracks.
In the city park of Fürth, near the Evangelical Lutheran Resurrection Church, a monument to the fallen of the Fürth regiments was dedicated on the occasion of the garrison days on October 29, 1922. The monument consisted of a high sandstone base as well as a larger-than-life warrior figure made of shell limestone that protects a child between its legs. It was designed by the Munich sculptor Georg Albertshofer. In the original version, a laurel wreath adorned the front of the base. It bore the inscription: “Death for the fatherland is worthy of eternal reverence. v. Kleist“. In 1953, the base had to be renewed. It was designed without a laurel wreath, overall simpler and about 1.40 m higher. The retained inscriptions are noticeably weathered today. Nevertheless, the monument, on which the three former Fürth regiments are listed, as well as the surrounding Fürth city park, is well worth a visit.
were AI-edited (notice pursuant to Art. 50 Regulation (EU) 2024/1689).