Geoff Walden

 

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Berlin Pt. 2 ] [ Berlin Part 3 ] [ Berlin Lichterfelde Barracks ] [ Berlin Olympics Area ] [ Haus Deutschen Sport ]

 

Berlin -- Lichterfelde Barracks

   Lichterfelde Kaserne, southwest of the Berlin downtown area, was an old Prussian cadet training school. The Nazis took it over in 1933, and it became the headquarters of Hitler's body guard regiment, the Leibstandarte-SS "Adolf Hitler." Later, newer buildings were built to serve as the headquarters for the Leibstandarte.

   All period photos are from Herbert Walther, "Die Waffen-SS, eine Bilddokumentation," Ahnert-Verlag, Echzell, n.d., except as noted. Click here for a link to a MapQuest map of Lichterfelde.

 

Hitler, LSSAH commander Sepp Dietrich, and SS-Sturmbannführer Jürgen Wagner review the Leibstandarte on 17 December 1934.  (Bundesarchiv Bild 102-17311)

This was the parade ground of the old Prussian cadet school.

 

Lichter12LAH171235.jpg (118192 bytes)

Lichter12LAH3.jpg (148743 bytes)

The Leibstandarte on the Lichterfelde parade ground. The photo on the left was taken in December 1935.  (Hans Quassowski, ed., "Zwölf Jahre: 1.Kompanie Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler," Rosenheim, Deutsche Verlagsgesellschaft, 1989)

 

Lichterfelde7.jpg (132963 bytes)

Lichterfelde4.jpg (18232 bytes)

New recruits are sworn in on 19 April 1936.

The Leibstandarte parade in front of their Lichterfelde headquarters building, with four light artillery pieces.  (National Archives, RG 242-HB)

 

Lichterfelde8.jpg (61010 bytes)

Lichterfelde10.jpg (45378 bytes)

Lichterfelde9.jpg (69129 bytes)

With a light 75mm artillery piece on the old parade ground.

Guarding the new headquarters building (see then-and-now photos below).

Stone sentinels ("Reichsrottenführer") guarded each side of the entrance gate.

(all from National Archives, Record Group 242-HB)

 

Lichterfelde3.jpg (222165 bytes)

lichterfrontn1.jpg (12737 bytes)

Then-and-now views of the Leibstandarte headquarters building. The newer part of the compound is now a German government archives. The Soviets removed the eagle and swastika before the Americans arrived, and the U.S. troops removed the Leibstandarte name. One or the other covered the stone gate sentinels in concrete (or possibly removed them, then added more concrete). Below are more recent views of the headquarters building, with a close-up of one of the concreted-in "Reichsrottenführer" stone sentinels.  (top - Wenn alle Brüder schweigen, 1981 ed.; above - U.S. National Archives via kriegsberichter-archive.com; below - courtesy Jacqueline Wilson)

 

Period relief sculptures still adorn the former swimming hall of the Leibstandarte Kaserne.  (courtesy Jacqueline Wilson)

 

 

Third Reich in Ruins, http://www.thirdreichruins.com/

All contents copyright © 2000-2021, Geoffrey R. Walden; all rights reserved.  All photos taken by or 
from the collection of Geoffrey R. Walden, except where specifically noted.  Please respect my property rights,
and the rights of others who have graciously allowed me to use their photos on this page,
and do not copy these photos or reproduce them in any other way.

This page is intended for historical research only, and no political or philosophical aims should be assumed. 
Nothing on this page should be construed as advice or directions to trespass on private or posted property.

The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the author of the information, products or
services contained in any hyperlinked web site herein, and the author does not exercise any editorial control
over the information you may find at these locations.

This page initially uploaded on 20 July 2000.