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| Field Marshal Rommel Barracks, Augustdorf | |
|---|---|
| North Rhine-Westphalia | |
 The northern gate of the Field Marshal Rommel Barracks | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Military base |
| Controlled by | German Army |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 51°54′53″N8°45′53″E / 51.914785°N 8.764644°E /51.914785; 8.764644 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1937 |
TheField Marshal Rommel Barracks, Augustdorf (German:Generalfeldmarschall-Rommel-Kaserne, often abbreviated toGFM-Rommel-Kaserne) is aGerman Armymilitary base located inAugustdorf in the state ofNorth Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and the largest base of the German Army. The brigade staff and most of the units of the21st Panzer Brigade are located there. Around 4,300 soldiers serve on the base.
The base is located on the southern edge of theTeutoburg Forest, and directly adjacent to theSennelager Training Area where German soldiers train together with British soldiers and otherNATO partners.
Named in honour of Field MarshalErwin Rommel, the street address of the base is Gfm.-Rommel-Straße 1 (1 Field Marshal Rommel Street). The base shares its name with theRommel Barracks, Dornstadt; a similarly named base, theField Marshal Rommel Barracks, Osterode, closed down in 2004.
The base was established in 1937. It was originally known asNordlager ("Northern Camp") from 1937. Following rearmament, the old buildings were demolished and replaced with new buildings in the 1950s, and the base was known asNeues Lager ("New Camp") for a few years.
Since 1961 the base has been named Field Marshal Rommel Barracks in honour of Field MarshalErwin Rommel. Rommel's widow Lucie Rommel and sonManfred Rommel were guests of honour at the dedication.[1]
The barracks houses around 4,300 soldiers. It is located adjacent to theSennelager Training Area, where the soldiers train together with soldiers of otherNATO countries, mainly British soldiers.[1] Then Defence MinisterUrsula von der Leyen described the Rommel Barracks as one of the most important installations of the German military.[2]
The Field Marshal Rommel Barracks is also known for the triannual Augustdorf Soldier's Day (German:Augustdorfer Soldatentag orAST), a military exhibition which has been the largest annual public event of the German Army several times, with tens of thousands of visitors.[1]
