Höchst Kaserne

Discussions on High Command, strategy and the Armed Forces (Wehrmacht) in general.
Post Reply
GdanskZog
Member
Posts: 41
Joined: 26 Nov 2007, 01:44
Location: USA

Höchst Kaserne

#1

Post by GdanskZog » 27 Dec 2010, 21:13

Greetings,

I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction for background information about the kaserne in Höchst. I know in later years it was a US post called McNair Kaserne. I'm unsuccessful in tracing its history any further back than American occupation.

I'm curious among other things, what it was called prior to American occupation. And which German units (and types)were stationed there?

I have some vague references that it might have been an anti-aircraft kaserne, but I also have a suspicion that it might have been associated with the gendarmarie somehow. It looks like a pretty big complex. Could it have served both?

Thanks if anyone can help.
Best Regards
Scott

Larry D.
Member
Posts: 4103
Joined: 05 Aug 2004, 00:03
Location: Winter Springs, FL (USA)

Re: Höchst Kaserne

#2

Post by Larry D. » 08 Jan 2011, 16:56

Scott -

Are you sure McNair was a wartime German Kaserne? I can find no mention of one being there and the present-day photos suggest the appearance of detached office buildings or a housing area for the I.G. Farben complex located there. For further information, I suggest you contact the Frankfurt/M Stadtarchivar and ask your question there. They would definitely know. Meanwhile, here are some random notes I made while searching for the mystical Kaserne:

Frankfurt-Höchst

2.(Telegrafen-Bau)/Ln.-Abt. 141 (belonged to 21. Flak-Div.) billeted in Höchst on 1.1.45.

c.1942-45: the chemical and explosives works of I.G. Farbenindustrie A.G. in Höchst was protected by 1. and 3./s.Flak-Abt. 435(o) and 6./le.Flak-Abt. 987(o). These 10.5-cm heavy Flak batteries plus the light battery came under Stab/Flak-Rgt. 29(o) a.k.a. Flakgruppe Frankfurt/Main. But this concentration of Flak personnel in Höchst does not mean there was a Kaserne there. They may have been housed elsewhere or in temporary huts near their battery positions as was very often the case.

There was also a thermal power station in Höchst owned and operated by Main Kraftwerke A.G. This and the I.G. Farben factory were prime Allied targets.

Michael McNair Kaserne Frankfurt-Höchst (a.k.a. Michael Barracks) converted into duplexes and condos for 250 people between 1996 and 2003.

Good luck and please post here any results from further investigations.

Larry


GdanskZog
Member
Posts: 41
Joined: 26 Nov 2007, 01:44
Location: USA

Re: Höchst Kaserne

#3

Post by GdanskZog » 13 Jan 2011, 05:17

Larry, thanks for looking into this.

Since my post, I have found a reference to a book (in German) about the history of the barracks. I don't have the book, but I did find a description of it on a site:

http://www.bildungsschuppen.de/KASERNE.HTM

The first thing I had to do was confirm that this book was in reference to the correct complex I was hunting for. So I found a photo of the same facade (upper left) shown on the image of the cover of the book on the "mcnairkaserne.org" website. (By the way, I've contacted the people who run this site, and while they had lots of photos, stories and info from the 60s through the 90's, they had nothing from the era I was asking about.)

http://mcnairkaserne.org/AFTER_WE_LEFT/ ... 001_WM.jpg

So, from the description of the book, and the general history of Hoechst, I've gathered that Hoechst was occupied by the French until about 1930. Hoechst, which was an independent city became part of Frankfurt and the barracks which had originally been planned as a school was used for military and government purposes instead. Although no time frame is given in the brief book report, it was said to be used as a political office, a prisoner camp for the Reich Labor Service, the SA and the Wehrmacht. Also, it's mentioned that the place was commonly referred to as the "French Kaserne", the "Anti-Aircraft Kaserne" or the "American Kaserne".

That's all I've found so far. I'll obviously have to get the book to get more details! :milwink:

Lastly, for general interest here's a photo by my grandpa of the barracks in 1945, right after crossing the Rhine, so late March / early April.
hoechst barracks 2.jpg
hoechst barracks 2.jpg (142.25 KiB) Viewed 2984 times
(Note the building with the columns that matches the modern day photo in the above link, which is the east entrance.) Researching my grandpa's photos and trying to retrace his steps sometimes causes me to make shrewd guesses and jumps to conclusion. The photo does indeed show what looks like a typical, US Army ordnance depot operating in full swing. I'm really starting to think that the Höchster Kaserne was indeed the "anti-aircraft kaserne" mentioned in the unit history, and indeed is the same one that was later renamed "McNair." While I know the barracks photographed by grandpa, was later to become McNair, I don't know (for sure) that that's the one he lived in for two weeks that was mentioned. Really, his photo only proved that he was there, long enough to take some pictures. (Although the elevated vantage point of the photo suggests he was on an upper floor of a building... And that he was indeed living there. If he was just dropping off a truck or supplies he might not have had to go upstairs, but who knows! :roll: )

But again, this is all I have found out since my initial post. For more details, I'll either have to get that book or be lucky enough for someone on here to have the info at hand.

Best Regards
Scott

Larry D.
Member
Posts: 4103
Joined: 05 Aug 2004, 00:03
Location: Winter Springs, FL (USA)

Re: Höchst Kaserne

#4

Post by Larry D. » 13 Jan 2011, 16:06

Impressive, Scott. It now seems like all you have to do is get a copy of the book and that should pretty much give you the complete background on the Kaserne. The first sentence of the book's promo blurb says that it was built for the French occupation authorities about 1919-20 and then used by the French until 1929-30. Its use during the 1930s and perhaps until 1941-42 precludes it being one of the Wehrmacht Stammkasernen so it may not have actually billeted any regular German troop units until 1941-42 or later. The mention of its use as a prison camp suggests French POWs may have been interned there for a year or two right after the campaign in the West, 10 May - 22 June 1940. I have a strong feeling that the book will reveal that it became a Kaserne for mainly Heer (Army) troops and not Luftwaffe, although some small number of Luftwaffe may have been billeted there, too.

Let us know what you eventually find out from the book!

Larry

Larry D.
Member
Posts: 4103
Joined: 05 Aug 2004, 00:03
Location: Winter Springs, FL (USA)

Re: Höchst Kaserne

#5

Post by Larry D. » 24 Jan 2011, 18:52

Here is another unit I just found that was stationed at Frankfurt-Höchst:

Annahme- und Entlassungsstelle d.Lw. 2/VII (F-Höchst, 1943/44-45). This translates as Air Force Acceptance and Discharge Center, and probably means a steady flow of Luftwaffe personnel transiting through the Kaserne (Center), none staying for longer than a few days.

L.

alanpaul
New member
Posts: 1
Joined: 05 Sep 2014, 04:55

Re: Höchst Kaserne

#6

Post by alanpaul » 05 Sep 2014, 05:13

I was intrigued by your request about McNair Kaserne before it became that and found some links. Following WW1 the French demanded reparations resulting in the creation of a 'bulge' up the Main River to Hoechst, I assume to control the output of Hoechst AG (makers of pharmaceuticals and explosives.) They built a 'barracks' for their soldiers in Hoechst in 1919/1920. I assume it was McNair. They departed by 1930 if not earlier when Great Britian no longer agreed with the way they were carrying out their occupation duties. The French employed their Colonial army troops which didn't go over well with the Germans either. There is a picture at a web site 'Memorial at Woerthspitze" that shows French soldiers checking ID Cards in Hoechst and other websites at 'French occupation of Germany following WW1' gives more details and maps. There is also information on the 31st and 34th Hospital Trains that traveled around Germany and France in the 1950s collecting injured soldiers for transport to the major hospital. They were stationed at McNair in 1955-1956, apparently using that railroad stop just outside the main gate. Found this on the McNair website. Hope this helps.

Post Reply

Return to “German Strategy & General German Military Discussion”