Wildflecken

Infobox German Location
Wappen = Coat of arms Wildflecken.gif
lat_deg = 50 |lat_min = 22
lon_deg = 09 |lon_min = 55
Lageplan =
Bundesland = Bayern
Regierungsbezirk = Unterfranken
Landkreis = Bad Kissingen
Höhe = 516
Fläche = 77.56
Einwohner = 3229
Stand = 2006-12-31
PLZ = 97772
PLZ-alt = 8789
Vorwahl = 09745
Kfz = KG ("old:" BRK)
Gemeindeschlüssel = 09 6 72 163
NUTS = DE265
LOCODE = DE WFK
Straße = Rathausplatz 1
Website = [http://www.wildflecken.de/ www.wildflecken.de]
Bürgermeister = Alfred Schrenck
Partei = SPD/FW

Wildflecken is a municipality in the Bad Kissingen district, at the border of northeastern Bavaria and southern Hesse. In 2005, its population was 3,285; the postal code is 97772. Wildflecken is in the picturesque Rhön hills and nature-park.

In 1937 the German Army established a large training area in the Rhoen area. Northeast of the village a camp, large enough to house about 9,000 soldiers and 1,500 horses was built. The camp (Camp Wildflecken) and training-area was primarily used by the German Army (Wehrmacht) as well as by the Waffen-SS. During the war several Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS divisions were activated and trained for combat in Wildflecken. Also located in Wildflecken was an ammunition factory and two POW camps, one for Russian POWs and one for POWs of Belgian and French origin. In 1945 elements of the U.S. 14th Armored Division took control of the camp and the training area in April, 1945.

From April 1945 to 1951, the base was a displaced persons camp housing aproximately 20,000 displaced persons (DPs), primarily Poles, operated first by UNRRA, then by IRO. A Polish cemetery holds the camp's rsidents who died during those five years.

After 1951, its range served as a US Army training base operated by the 7th Army Training Command in Grafenwöhr,and it was home station for several U.S.Army units to include Armored, Infantry (Mech), Military Intelligence and logistical units. In the early times it also served as a base for Bundesgrenschutz (border police) units and later for the new German Army (Bundeswehr). The Wildflecken Kaserne was decommissioned by the U.S.Army and transferred to the Bundeswehr in 1994.

Currently, it is home of the German Army "Warfighters Simulation Center", the training area is primarily used by the German Infantry School.

References

External links

* [http://www.dp-camp-wildflecken.de/ A history of the Displaced-Persons camp in Wildflecken]
* [http://www.wildfleckenveterans.com/index.php Wildflecken Veterans Association website]
* [http://wildfleckenheroes.org/ 54th Engineer Battalion]