Karl von Müller Kaserne
THE ABANDONED MILITARY SITE IN GERMANY
This is the ‘Karl von Müller Kaserne’ in Emden, a city in the north of Germany. The military site was built in 1911 and left in 1997.
During the First World War, Karl von Müller was a captain of the German commerce raider, the SMS Emden. For this reason, this old military site was named after him.
The site was initially used by the ‘ABC Abwehrbataillon 110 der Bundeswehr’ a division specialized in protection against nuclear and biologic weapons. Later, just after the First World War, it was home to the ‘Bataillon des Fuß Artillerie Regiments Nr.2’, the ground troops of the German Army.
Holocaust survivors
The site was also used as a displaced persons camp, housing Holocaust survivors who in 1947 attempted to immigrate to Palestine on board of ‘Exodus 1947’. Almost direct after leaving the port, the ship was seized by the British Royal Navy. All the passengers were deported back. During 1948 all the emigrants left Germany again.
In 1997, the Bundeswehr left the barracks completely. Since then, the terrain has been largely unused. Several plans of the city of Emden have been rejected. Eventually, after extensive renovation work, the former ‘Karl von Müller Kaserne’ in Emden has become an absolutely unique residential area. These took these photos during my visit in 2011.
