The Kaserne des Garde-Schützen-Bataillons stands before us. Its history whispers secrets of Prussian might.
This isn’t just any barracks. It’s the former home of the Garde-Schützen-Bataillon. This elite light infantry unit of the Prussian army had a unique origin. It was formed in 1814. Its initial recruits came from the French-speaking canton of Neuchâtel. This led to it being initially known as the Bataillon des Tirailleurs de la Garde.
Recruiting proved more challenging than anticipated. Many recruits were unsuitable. Some were too old. Others were physically unfit. Some were simply not disciplined enough for Prussian military life. One shipment of 50 recruits saw 31 rejected. Reasons ranged from being too old or small to having hernias or being constantly drunk. Six were even recaptured deserters. The battalion’s intended strength was never reached. The number of Swiss soldiers steadily decreased over time.
Initially stationed in Berlin-Kreuzberg the Garde-Schützen-Bataillon moved in 1884. Their new home was a purpose-built barracks in the newly developed Gross-Lichterfelde. This was a planned villa colony. Its founder Johann Anton Wilhelm von Carstenn helped secure the barracks’ construction. He even provided parts of the urban infrastructure.
Life in the Kaserne des Garde-Schützen-Bataillons wasn’t all hardship. There were daily drills of course. Target practice was less popular. However there were parades and celebrations. These were a welcome break. The battalion was even known for awarding special prizes to excellent marksmen.
King Frederick William III. held a complex view of the Swiss soldiers. While generally well-disposed he shared common Berlin prejudices. A story says after finding a body in the Hasenheide a nearby park he quipped that it couldn’t have been a Garde-Schütze. A true Garde-Schütze would have taken the victim’s shirt.
The cholera epidemic of 1825 spared the battalion. Strict quarantine measures kept the disease at bay. The unit gained popularity in Berlin. It was one of the first to accept one-year volunteers from civilian backgrounds. This boosted its numbers. Later three-year volunteers were also accepted. This led to soldiers from across Prussia and beyond serving. Germans. Balts. Poles. The unit’s composition changed dramatically.
The Kaserne des Garde-Schützen-Bataillons saw many changes in its uniforms. The first uniforms were green jackets and grey trousers. These were similar to Silesian Schützen uniforms. In 1843. a shorter Waffenrock replaced the longer coat. The Tschako hat gave way to a spiked leather helmet. A distinctive cap-like Tschako returned in 1854. The battalion mostly kept this until its disbandment in 1919.
The Garde-Schützen-Bataillon participated in many conflicts. They saw action in the Liberation Wars of 1815. The German Revolution of 1848-49. The Schleswig-Holstein War. The Austro-Prussian War. The Franco-Prussian War and the First World War.
After the First World War the battalion was disbanded. The barracks saw further use. It housed the Reichswehr Schützen-Bataillon 29. It was used as a Heeresfeuerwerkerschule (army pyrotechnics school) during the Nazi era. The US Army used it as the Roosevelt Barracks. Finally. parts of the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) now occupy the largely preserved buildings.
The Kaserne des Garde-Schützen-Bataillons stands here. A silent monument. A testament to centuries of Prussian history. It bears witness to both triumph and tragedy. To pride and prejudice. It is a powerful reminder of the long and complex history of Berlin itself.