Once a site for German military aviation the Julius-Leber-Kaserne stands before you. Its imposing presence speaks of layers of history.
The Julius-Leber-Kaserne is Berlin’s largest Bundeswehr barracks. It boasts a unique past. Its grounds were initially used in the 19th century. The first air force unit in German military history was stationed here in 1896. It was the Luftschifferbataillon Nr 1.
After World War I Germany was forbidden to maintain air forces. The area was briefly used by the police. Then the old airship hangars were torn down.
From 1936 to 1939 a vast barracks complex was built. This was the Hermann-Göring-Kaserne. It housed the Infanterie-Regiment “General Göring” of the Luftwaffe. This later became the Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1 Hermann Göring. Oberbaurat Schneidt designed the complex. It comprised 130 buildings arranged around a central axis. A sports complex was also included. This had a running track and an open-air swimming pool. The triangular site is accessed via an oval ring road. This road leads to the main entrance building on the northeast corner.
Tragically a vehicle shed within the barracks served as a collection point. This was during the “Fabrikaktion” in 1943. This was the arrest of the last Berlin Jews who had previously been spared deportation.
After Germany’s unconditional surrender the French Army took over. In August 1945 they established the “Quartier Napoléon” as their headquarters. From 1945 to 1955 they repaired the war-damaged site. They also built the Cité Joffre housing estate to the south. Air force command was based in the Quartier Napoléon from 1945. They developed Tegel Airport as a French military airfield. The 46th Infantry Regiment joined in 1947. The 11th Jäger Regiment arrived in 1955. Both units were specialized in urban warfare and anti-tank defense. The French military also included pioneers a supply battalion and the military police. The military police also served on the sector border. Radio ffb the French military radio station also broadcast from the Quartier Napoléon primarily as a relay station without its own editorial staff.
In 1994 the Bundeswehr took over. On January 5 1995 the barracks were renamed the Julius-Leber-Kaserne. This was the 50th anniversary of Julius Leber’s death. Former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Leber’s daughter and then-Defense Minister Volker Rühe attended the ceremony.
Today the Julius-Leber-Kaserne houses the Territorial Leadership Command of the Bundeswehr. It also houses the Wachbataillon beim Bundesministerium der Verteidigung. This is alongside the Feldjägerregiment 1 and other Bundeswehr units. A small military history collection is open to the public. It commemorates 49 years of French forces in Berlin. A Stolperschwelle commemorating the collection point during the Fabrikaktion was installed in March 2024. This rich history reminds us of the many lives impacted on this site. A site that bears witness to significant moments in Berlin’s troubled past.