“Who was Admiral Brommy?” I wonder. Today, the “Marineschule Bremerhaven” is now the “Admiral Brommy Kaserne.” It honors the first Commander in Chief of the Reich Navy on his 220th birthday. Let’s embark on a search for clues.
The Admiral-Brommy-Kaserne, formerly the Marineschule, has a storied past. For decades, the “MOS” resided here. It was once the Marineortungsschule. Now, it is the Marineoperationsschule. It is one of two functional schools of the Navy. Now, a legendary admiral has found his home here.
To understand the significance of the Admiral-Brommy-Kaserne, we must journey back to the 19th century. The revolutionary events of 1848 led to the founding of the Reich Navy. This is a well-known part of German naval history. But why name a barracks after Brommy? The reasons are numerous.
Ruth Schilling, Director of the German Maritime Museum, explained it well at the ceremony. “Admiral Brommy was the first Commander in Chief of the very first German Navy. In 1849, the National Assembly established a navy. It was meant to prove itself in the conflict with Denmark.”
The naming of the Admiral-Brommy-Kaserne serves as a reminder. It recalls the origins of German democracy. The Ministry of Defense approved the name change. Hopefully, this decision will be met with lasting approval.
Karl Rudolf Brommy was born near Leipzig in Saxony in 1804. Originally, his name was Bromme. He was one of many Saxons and Thuringians in German seafaring. After training in Hamburg, he sailed on American merchant ships. His name “Bromme” became the more American-sounding “Brommy”.
Brommy did not remain commander of the German fleet for long. The revolution’s dreams were short-lived. Brommy’s fleet fought only one naval battle against the Danes. The German Confederation was restored after the revolution. From 1852, it was dissolved. Brommy had no place in the Prussian state. He was not of noble birth. Perhaps he was still labeled as a revolutionary. He died in Bremen-Burglesum in 1860.
The Nazis later appropriated Brommy. A barracks in Brake and a minesweeper were named after him. His character appeared in a 1941 propaganda film. An SA pub in Oldenburg bore his name. Schilling suggests Brommy’s person was suitable because he was not widely known. People could project their own ideas onto him. Brommy offers many points of contact against the backdrop of current political circumstances. For example, how to combine democracy and the navy.
Schilling believes it is good to remember the beginnings of the German Navy through his person. Otherwise, the imperial era and both World Wars overshadow it completely. That’s what the renaming of the barracks is about today. The Navy wants to honor Brommy. He was the Commander in Chief of the first Reich Navy of 1848. It also wants to express its commitment to the ideals of freedom and unity. The Admiral-Brommy-Kaserne stands as a symbol of these values.