Belgian Forces in Germany

Belgian forces were stationed in Germany until 2002. A Armée Belge d' Occupation, it was already after the First World War from 1918 to 1929 as part of the Allied occupation of the Rhineland.

After the Second World War marched on 15 May 1945 as the first Brigade Piron as assistants on behalf of the British army of occupation in Germany. The Belgian Armed Forces in Germany ( nl. Belgian Strijdkrachten in Engeland BSD, French Forces Belges en Allemagne FBA ), were stationed on the southern edge of the British zone of occupation in an area of North Rhine -Westphalia and Hesse between Aachen and Kassel. The Belgian corridor also included northern parts of Hessen ( Kassel area ) and thus enter into the former American Occupation Zone, which in 1947 merged with the British occupation zone to the bi- zone.

The headquarters was set up on 25 October 1946 in Lüdenscheid, but moved in October 1948 to Bonn ( headquarters in the Palais Schaumburg, more quarters in Troilokaserne and lock Deichmannsaue ) to before this city because of the designation as a crew -free zone until 31 October 1949 had to vacate and Bonn was appointed provisional seat of government. It moved its headquarters in November 1949 in the barracks Haelen, Etzel former barracks of the Armed Forces, in Cologne- Junker village. Garrisons there were, among others, also in Aachen, Bad Arolsen, Buren, Düren, Eschweiler, Euskirchen, Rhine river ( Tomburg Barracks ), Kassel, Cologne, Lüdenscheid, Siegen, Soest, Werl, Arnsberg ( Jägerkaserne ) Neheim and Troisdorf- Spich. Commander of the BSD was from December 1946, General Jean -Baptiste Piron, was according to which the 1st Infantry Brigade Brigade Piron called.

This status as an occupying army ended with the admission of the Federal Republic into NATO.

Between Belgium and Germany, the continued presence was contractually agreed. The Belgian military was involved in the military plans of NATO. The Belgian Armed Forces in Germany in 1988 still included 26,900 soldiers who were stationed in 165 locations in Germany and three airfields and two hospitals possessed. At times also lived about 25,000 Belgian women and children in Germany. In 1996, the command of the 1st Belgian Army Corps, which also includes the BSD were under, the command of the Belgian intervention forces in Saive at Liege was assumed. 1998 the number of Belgian soldiers had been reduced in Germany at 2200. The garrison of Cologne was at times the largest Belgian garrison abroad. It existed until the end of 2003.

The Base Camp Astrid in Eschweiler was vacated in 1995 after already Aachen location, Camp Hitfeld, was abandoned in 1992. Since 1950 by the Belgian army and managed since 1956 unused by other NATO forces training area Vogelsang in the North Eifel was vacated in 2005 and sent to a civilian use. Already in 2004, the camp was evacuated Altenrath in Troisdorf, which initially should be supplied to the analog also cleared Camp Spich, a commercial re-use. However, this ultimately failed, so that, according to the latest plans Surrounded by the Wahner Heide barracks to be completely rehabilitated by 2015. The cleared in the same period Spich Camp was converted into an industrial park.