Wildflecken
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wildflecken | |
| Coat of arms | Location |
 |
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| Administration | |
| Country |  Germany |
|---|---|
| State | Bavaria |
| Admin. region | Lower Franconia |
| District | Bad Kissingen |
| Mayor | Alfred Schrenck (SPD/FW) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 77.56 km² (29.9 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 516 m (1693 ft) |
| Population | 3,229 (31/12/2006) |
| - Density | 42 /km² (108 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | KG (old: BRK) |
| Postal code | 97772 |
| Area code | 09745 |
| Website | www.wildflecken.de |
Wildflecken is a municipality in the Bad Kissingen district, at the border of northeastern Bavaria and southern Hesse. In 2005, its population was 3,285; the postal code is 97772. Wildflecken is in the picturesque Rhön hills and nature-park.
The town was integral to the Nazi régime as a large Waffen-SS training camp built in 1937. During World War II, the SS operated a slave labor camp for their ammunition factory; more than 4,000 slaves from Poland, France and other occupied countries were worked to death; [1] elements of the U.S. 14th Armored Division freed the slaves in April, 1945.
Then, from April 1945 to 1951, the base was a displaced persons camp housing 18,000 displaced persons (DPs), primarily Poles, operated first by UNRRA, then by IRO. A Polish cemetery holds the camp slaves who died during those five years. After 1951, it was a US Army training base operated by the 7th Army Training Command in Grafenwöhr, until decommissioned in 1994.
Currently, it is the German Army's combat training centre.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- A history of the Displaced-Persons camp in Wildflecken
- Wildflecken Veterans Association website
- 54th Engineer Battalion
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