Photos of Camp King in Oberursel
A stateside reader of my post Zum Fuchstanz near Oberursel/Feldberg wrote that he had been living in Camp King in the 60s and was interested in its progress. And as I live so close to this former military camp – I can see it from my kitchen window – I sometimes tend to forget its historical significance.
Back in the 1960s, only fields and meadows separated the northern end of the camp from the Feldberg mountain. On those same fields, the German development “Im Rosengärtchen” was constructed in 1972, and this is where I am sitting and writing this post while facing the Feldberg mountain on this overcast day.
To revisit Camp King’s history, I took another walk through the area to take some photos.
One of the two buildings left on the northern end of the camp, which is facing the Feldberg mountain.
The extended yard has been replaced by a narrow parking strip. Gone are the old trees!
U.S. housing had been built away from the main road (Hohemarkstrasse), but now the space has been filled in by a commercial building.
Connecting the old with the new... I walk through this passage on my way to the super market.
Looking from the northern end building onto what used to be farmers' fields. Note: the big yard still is there, which must be the envy of the German neighbors with their Lilliputian plots.
Walking towards the end of the camp where the administrative buildings and officers' housing used to be.
A bit of nature remains for summer outings.
Yet unrestored half-timbered building up on the hill.
Old and new mixed in Camp King
The camp was named after Colonel Charles B. King on 19.09.1946.
The former basketball gym's wooden floor was turned into a woodcarving and preserved by Thomas Kilpper, whose artwork tells the history of the camp. He titled it "Don't Look Back".
To learn more about Oberursel and its Camp King history, visit Oberursel Today or you might like to join me on a walk through Camp King via podcast.
Tags: Camp King images, Camp King Oberursel, Colonel Charles B. King, Thomas Kilpper
March 9th, 2010 at 8:18 am
Excellent ideas here, have emailed my mum so expect a big reply!!
March 29th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Maria,
Thank you for your wonderful web sites about Camp King and the city of Oberursel. I was stationed at Camp King with my wife and 3 sons from January 1979 to July 1985 and we absolutely loved every minute of it. We only lived on Camp King for 4 months and then Frau Grantz, who worked at Camp King, helped us find a house, first in Uzingen and then in Neu Anspach. We still call and write to our landlords. My wife, Kate, and I are planning to visit this summer which will be our first trip back in 25 years. I know Mr. Kilpper’s artwork is titled “Don’t Look Back”, but memories as nice as those of our years at Camp King are a joy to look back at.
Again, thank you so very much,
Rich Dooley
Pentagon Force Protection Agency
9000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301-9000