Aug 7, 2018

Motor Pool Oberursel and its Swimming Pool 1929 – 1969

I have permission to share the following photos of the very first swimming pool in Oberursel, which belonged to the Motor Pool.

1929: pool party or Sommerfest (summer fest)

Summer fest 1929

On 30 March 1945, U.S. troops occupied the town of Oberursel and the Motorenfabrik (Motor Pool). The Motor Pool remained in U.S. American hands until 1956/1957.

Change of hands: The Americans returned the Motor Pool back to the Germans in 1956/1957

The Motor Pool also had its own fire department. The next three photos show a fire drill held in 1969.

Photo source:  Geschichtskreis Motorenfabrik Oberursel

For more about the history of the Motor Pool, have a look at the book at 125 years of Motor Pool history , a post I had written about the author Helmut Hujer, and his work.

Jul 31, 2018

Oberursel and its first Outdoor Swimming Pool

The very first swimming pool was built by the Motorenfabrik Oberursel (Motor Pool) in 1927.

Werksschwimmbad Motorenwerke Oberursel

(Bildquelle: mit freundlicher Erlaubnis vom Geschichtskreis Motorenfabrik Oberursel)

The engineer Helmut Stein, who had joined the Motorenfabrik in 1925, initiated the construction of this Werksschwimmbad (factory-run pool for its staff and families). Other facilities, such as sport fields and a shooting range, were added later.

The company supplied the material, and construction was completed by its own workers after working hours.

During the summer months, swimming lessons were given to the young vocational trainees. It soon became a social meeting point for its workers and families.

The city of Oberursel itself had to wait another decade for its own public pool (see postcard). Construction went from 1934 – 1936, and its Grand Opening took place on 7 June 1937.

Städtische Schwimmbadeanlagen Oberursel, 1937

Source: „125 Jahre Motorenfabrik Oberursel, 1892 – 2017, Wandel gehört zum Leben“ by Helmut Hujer

Jan 8, 2017

Life at the Motor Pool and Swimming Pool in Oberursel, Germany in the 1950s

These pictures have been contributed by Jack Stites, a former U.S. Army soldier and now a retired police officer, who was stationed in Oberursel at the Motorenfabrik (Motor Pool) from January 1954 to January 1955.

This photo shows Jack in front of the Motor Pool, Oberursel.

I pass this building, now Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd. & Co. KG, every time I take the U-Bahn into town. The outside hasn’t changed.

Motor Pool Oberursel 1954/55

Jack and his buddies went to the Oberursel swimming pool in their free time.

Oberursel swimming pool in the 1950

On 6 June 1937, Gauleiter Mr. Sprenger, (a political head of a district in Nazi Germany), officially opened the Oberursel Freibad. After the war, the pool was confiscated by the U.S. Forces. In 1953, the pool could be used by the locals on two days a week. By 1954, the pool was turned back to the city of Oberursel.

Aug 24, 2009

Truly German – Episode 01

Truly German is a new podcast that talks about the news in Germany. Sometimes this will by national news, maybe political, but we will also be covering some local topics.

We want to have some fun at the same time, so part of the podcast is our Länderquiz – in which my contestant has to guess in which Bundesland three different news stories took place in.

This week the topics are:

  1. Agreement ends strikes in German Kindergartens
  2. Swimming pool closed due to leak
  3. Divers find Mercedes in a lake
  4. German minister’s car stolen in Spain

The quiz covers the following stories:

  1. Europe’s first passive swimming pool
  2. New motorway has speed limits imposed due to heat
  3. German’s oldest steam engine

Please listen to the first episode and tell us what you think:


(Press the “play” button to listen to the podcast)

Download the MP3 file

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