On March 18, 1945, at about 3 p.m. American tanks rolled into Baumholder from the direction of Birkenfeld. Last Wednesday marked the 70th anniversary of the American "invasion." Was it a good or a bad day for Baumholder?
On the very day of the 70th anniversary, the German-American Stammtisch presented a historical commemorative evening. Günther Jung, Baumholder's city mayor and his second deputy Michael Röhrig were among the 25 guests at the Stammtisch when Bernd Mai from the U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, Baumholder Military Community Public Affairs Office, made his pictorial presentation and narration about the city's history from the 1930s to the present.
Information for his presentation was taken from the book "50 years of Americans at Baumholder" and from conversations with the author of the book, Herbert Grimm, as well as other contemporary witnesses. "My generation can only assume, how it was 70 years ago," said Mai. Before he started with his presentation, which he conducted entirely in English, he asked the audience to observe a moment of silence and pay tribute to all who contributed to the German-American friendship in Baumholder; Soldiers, families, and local residents.
The history of Baumholder before 1938 was only mentioned briefly. The development of the Military Training Area, the German Wehrmacht units at Baumholder, anecdotes from contemporary witnesses about their first meeting of an Afro-American Soldier and the enormous construction after the stationing of the Americans captivated the interest of the German and American audience at the Hotel "Zum Stern," where the Stammtisch meets every week.
Mai talked about the positive development, the increase of residents in the city, the job market at the beginning of the stationing of U.S. troops, the constructions in the city and in the U.S. area, the establishment of the American way of life, and the development of a little metropolis.
Also addressed was the enormous support for the city by the U.S. forces, particularly during the expansion of the local hospital and construction of the local sport fields. Mai acknowledged the problems that occurred with the presence of the military, such as illegal prostitution, drugs, bars, night life, and a moral decline. "This overall picture from the 1950s until the 1980s gives Baumholder its unique history," emphasized Mai.
"Many visitors came from far and near to experience the unique Baumholder atmosphere. Even though it was illegal, they bought with them cigarettes and whiskey, or visited the American clubs on the installation to enjoy the high quality entertainment that was offered," said Mai. Baumholder began to earn a bad reputation during this time, but the visitors didn't stop coming.
After the presentation, several guests wanted to buy Grimm's book. Unfortunately, the 4,000 copies that were printed are currently sold out, but Mai provided a ray of hope for those who wanted to buy the book. "Our friend Herbert Grimm transferred the rights of all his publications to my wife and I. Sometime in the future we will publish a new edition."
He challenged the audience to draw their own historical picture. "Was it a good or a bad day for Baumholder? I believe it was a good one," said Mai.
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