Researching Gross Germersleben and the castle there etc.

Discussion in 'NW Europe' started by Ramiles, Jan 7, 2017.

  1. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    In one of his letters from the SRY, just after the end of the war in Europe, my grandfather wrote this:

    "I’m a busy man these days, so busy I’m writing this at 3pm, and that’s in the afternoon in case you think I’m making a mistake, acting Sgt.Major and mess Caterer, which leaves me time to relax. Nothing like having plenty to do and spreading it over a day. I’m writing this at the Baron’s desk, on the desk are many pictures of beautiful women while on a side table is a picture of Little Willie the Kaiser’s son, duly signed. A painting of the Baron looks on from the wall also a couple of his ancestors. The Kaiser himself is also hung up, signed Doorn 1936."

    I've had a fairly mixed time trawling through a lot of on-line mentions of "Gross Germersleben" and the castle there etc., it's mentioned one or two times also in the War Diary of the SRY, but not many (I think) of those online (???) seem to talk much about it at all during WW2, which is both a bit frustrating and curious, as I'd love to know more about its significance and uses then - if any at all.

    I think the Baron though (mentioned above and elsewhere) was the "Baron" there at the time, though I may be wrong as it's quite early days ;)

    This is the English google translation of the current German wiki site for Gross Germersleben: Google Translate

    Sadly the place was subsequently November 3rd 1999 burned down...

    "Last night a 16th century castle in Gross Germersleben near Magdeburg, Germany, was burned down. It took hours to put the fire out. The damage is millions of dollars. It is not known yet how the fire started. The monumental castle recently had been restored, and was supposed to be changed into an hotel."

    And the park and what was left or rebuilt seemed to have "acquired" some neo-Nazi associations in recent years (04.05.2013):

    With a link to a google translation of an article about this here: Google Translate

    "The circle committee members are aware that the planned concert should have a great symbolic power. On that day, the Nazis would try to gain a foothold in the Börde district after being successfully expelled by NGOs in Nienhagen in the Harz region. "We do not want this to happen!" We want to make clear and visible signs of a democratic and cosmopolitan life with the people, so this attempt at the right - wing extremes rejects our profound inner rejection and our public contradiction Their unhistorical and anti-human sentiments, which is a moral duty for us, "the politicians write. "We are calling on all the citizens to participate in the various protests against the neo-Nazis: Let us stand together in the district of Börde, in the city of Oschersleben and in Groß Germersleben, against brown thoughts, words and deeds."

    In Gross-Germersleben itself resistance is already forming. Some 200 men and women had gathered in the village church several days ago to make plans against the Nazi concert. The Germans are also supported by citizens from the neighboring communities.
    "

    All the best,

    Rm.
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2017
  2. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    From the below I think it can be seen why the location would have appealed to the occupying SRY as a base:

    A couple of youtubes I found on the Castle at Gross Germerlaben:

    Some drone footage over the castle ruins and parkland (with some eerie (?) chanting overlaid).

    Drone footage Schloss Groß Germersleben Germany October 2016


    And this one with various (German) clips of reports about when it burned down in 1999:

    Brand im Schloss Groß Germersleben am 03.11.1999 - showing basically what it was like then:
     
  3. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    This was in a letter my grandfather wrote, as this was to my uncle, who was a very young child at the time, it was in a rather different style than what he wrote to my grandmother from there...

    "The German children have very nice manners indeed. It’s a treat to see the little girls curtsey. Ask your mummy to show you a curtsey.

    I’m enclosing a visiting card for you; it’s a real Princess, very much alive when I last saw her in a…

    …place called Great Gemerslaben. She is old now, about 70 but her daughter, a Countess is young and speaks English and looks like a princess, it’s a pity they are German as they are such nice people and of course the Russians now live in their village."

    I was looking into why the neo-Nazi's had been interested in buying the place after it was ruined and noticed that the area around Magdeburg... was associated with Hitler and some of his crew in this macabre way...

    Death of Adolf Hitler - Wikipedia

    "The remains of Hitler and Braun were repeatedly buried and exhumed by SMERSH during the unit's relocation from Berlin to a new facility in Magdeburg. The bodies, along with the charred remains of propaganda minister Goebbels, his wife Magda, and their six children, were buried in an unmarked grave beneath a paved section of the front courtyard. The location was kept secret."

    Apart for the fragments mentioned as kept, I think somewhere, elsewhere it actually says that whatever remained was actually cast into the Elbe or some such.

    I suspect the ruined Castle at Gross Germerlaben, with parkland, was just an inexpensive place to try to buy etc. and that it didn't really have any other military uses (besides those taken by the SRY) or association with the Nazi's during WW2.

    It'll be interesting to hear what actually happened to the Princess, Countess and perhaps Baron, under the Russians so I'll keep looking though, and try to get in touch with some historians local to the area, and see what else I can unearth :pipe:

    All the best,

    Rm.
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2017
  4. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    Last edited: Sep 17, 2021
  5. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    Gross Germersleben - 1000 Jahre / years... 1937 apparently...

    FB_IMG_1642597673205.jpg
     

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