Kassel-Rothwesten Airfield
Kassel-Rothwesten Airfield is a former military airfield located in Rothwesten, a part of Fuldatal in Germany about 5 miles (8.0 km) north-northeast of Kassel (Hessen); approximately 240 miles (390 km) southwest of Berlin.
| Kassel-Rothwesten Airfield Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) R-12 Fliegerhorst Kassel Fritz-Erler-Kaserne | |
|---|---|
| Hesse, Germany | |
Kassel-Rothwesten Airfield Kassel-Rothwesten Airfield (Germany) | |
| Coordinates | 51°23′25″N 009°32′03″E |
| Type | Military airfield |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1934/35 |
| Built by | Luftwaffe |
| In use | 1939–1945 (Luftwaffe) 1945–1946 (United States Army Air Forces) 1946–1972 (United States Army) 1973–2008 (Bundeswehr) |
Then known as Fliegerhorst Kassel, the facility was used during World War II by the German Luftwaffe as a combat airfield. It was seized in early April 1945 by the United States Army and used as a Ninth Air Force combat airfield until the end of the war in Europe. After the war "Kassel Air Depot" was established at the airfield, before being closed in September 1946. United States Army units remained at Rothwesten Kaserne until it was closed in 1959.
In the spring of 1948, the barracks were the setting of the "Conclave of Rothwesten", in which the introduction of the Deutsche Mark was prepared.
From 1973 to 2008, the facility was used by the Bundeswehr. After the military left, the airfield and barracks were converted to civilian use, including a photovoltaic power station and a business park. In 2015, the area began to be used as a facility for housing refugees.