Dessau

51°49'55"N 012°11'03"E

Runway 09/27 - 1000x25m - Asphalt
Runway 09/27 - 1150x200m - grass (glider use only)
Runway 09/27 - 2200x55m - Concrete (CLOSED)

Airfield Dessau (german: Flugplatz Dessau, also known as Flugplatz Hugo Junkers, ICAO: EDAD) is an airfield 4KMs east of Dessau city center, Saxony-Anhalt in Germany.
Founded by aviation pioneer Hugo Junkers in 1924 it remains in use to this day, although significantly reduced in size.

The history of the airfield is very much connected to the history of the Junkers aircraft company. It was opened as an airfield for the Junkers aircraft factory north of the railway line Dessau-Köthen in 1924. The first assembly hall of the factory was built next to the railway crossing. 
In July 1927 it became the first European airfield to have a concrete runway. By the early 1930s the airfield had grown to become the most modern air field in Germany. Its massive concrete runway was heated to allow all weather operations. The airfield was intended to be used for the first east-west non-stop Atlantic Ocean crossing.


Construction of concrete taxiways and runways at Dessau in 1928

By the mid 1920s Junkers had lost a substantial amount of money because of a failed enterprise in the Soviet Union, forcing him to sell his airline to the german government, who merged it into Deutsche Luft Hansa. This gave him enough money to continue building aircraft for a few more years, but by the early 1930s he was running into difficulties again. By 1933 he was forced to transfer his private patents to the company and give 51% of the shares to the National Socialist Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) without compensation. He was prohibited from access to his company and was put under house arrest in his summer residence until he died in 1935. His widow sold the remaining stock to the RLM for 30 million Reichsmark. The company kept his name and the airfield remained the main center of the Junkers research activities until 1945.


New Junkers destined for South Africa in front of the new facilities at Dessau in 1935


Birds eye view of Dessau in 1935


Construction of Ju90s at Dessau in 1938 (Bundesarchiv)


Map of Junkers Dessau in 1940

The RLM introduced many novelties, which allowed a large output in production. The Junkers factories in Dessau were state of the art and provided work to 38,000 people. Most new Junkers aircraft designs were built and tested at the airfield throughout the war.
In August 1944 the airfield and the factory were bombed by USAAF B-17s. They did little damage however, because the RLM had realised in advance the buildings might be hit by airstrikes, and had therefore decided to use steel and concrete as building materials. The hangars however were of lighter construction, reducing the aircraft inside to scrap metal. And although the bombs did not do much damage to the factories, they did undermine moral.


Overview of Dessau in 1943 (Google Earth)


Photo of a visit by B-17s at Dessau in 1944. 'IFA' stands for the Junkers aircraft plant, 'Jumo' for the Junkers Motoren Werke (the engine factory)


Post strike reconnaissance at Dessau in 1944 taken by a Spitfire from 30,000feet (Google Earth hacks)

In April 1945 the US Army took the airfield, and handed it over to Soviet control in July. The Soviets pressed it into service by lenghtening the runway to 2200meters to allow the use of MiG-15s. The East-German Nationale Volksarmee (NVA) took control of the airfield in 1956 and used it as a Transport Pilot School. Later Mi-4 helicopters, L-60 'Brygadyr', An-2 'Colt' and Il-14 aircraft were also brought to the flying school. The Il-14 were used to train both NVA and Interflug pilots on the type. A Mig-17 overran the runway in 1959 in the morning of 16 May 1959.
The flying school ended in 1963, but the airfield continued to be used by gliders (until glider flying became prohibitied in 1979) and as a diversion airfield for the NVA helicopter wing (THG-34) from Brandenburg-Briest until 1989.


Dessau just after the reunification of Germany in 1990

In March 1990, for the first time since World War II ended 45 years before, a Ju52/3m landed at the former Junkers airfield. That same year the airfield was reinstated as a glider field. By 1994 it became a regular airfield again, albeit with a runway that is much reduced in size.


Overview of Dessau in 2000 (Google Earth)


Overview of Dessau in 2005 (Google Earth)

Much of the airfield still exists: the entire ground was placed under federal protection (Heimatschutz). Most of the Junkers aircraft research facilities on the northeastern side and the Junkers engine (JuMo) plant on the south side of the airfield still stand. The original Junkers concrete runway still exists, but is crossed by a local road.
The part of the runway that was built during the GDR years has been replaced with a smaller and narrower runway. The taxitrack along the soutern edge of the airfield has disappeared over the past 20 years, although its outlines are still recognisable from the air. Parts of the former Junkers plant have been converted into a technical museum, focusing mainly on Junkers aircraft.


Dessau airfield in 2015. Although the tracks on the south side still exist, they appear to be covered in weeds and dirt (Google earth)