Fliegerhorst Gardelegen

52°32'01"N 011°26'22"E

Runway 07/25 - 2200x50m - concrete
Runway 07/25 - 2200x50m - grass (emergency use only - CLOSED)
Runway 07L/25R - 1000x40m - grass

Air base Gardelegen (german: Flugplatz Gardelegen, also known as Fliegerhorst Gardelegen or Einsatzhafen Gardegelegen) was an airfield east of Gardelegenen, Saxony-Anhalt in Germany.
The airfield consisted of a large flying field with a small millitary town on the south side.
On 23 January 1945 a severe accident happened when a Ju88 broke up during takeoff and crashed into the ATC building, killing 4 in the ensuing fire.
The airfield was overtaken by American forces just before wars end, only one day after a massacre of concentration camp victims near Gardelegen. When the war ended the Americans transferred control of the area to the Soviet Red Army. After the war the local inhabitants stripped the buildings to rebuild their own homes.


Former fliegerhorstkommandantur Gardelegen in Soviet times.

Not much is known about the postwar years, except that is was used as an exercise area for the Soviet Army. Today the municipality of Gardelegen is building an industrial area at the location, aptly called "Industriegebiet Fliegerhorst". For this reason the last remaining building (the old Fliegerhorstkommandantur) was torn down in 2009.


Former fliegerhorstkommandantur Gardelegen in February 2009 shortly before it was torn down to make room for an industrial area.


Detailed view of the logistics area of flugplatz Gardelegen in 2000 (Google Earth)


Former flugplatz Gardelegen in 2000 (Google Earth)