Perleberg

53°04'20"N 11°49'11"E

Runway: 11/29 - 1,400x50meters - grass

Airfield Perleberg (german: Flugplatz Perleberg or Flugplatz #537, ICAO ETxx) is a former military airfield of National Socialist Germany near Perleberg, in the northwest of Brandenburg, Germany.
The airfield was founded before 1935 as a base for the so-called "Risiko-Luftwaffe" (litteraly: 'Risky Air Force'), the illegal German Air Force (illegal, because Germany was prohibited from having an air arm by the Treaty of Versailles).
It was not until March 1935 that the Luftwaffe was officially acknowledged to be the third arm, next to the army (german: Heer) and navy (german: Marine).
No later than October 1935 the barracks were taken into service, and the whole base became a training unit for long range reconnaissance crews.
The technical support of the airsite was housed in 7 hangars of different sizes, a control tower and several support buildings, al construced in brick and concrete with large glass surfaces.
During the war the air base was home to an attack wing and reconnaissance School (germen: Aufklarungsschule) 3F.
Additionally the airbase was used to fit out new units.





Air Base Perleberg during World War II


After the war the airfield was pressed into service by the Soviet Army.
However, they were not interested in the airfield itself, so they took down some of its hangars and planted the area in front of the tower with trees.
The airfield became a barracks to the Red Army.
The Soviets did not care much about maintaining the complex, but once they left around 1992 the decay of the buildings speeded up.


Due to lack of investors and failing projects the detoriation has not stopped.
Just one hangar and the runway are maintained by the local aeroclub, who asked permission from the local authorities in 1991 to reopen the airfield.
They received their permission in 1992.
Today the terrain is dangerous to access because of the state of the buildings and unexploded ammunition.
Current plans call for the demolition of the remaining buildings.





Former tower of Perleberg in 2002 (www.vimudeap.de).




Remaining hangar at Perleberg in 2002 (www.vimudeap.de).




Aeroclub Perleberg 2007




Air Base Perleberg, ca. 2009