Historischer Rundweg - Board 4

Britons in Weeze  

Good and friendly relations spanning decades

Economic importance

In November 1999 an era came to an end in Weeze. After 45 years of good neighbourly ties the last of the British personnel departed from Royal Air Force Laarbruch. The citizens of Weeze, with a tear in their eyes, had to let the British depart, even though they had gotten used to each other’s presence over so many years. The economic impact on the business community was enormous. Almost 2,700 airmen were stationed at Laarbruch. With family members this number arose to 6,000, the majority of whom lived in 1,000 flats in Weeze.

In the 1960s there was a shortage of housing for married couples on the Royal Air Force base. As a result, numerous British families rented private accommodation from Weeze houseowners. The foundation stone for long and enduring friendships was laid here.

Soon new buildings appeared on the western side of Weeze for the mass number of young families. The first housing rows appeared on Weller Straße. More blocks of flats on Wichernstraße, Franz-Hitze-Straße and Erdgrabenweg altered the village character of Weeze.

In 1975 a tower block on the corner of Berliner and Magdeburger Straße, nicknamed by locals as the „Towering Inferno“, a name taken from the very popular film of the period, saw its first tenants move in. Despite the rather disrespectful name the British were more than content with the living conditions in these large blocks of flats.

Good contacts to local government heads

All told and on grounds of the proximity, a friendly relationship, carried by the efforts of the individuals in charge, on the one hand the local government adminstration and the mayor and on the other the station commander and his squadron officers, developed between the Municipality of Weeze and RAF Laabruch.

Cultural and sports activities

Weeze clubs and associations were happy with the up-and-coming talents, be it as singer in the local men’s choir, as trumpet player in the music club or as a runner or footballer in the local sports club TSV. The frequent change every three years or so was a partial drawback, but it also helped the clubs with a continuous breath of fresh air.

Weeze’s business people organised language courses and in the schools there were no signs of a lack of motivation when it came to learning English. Knowledge of English was important for many Weeze citizens for their jobs and social contacts. Learning the German language, however, was tackled rather hesitantly by the British side.

As is common with good neighbours street parties, German-British weeks and even tri-national get-togethers with British, Dutch und Germans present were held.

The frequent contacts in clubs and associations, neighbourhoods and during festivities led over the years to the Royal Air Force station providing the chain-bearer for the annual Weeze “Kirmes” (fair), for the first time in 1972, then in 1985 and 1996.

Twinning Watton - Weeze

After the founding of a Weeze twinning association (1984) it was pronounced that on the strength of the more than 30-year old friendly contacts of the local community to the British people from RAF Laarbruch, Weeze would enter into a twinning partnership with an English town, Watton in the county of Norfolk. Officially founded in the year 1987 the twinning partnership has been nurtured and successfully guided up to this day. It has helped to intensively promote meetings between citizens of both towns on a social, cultural and sporting level. Holiday camps, school exchanges and alternating group tours in Weeze and Watton have always been a part of the twinning agenda. The German-British friendship has continuously grown through these meetings.

Impressum 

Content: Municipality of Weeze and Heinz-Willi Knechten (RAF Museum Laarbruch - Weeze e. V.).

Photographs: Municipality of Weeze and Heinz-Willi Knechten