Sennelager
Encyclopedia
Sennelager is a village in Germany
that forms part of the City of Paderborn
. It is notable by the presence of a British
army barracks, where the 20th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom) are currently situated. Many of the British residents are involved with the army or related to someone who is, but many are also unrelated.
.
. At the time, the area belonged to what was then the Neuhaus
region and was largely unpopulated. This camp was later expanded into a full training facility for the armed forces, most notably during the reign of Wilhelm II.
The word Senne itself derives from the old Low German
word sinedi, meaning sand.
During the First World War there was a POW camp here which housed merchant seamen, most notably many British trawlermen who had been taken prisoner after their ships were sunk by German raiders in the North Sea, especially in the first days of the war. Many of the fishermen came from Boston, England and Grimsby
in Lincolnshire. Many were later transferred to Ruhleben Prisoner of War camp where many remained for the duration of the war.
During the Third Reich the village was used as a military loading station, and the village's railway station shows signs of this - there are facilities for loading military vehicles onto trains which are still regularly used by the British and German armies. The Catholic order of the Salvatorians, who were based in the still-standing Heilandsfrieden House, was disbanded and driven out of Sennelager by the Nazis in 1941, and were forbidden to settle anywhere in Westphalia or in the Rhineland.
At the end of World War II, the historic military base passed first briefly into the administration of the United States Army
, before a more long-term handover to the British who retain control to this day, using the area as a training facility.
B68 runs through the village, which is now Bielefelder Straße; this now runs through to the northerly-lying village of Hövelhof
. The B68 has since been replaced by the north-south A33
, which can be accessed at the Paderborn-Sennelager junction.
Sennelager train station is served by a regular train service operated by Veolia Transport
-owned NordWestBahn that runs between the Paderborn main station and Bielefeld
. The service operates on an hourly basis, although train times are different on Monday to Friday mornings to allow a higher amount of services to run to allow for the considerable commuter traffic.
Two regular bus services, the number 1 and the number 420, connect Sennelager to Paderborn City Centre.
in the village. The area contains several British settlements, and businesses have opened there largely to cater for this market, including a "traditional" British corner shop (Little England), several tax-free car dealerships, some British pubs.There is also an industrial estate containing a NAAFI supermarket (only accessible to forces personnel and their families), car dealership and electrical goods dealer (SSVC).
In a play on old Carlsberg beer advertisements from the 1980s, many British soldiers use the phrase "Sennelager: probably the worst lager in the world" to refer to the training area.
(Hameln), and one middle school called "John Buchan middle school" exist to educate the children of the British families resident in the area. When the children reach year 9 they go on to "Kings School" in Gütersloh which is about 45 minutes away. There is also a primary school, a Catholic and a civic kindergarten
for the German residents. Children of German families in the area generally go on to attend secondary school in Schloss Neuhaus or Paderborn itself.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
that forms part of the City of Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
. It is notable by the presence of a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
army barracks, where the 20th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom) are currently situated. Many of the British residents are involved with the army or related to someone who is, but many are also unrelated.
Location
Sennelager lies around 5 km north of Paderborn City Centre in the West of the landscape "Senne". The area falls under the administration of the Schloss Neuhaus/Sande wards of the city. To the South between Sennelager and the City of Paderborn is Schloss Neuhaus, to the West Sande, and to the North HövelhofHövelhof
Hövelhof is a municipality in the district Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Hövelhof is located in the Senne area, the eastern part of the Westfälische Bucht, approx...
.
History
The name Sennelager literally translates as Camp on the Senne - a name it received in 1851 when the Prussians used the area as a training camp for their cavalryCavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
. At the time, the area belonged to what was then the Neuhaus
Neuhaus
- Places :*in Germany:**in Bavaria:***Neuhaus an der Pegnitz, in the district Nürnberger Land***Neuhaus am Inn, in the district of Passau**in Lower Saxony:***Amt Neuhaus, in the district of Lüneburg***Neuhaus , in the district of Cuxhaven**in Thuringia:...
region and was largely unpopulated. This camp was later expanded into a full training facility for the armed forces, most notably during the reign of Wilhelm II.
The word Senne itself derives from the old Low German
Low German
Low German or Low Saxon is an Ingvaeonic West Germanic language spoken mainly in northern Germany and the eastern part of the Netherlands...
word sinedi, meaning sand.
During the First World War there was a POW camp here which housed merchant seamen, most notably many British trawlermen who had been taken prisoner after their ships were sunk by German raiders in the North Sea, especially in the first days of the war. Many of the fishermen came from Boston, England and Grimsby
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
in Lincolnshire. Many were later transferred to Ruhleben Prisoner of War camp where many remained for the duration of the war.
During the Third Reich the village was used as a military loading station, and the village's railway station shows signs of this - there are facilities for loading military vehicles onto trains which are still regularly used by the British and German armies. The Catholic order of the Salvatorians, who were based in the still-standing Heilandsfrieden House, was disbanded and driven out of Sennelager by the Nazis in 1941, and were forbidden to settle anywhere in Westphalia or in the Rhineland.
At the end of World War II, the historic military base passed first briefly into the administration of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, before a more long-term handover to the British who retain control to this day, using the area as a training facility.
Connections
The former BundesstraßeBundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
B68 runs through the village, which is now Bielefelder Straße; this now runs through to the northerly-lying village of Hövelhof
Hövelhof
Hövelhof is a municipality in the district Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Hövelhof is located in the Senne area, the eastern part of the Westfälische Bucht, approx...
. The B68 has since been replaced by the north-south A33
Bundesautobahn 33
is an autobahn in Germany which connects the Bundesautobahn 30 in the north and the A 44 in the south.- History :The history of the A 33 began in the 1960s as the B 68...
, which can be accessed at the Paderborn-Sennelager junction.
Sennelager train station is served by a regular train service operated by Veolia Transport
Veolia Transport
Veolia Transport is the international transport services division of the French-based multinational company Veolia Environnement...
-owned NordWestBahn that runs between the Paderborn main station and Bielefeld
Bielefeld
Bielefeld is an independent city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 323,000, it is also the most populous city in the Regierungsbezirk Detmold...
. The service operates on an hourly basis, although train times are different on Monday to Friday mornings to allow a higher amount of services to run to allow for the considerable commuter traffic.
Two regular bus services, the number 1 and the number 420, connect Sennelager to Paderborn City Centre.
Culture
Modern culture in Sennelager is largely decided by the presence of the British Armed ForcesBritish Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
in the village. The area contains several British settlements, and businesses have opened there largely to cater for this market, including a "traditional" British corner shop (Little England), several tax-free car dealerships, some British pubs.There is also an industrial estate containing a NAAFI supermarket (only accessible to forces personnel and their families), car dealership and electrical goods dealer (SSVC).
In a play on old Carlsberg beer advertisements from the 1980s, many British soldiers use the phrase "Sennelager: probably the worst lager in the world" to refer to the training area.
Education
Three British schools, two primary one being "William Wordsworth school" named after the poet who wrote a poem about daffodils and the other "Robert Browning School" named after the writer who wrote the pied piper story set in HamelinHamelin
Hamelin is a town on the river Weser in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Hamelin-Pyrmont and has a population of 58,696 ....
(Hameln), and one middle school called "John Buchan middle school" exist to educate the children of the British families resident in the area. When the children reach year 9 they go on to "Kings School" in Gütersloh which is about 45 minutes away. There is also a primary school, a Catholic and a civic kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
for the German residents. Children of German families in the area generally go on to attend secondary school in Schloss Neuhaus or Paderborn itself.