Ordensburg Vogelsang – Nazi Elite Training Camp Above the Rursee

Location: Monumental Architecture in a National Park

Ordensburg Vogelsang stands on a rocky plateau 800 metres above sea level in the Eifel National Park, directly above the Rursee – Germany's largest reservoir. The 100-hectare site with its 260 buildings lies at the far western edge of Germany, roughly 70 kilometres from Cologne and 100 kilometres from Aachen. The approach roads through the Urft valley are among the most scenic routes in the Eifel.

The Nazi Ordensburgen: Elite Training Camps of the Third Reich

From 1934, the Nazi regime created three so-called Ordensburgen – training centres for moulding a new National Socialist leadership elite. Alongside Vogelsang in the Eifel, two further installations were built: Ordensburg Krössinsee in Pomerania and Ordensburg Sonthofen in the Allgäu. The concept was Hitler's and Robert Ley's (leader of the German Labour Front): future Nazi leaders would be shaped not through academic education, but through physical conditioning, ideological indoctrination and the "hardening" of character.

At Vogelsang, so-called "Junkers" – selected men between 25 and 30 from the party rank and file – completed multi-stage training programmes. Up to 1,000 Junkers lived on the complex at any one time. Training included extreme physical exercises (including climbing the rock faces above the Rursee), ideological instruction and equestrian training.

Architecture: Monumentality as an Instrument of Power

The Cologne architect Clemens Klotz designed Vogelsang from 1934 in the monumental Nazi style: massive natural stone construction, sharp angles, large open areas for roll calls and parades. The "Adlerhof" building with its distinctive tower, the Burg-Chronik-Halle with its wall reliefs, and the open-air theatre (Thingstätte) are among the best-preserved elements. Unfinished when war broke out in 1939 were the planned "House of Orders" and the ceremonial courtyard. Vogelsang was still a major building site when the war began.

Postwar Period: NATO Training Ground Until 2005

After the war, Belgian forces took over the complex and used it as "Camp Vogelsang" until 2005 – a NATO training area completely closed to the public. For 60 years the monumental Nazi ensemble was hidden from public view. Only after the withdrawal of Belgian troops in 2005 did the transformation into a memorial site begin.

Vogelsang IP Today

Since 2006, Vogelsang IP ("International Place") has been a publicly accessible site of remembrance with an excellent documentation centre, guided walks through the grounds, and a National Park visitor centre. The contrast between the overwhelming architecture – which still, quite literally, seeks to dominate – and the measured historical account makes every visit a compelling experience.