Tuesday, October 28
The Ministry of Defence announced that the Bundeswehr is halting plans to open up the military section of former Tegel airport for civilian use. According to the ministry, a total of 200 projects that envisioned converting military facilities for civilian use have been halted. State Secretary of Defence Nils Hilmer said that they are preparing for conflicts with states and municipalities. According to Hilmer, talks will now be held to find compromises.
The Bundeswehr site at the decommissioned Tegel airport covers approximately 60 hectares in the Tegel Nord area, according to the finance administration. The Berlin Senate had been in negotiations with the Bundeswehr to build a new refugee accommodation centre on the site. Integration Senator Cansel Kiziltepe (SPD) said in January that the centre was intended to house between 2,000 and 3,000 refugees.
On Monday, the Ministry of Defence justified the moratorium with the planned expansion of the armed forces, which would also entail an increased need for real estate. It stated that the military properties that had recently fallen into disuse were “fundamentally suitable for use by the Bundeswehr”.
The process of converting Bundeswehr properties for civilian use began in the early 1990s, when the Bundeswehr was significantly downsized after the end of the Cold War. It was then continued in the 2010s after the suspension of compulsory military service.
