Luftschifferkaserne Köln
Former barracks of Cologne's airship troops in Ossendorf: construction began in 1913; after the occupation it housed residents until demolition in 1971.
The Cologne airship troops were not originally quartered in Ossendorf: before the barracks were built, the unit and its airships were stationed at other locations around the city.
Source: Wikipedia
At a Glance
- Type
- former airship troops barracks
- Address
- Frohnhofstraße 190, Köln-Ossendorf
- City district
- Ehrenfeld
- Built
- 1913
- Associated airship hangar
- in Köln-Bickendorf, not at the barracks site
- Today
- no longer standing
The Zeppelin LZ 5, which was transferred to Cologne in August 1909, was destroyed by a gust of wind near Limburg as early as 1910.
The Barracks in Ossendorf
Construction of the complex on Frohnhofstraße began with the groundbreaking on 1 June 1913. The barracks included a main building that also housed the canteen, with the officers' mess standing beside it. They were intended for the airship troops, who lived in Fort IV in Bocklemünd until the new quarters were completed.
Two Sites: Hangar and Barracks
The airship hangar was not in Ossendorf but in Köln-Bickendorf, between Venloer Straße and Ossendorfer Weg. It originated in a proposal the City of Cologne had put to the Prussian Ministry of War. MAN completed the hangar by May 1909, and it had room for three airships. By August 1909, three airships had arrived in Cologne, among them the Zeppelin LZ 5, known in military service as Z II, which was destroyed by a gust of wind near Limburg in 1910.
From Advance Detachment to Battalion
A detachment of the Airship Battalion was sent from Berlin to Cologne as an advance party. On 1 October 1911, this detachment became Airship Battalion 3 (Luftschifferbataillon 3).
Residential Housing Until 1971
After the end of the war in 1918 and the occupation from 1919 to 1926, the barracks buildings were used as housing. This use ended with their demolition in 1971.
Timeline
- 1909Airship hangar in Bickendorf completed by MAN (May); three airships relocated
- 1910Zeppelin LZ 5 destroyed by a gust near Limburg
- 1911Airship Battalion 3 formed on 1 October
- 1913Groundbreaking for the barracks on 1 June
- 1918End of the war; buildings later used as housing
- 1971Barracks demolished
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Sources & links
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-10-25
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