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The Lahr "round tower blocks" were built in 1960/62 for the French NATO troops and, after the change of garrison, were occupied by members of the Canadian armed forces until 1994. The architects Hans-Walter Henrich and Klaus Humpert created striking examples of classic modern architecture with these buildings, which attracted worldwide attention. The neighboring row buildings were also used by the Canadians.
Only after the Canadians left was the street "Im Glockengumpen" renamed "Kanadaring".
Today's Kanadaring is located in Dinglingen, in the "Glockengumpen" area. It is still unclear why this parcel of land is called this; there are many indications of an older corruption. The site remained undeveloped for a long time, although development plans had been circulating since the 1810s. In 1936, Lord Mayor Karl Winter offered the site to the Wehrmacht for a new barracks; however, the decision was made in favor of the "Elend" area. The Glockengumpen remained largely vacant until the 1950s.
When the Bundeswehr was founded in 1955, the French armed forces in West Germany had to gradually release properties and requisitioned apartments so that the Bundeswehr could have its own accommodation and the local authorities could get their housing back. In return, the Federal Republic offered a replacement building program at existing French sites. As early as May 1955, the restitution began in Lahr and in return the French military administration demanded 132 replacement apartments. The Glockengumpen offered itself: close to the town, outside the city center and in the immediate vicinity of the airfield. The site, which had been lying fallow for a long time, thus became a reserve area for a large-scale housing project.
The older development plans were not sufficient to meet the demand; densification was imperative. Architects Hans-Walter Henrich and Klaus Humpert came up with an unconventional design: eight-storey reinforced concrete towers with a pentagonal floor plan, each storey rotated by around 35° in relation to the others - a lot of living space on a small footprint, with a striking silhouette. The concept was polarizing, but was approved. Before the first residents moved in, around 40,000 people visited the new buildings. Strictly speaking, the buildings are not high-rise buildings. By limiting them to eight storeys and a height of 24.5 m, additional building regulations for high-rise buildings (such as a second staircase) could be avoided and costs saved.
When the first Canadian soldiers were transferred to Lahr in March 1967, the round tower blocks were initially still occupied - living space was scarce. Former users gradually moved out and the Canadians took over. The federal government remained the owner, handing over the buildings to the Canadian garrison free of charge; in return, the garrison was responsible for maintenance. The apartments were managed as Private Married Quarters (PMQ) and could only be occupied by soldiers with families. When the Canadians left, the quarters gradually emptied again. The inventory was then sold to the population at the airfield.
The name "Glockengumpen" was difficult for many - Canadians and Germans alike - to pronounce. The name was changed in 1993 as a deliberate reminder of the Canadian presence: Kanadaring ever since. In the early 1990s, numerous immigrants from the successor states of the Soviet Union moved into the vacated apartments; at times, the neighborhood was considered a social hotspot. Today, the Kanadaring is a place of remembrance in two senses: an urban planning experiment of the early 1960s and a place of Canadian character in Lahr during the Cold War.
During my time in Lahr, we expanded our forces - which was remarkable, as other nations were reducing at the same time. It wasn't a question of setting up new units, but of filling existing units with more personnel. The biggest challenge was housing. Even then, there were more Canadians living in Lahr than the town could accommodate. Over the course of twenty years, this led to the surrounding communities also growing considerably. As I recall, Canadians made up around 25 percent of the population there at times. For each of the additional hundred or two hundred people, accommodation had to be found in the surrounding area - an ongoing task. We had to find solutions within a very short space of time: Where do we put these people, where should their families live? There were various solutions - sending soldiers temporarily without their families, exceeding the 25-kilometer radius around the base and accepting longer commutes. In Canada, such commutes are common anyway. With the highway and the existing infrastructure, this was ultimately feasible. In addition, there was almost always an empty part of a house that could be rented out. So the situation was manageable in the end.
When a family friend was transferred back to Canada, we helped with the packing. Suddenly their six-year-old daughter disappeared!
The whole block of flats was searching, and finally the military police were alerted. The girl was found at the Canadian school bus stop. When asked what she was doing there, she replied seriously: "It's so boring at home - I'm waiting for the bus to Canada." Her parents had told her that flying was like riding a bus - only in the air. Unfortunately, they didn't tell her that the bus needs a different stop in the air!
It is important for the city and urban society to know this period. It was formative for Lahr - with advantages, but also with burdens. This should not be glorified. Of course, military use also had difficult implications. We must not forget: There was a Canadian movie theater, numerous car dealers - Canadians were known to have a special relationship with four-wheeled vehicles. There were barracks areas that are now used for civilian purposes. There were shopping markets, the CANNEX stores. This infrastructure helped shape the relationship between Canadians and Germans. So it wasn't just about military conversion, but also about social conversion. Many apartments that were previously reserved for Canadians became vacant. People with a German background who came to Lahr from Russia moved in - with a slightly different way of life. This presented the town with new challenges, particularly when it came to integration. This was - and still is - an ongoing issue that requires a lot of personnel and financial resources. But I believe it has been a success. And here, too, it is not just a challenge, but also an opportunity. Many people have come to Lahr and are available for the job market. Despite all the current economic problems, this should not be forgotten: We have gained a large additional potential workforce as a result.