Lubbecke Houses

Can someone please help me?

I've never been to Lubbecke, even though my favourite beer comes from there; Barre Brau - dein Herz erfreu!

Anyhow, I'm somewhat confused over Church House, Tax House and Cross Keys House.

Can someone please tell me a bit about each?

Much appreciated,

Phil.

Church House in Lubbecke was built just before WWII and used as a Hitler Youth training centre.

There is mention of a Gauleiter's School or "training course castle" in German language documents. The documents go on to say the School later became a British officers Mess and I have researched that at the end of WWII the building now known as Church House was initially used by Monty as his HQ. In 1958 it became the Officers’ Mess of HQ 2nd Armoured Division and later was used by the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department.

The Gauleiter or Gau was the local representative of the Nazi Party and documents state that towards the end of WWII the Gau in Lubbecke was called Meyer and this is probably Alfred Meyer who was awarded 2 Iron Crosses in WWI and was later became a senior member of the Nazi Party with major influence and implicated in the murder of Jews and organising slave labour and drawing up the Final solution to deal with "The Jewish Question". It is ironic that his HQ and Nazi Training School became Church House and the base for The Royal Army Chaplains’ Department.

Meyer killed himself in April 1945 by the banks of The River Weser

Hope this is of interest
Allan

Tax House used to be the Tax Office (Steueramt) for Lubbecke and stood on the then Hermann Goering Road. Following the end of the war it became the head office of the local British Zone Administration. and the English Translation from Steueramt became Tax House as every one including locals new it by it's English name.
I will do a bit more research as time allows
Allan

2 Div. HQ was in Lubbecke and I was wondering if there is a conection in the Town of Lubbecke and 2 Div having Cross Keys in their crests. I assume Lubbecke's dates from the 16 or 1700's.

Interesting fact number 1.

Whilst talking to a GWA workman recently, he informed me that HJ (Hitler Jugend) can still be seen inside the building near the kitchen.

I got married at Church House in 1990. The special thing is that it was a jewish wedding, the only one there to my knowledge. The wedding was performed by Malcolm Wiseman - jewish chaolain to HM Forces. And yes, above the kitchen door outside, there is a sign for the Hitler Jugend.

The Crossed Keys emblem of 2 Div and Lubbecke town are coincidenal. 2 Div wore the crossed keys during the 1939/45 war.

In 1959 Tax House caught fire, the roof was badly damaged but the remainder of the building did not fare too badly. I have a lovely photo of the roof in flames and a snowman sitting proudly in the foreground! An exciting event with fire engines from several nearby towns and crowds (it was a Sunday) watching as we evacuated the classified files and other equipment on to trucks to be ferried to Tunis Barracks.
Thr photographs of the TAX House fire are now posted on the Lubbecke - Locations site.

There is actually a memorial type thing at the bottom of Lubbecke town.

Not sure what the history of it is but its a 3' or 4' cube of granite with crossed keys on the top of it. Anyway, found this -

Lübbecke got city rights in 1279 by bishop Volkwin van Schwalenberg, bishop of Minden. The arms are a combination of the star taken from the arms of Schwalenberg and the crossed keys of St.Peter, the patron saint of the diocese of Minden. The oldest seals showed a bishop sitting on a throne under an arch. Above the arch the star was placed. Later seals, in the 14th century, show only the keys with the star. Initially the star was placed in a separate shield. In the 16th century the arms got the colours silver and red and the shield around the star was removed. The arms were first officially granted in 1909.

Does anyone know the name of the street where the YMCA was located?

Hello everybody,
does anyone know "Schloss Benkhausen", about four miles northwest from Lübbecke?
Thank you very much for any information.
Peter

i was sent on a church course to lubbecke in 1958, the worst two weeks of my army service , the csm was looking for a bod to send on the course and the rotter sent me , it was a catholic sort of retreat place , in a very old or ancient castle , very much like the castle dracular in the films . i do believe it was used by the teutonic knights , it was a dreary place with all the prayers you could imagine . the food was great though with ample supplies of beer at mealtimes , but the blinking chaplains were a pain , religion ,religion , and more religion , they even pulled up the drawbridge over the moat to stop us going out at nights , but we beat them , we had several sappers with us and they built the most amazing raft . things went well until we were spotted by the chaplains clerk . an orrible little smarmy lancejack , he reported us and stopped our little game , funny enough every one there outranked him , but it was an evil place , and the british army should never have made us go on these church courses , do any of you gents remember the castle , ginger .

My mother was in the ATS during WW2 and was posted to Lubbecke Germany in 1945. I think her job was to help run the officers mess. She met my father at one of the dances who was in the Royal Norfolks. They married in 1947 after being demobbed. If you want to see some photographs of the time take a look at http://www.flickr.com/photos/27913545@N06/
She told me that a lot of the local Germans were close to starving so they turned a blind eye when the German assistants took food home.

I am hoping to visit Germany next year a try to find some of the locations. Any info would be greatly received.

Welcome

I am sure members of this site will be delighted to help out with suggestions for an itinerary I think the subject has been raised before and we established your father could have served in the Minden, Schloss Neuhaus and possibley the Neumunster areas.

JPW
Yes it has but there is still plenty of the jigsaw to fill in! Thanks to your groups help I have built up a pretty good picture. I have even found a nice B&B to stay in Lubbecke
http://www.bedandbreakfast-the-rose.de/40649.html
I have yet to receive my mums war record to get a handle on her German tour of duty.

Cheers
Bill

Function at Church House Luebbecke on 23 June 2018

Following a recent exhibition promoted by Stadt Paderborn to illustrate the Impacts of British Forces over 70 years in Nord Rhein Westfalen (which has now closed) Dr. Bettina Blum has joined forces with 41 AEC (Lyndsey McCran German Language) and with the support of a chaplain to the Forces (Padre Heather Rendell) has elected to continue with the Project and would very much like to invite you to two Anglo-German events that will be taking place in June 2018:

On Saturday, 23 June we are planning an Anglo-German history project in Church House, Lübbecke. The original buildings were set out during the Third Reich as a national socialist education centre. After the war the main building was used as a British officers mess and then it came to be Church House. It is a very pleasant location with an interesting history. It is generally open for members of the British Forces and their families for welfare seminars, but it will open on this day for all interested parties, both British and German, who would like to explore the Anglo-German history of the region. We offer the possibility to share memories and experiences in continuation of the discussions started during the "The British in Westphalia" exhibition. We therefore ask all attendees to bring photos, documents or other mementos. We intend to produce a booklet for all participants - and some of the objects may well be used as part of further exhibitions or other similar projects.
The languages spoken on the day will be German and English. Help will be provided for everyone who doesn't speak both languages. The day is being organised by Lindsay McCran (41 AEC), Padre Heather Rendell, Sarah Korsikowski (exhibition team) and myself. The cost for the whole day including meals will be €10.- and, as places for participants are limited, prior formal registration will be necessary. Contact bettina-blum@web.de.

On Friday, 29 June, a military "Freedom of Paderborn" parade will be held in Paderborn. I currently have no further details concerning the time-frame. The event will start at Maspernplatz and end in the evening with a "Zapfenstreich - Beating Retreat". I hope that we will be able to arrange a meeting point for all who are part of the project and who are interested, but this is something we will have to try and organize.






https://issuu.com/punchlinesmagazine/docs/march_april_edition_to_send_final_0 page 30

http://www.luebbecke.de/Unsere-Stadt/Stadtgeschichte/index.php?La=1&object=tx,522.291.1,522.1.1

in German at the moment

Church House Lübbecke closes and is to be handed back this month (May 2019)

The first British Troops into Lübbecke could have been 30th Battalion Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) of 2nd Army Troops (no Kew documentation), however they were transferred to GHQ Troops (have the War Dairies) on 8 Jun 45 and billeted at Bohlenstrasse 17, Lübbecke the unit was disbanded 19 Jun 46

British take over a Town - suggest this unidentified Pathe film is of Lübbecke (Tax House) as the WW2 slowed down!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZOdAjde7Sc

any other suggestions?

According to General Headquarters Troops War Diary dated 25 Jul 45 the Tax House Lübbecke was Headquarters for the Control Commission for Germany (British Element)

Hello everybody
I have seen with pleasure that one is interested in my hometown Lübbecke.
As a German, unfortunately, I can not contribute so much to the history of the British Army in Lübbecke.
I have some links here that might help:

Church House:

http://www.baor-locations.org/churchhouse.aspx.html

Tax House:

http://www.baor-locations.org/taxhouse.aspx.html

Tunis Barracks:

http://www.baor-locations.org/TunisBarracks.aspx.html


I have very fond memories of the Tunis barracks because my father worked as a civilian employee there for over 30 years until the closure in April 1992. Until the day of withdrawal of all British units from Lübbecke many friendships had formed. From that time, nothing was as it was before. Unfortunately, over time, all contacts with our British friends have broken off. Still, I find it remarkable that Phil still remembers the good Barre Bräu (the beer is still there).
Maybe there is someone of you who plays with the idea of  to make holiday in Lübbecke and surroundings (Minden, Herford, Bielefeld.

Best regards from a Lübbecker.

Ingo

Farewell Luebbecke

https://www.nw.de/lokal/kreis_minden_luebbecke/luebbecke/22483640_Briten-holen-den-Union-Jack-ueber-Luebbecke-ein.html

Dear British comrades

This article of the "Neue Westfälische" makes me very sad.
Now the last Union Jack has been caught. After 74 years in my hometown Lübbecke (40 years I have witnessed) an era with many memories comes to an end.
With little tears in my eyes, I hope and wish that all British and also Scottish soldiers stationed in Lübbecke have good memories of this city and its inhabitants.

Keep up the friendship between you and the Luebeckers. We have you very close to the heart.
Maybe you meet again on a Barre Bräu on the edge of the Wiehengebirge.
You are always welcome.

Best regards,

Ingo Mundt

Borrowed from RBL Germany - https://www.facebook.com/forcesstation/videos/394684297811825/

Lubbecke. Very many fond memories. My mother was a German national living in Lubbecke. She was actually from Berlin but ended up in Lubbecke in 1945. In 1952 she got a job in Tax House, I believe, as a secretary. There she met my father who was in the RAPC. He was nearing the end of his career having at this time serving 29 years. First in The Buffs then later RAPC. I would very much appreciate any information about Tax House during the 1950's though after all this time I doubt there is much to tell. But any little snippets would be great. Mum and dad married in 1956. Dad then left the army and they settled in South London. I was born in 1957. Sadly, dad died all too soon in 1964. Mum found it very hard in London without dad. As soon as she opened her mouth and her accent was recognised she was refused to be served in shops, thrown off buses and even spat at. But, despite all this she was so ashamed of being German having witnessed some awful things and would not go back. She got a job, worked hard and became a British citizen. My most treasured possession is a box of love letters between them mostly between 1953 and 1956 - around 50 of them. Mum sent me to Lubbecke when I was 12 and again when 14 during the summer holidays but she didn't come with me. Think probably too many bad and sad memories. So she never returned to Lubbecke but I did manage to persuade her to go with me to Berlin in 1987. This proved to be her last visit as she died in 1989.

Edna,

Welcome to the Site.

I am sure possibly two of the team have some knowledge from other members and past mails + history files about the British in Lubbeke.

Regards
Alan