Once a massive air base and home to 13000 people, now a partly abandoned civilian airport – the Flughafen Frankfurt-Hahn is kind of a zombie facility in the middle of nowhere, more dead than alive, surrounded by countless abandoned and partly abandoned buildings.
The tax wasting drama began 1951 in Paris, when the occupying French forces decided to build a military airport in the countryside of Rhineland-Palatinate; 100 kilometers west of Frankfurt, Germany. A year later the United States took over and expanded the airfield to the seventh biggest Air Force base in Europe and the second largest in Germany – thanks to the 7356th Air Base Group. In late summer of 1953 the 50th Fighter Bomber Wing was transferred from Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico, and consisted of the 10th Fighter-Bomber, the 81st Fighter-Bomber and the 417th Fighter-Bomber squadrons; the last one being commanded by legendary test pilot Charles Elwood “Chuck” Yeager. Three years later the 50th Fighter Bomber Wing was transferred to France for safety reasons, the Americans being worried that Warsaw Pact forced could overrun West Germany and get hold of the wing’s nuclear weapons. Over the years many different units / squadrons were stationed at Hahn Air Base, including the 496th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, the 7425th Air Base Group, and the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing. When the Cold War ended, Hahn AB was one of seven major US air bases within 100 kilometers – and the first one to be closed. In 1991 all flying units were inactivated or transferred, and on September 30th 1993 most of Hahn Air Base (consisting of 672 apartments in 43 buildings, 25 barracks, 22 office buildings, 52 repair shops, 51 storage buildings, 343 hangars and bunkers, 23 shops, 5 schools, a hospital consisting of four buildings as well as more than 30 leisure facilities, including a golf course, a football field and a shooting range!) was returned to the German authorities, who had already decided to turn it into a civilian airport.
While current the name of the Frankfurt-Hahn Airport is borderline deceit of potential customers (it is located about 100 kilometers away from Frankfurt in another German federal state without a train or direct highway connection), the intentions were good – the remains of Hahn Air Base basically provided everything you needed to run a civilian airport, due to its remote location it came with a night flight permission, and Frankfurt Airport (the real one, 10 kilometers south of Frankfurt) was at its limits anyway. At first named Rhein-Mosel Airport and mostly run by Fraport (the same company responsible for Frankfurt Airport), the former military airport grew quickly from 19k passengers in 1997 to almost 4 million passengers in 2007 – but neither growth nor size means financial success, so Fraport sold its 65% shares to the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate for 1 EUR – and 120 million EUR in debt. In the following years the state tried to consolidate the airport, but passenger numbers dropped significantly to less than 2.5 million in 2014; a rather insignificant number in comparison to Frankfurt Airport’s 59.5 million. Despite losing about 10 million EUR per year and the state’s futile efforts to sell at least parts of its shares to investors, Rhineland-Palatinate keeps Frankfurt-Hahn running and is even investing it its future, reactivating / expanding a decommissioned railroad track by 2018 to make access to the airport more comfortable.
Meanwhile other parts of the former Hahn Air Base became abandoned and started to fall into disrepair. Despite most buildings being used by the Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, a police academy, and rented to private companies running a variety of businesses, a lot of them were of no / little commercial value in an area with low population density… especially the barracks / apartment buildings and their parking lots. Some have been demolished to accommodate the needs of the new civilian airport, but quite a few are still standing there, with open fences and barely visible “private property” signs.
Although other facilities in rather close proximity are still in use, most of the abandoned apartment buildings suffered severely from vandalism and consequential damages like mold; not so much externally, but inside – hardly any graffiti, but lots of smashed windows, shelves and fixtures. Some of the buildings have been boarded up after initial damages, but after 20 years of standing around without being used, you can see that whoever is in charge of the former housing area has basically given up on it. A handful of blocks were still in decent condition, but most of them looked like they were beyond repair. A few hundred meters away from the main area of abandonment we found a closed “Ringeltaube” (wood pigeon) shop, right next to and in the same building as the commissary of the Hahn AB. (I didn’t know about them either, but my sister was with the German Air Force for several years and did training at / with Lufthansa – and Ringeltaube is a chain of shops exclusively for Lufthansa employees; food and non-food.)
I guess it’s safe to say (and a bad pun) that the future of the airport Frankfurt-Hahn is up in the air – and so is the future of the remains of Hahn Air Base. Looking at the area on GoogleMaps, it is pretty obvious that the level of abandonment has increased since those satellite photos were taken – and so has the amount of destruction. While there were no signs of active demolition work, some of the apartment buildings still visible online are already missing… and the parking lot in front of the Ringeltaube / commissary is not nearly as busy anymore; it actually went down from several dozen cars to… zero. With that in mind it’s only a matter of time until all visible signs of Hahn Air Base are nothing but a memory, absorbed by Frankfurt-Hahn Airport… and nature. Let’s hope that the airport will survive the current struggle and be profitable soon – the livelihood of hundreds, probably thousands of people depends on it. And there are already enough abandoned airports all over the world… *even one in Frankfurt*!
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Abandoned Kansai 
very cool,it actually look like a pretty nice location,suprised some developer didnt took over these apartment building and sell then,and basically doing another city there,given to you say it had schools and everything too
It’s just in the middle of nowhere – I guess people from the surrounding villages rather move to big cities than the other way around. Maybe with the reactivated train connection in a couple of years…
Spannend. Auf dem Gelände habe ich mal das Auto geparkt, als wir nach Stockholm geflogen sind. Schon damals war es verlassen, sah aber insgesamt noch besser aus. Danke für die schönen Bilder. Und die neue Idee. Grüße.
Es wundert mich ehrlich gesagt, dass sich Graffitikünstler dort noch nicht ausgetobt haben – viele einfarbige Flächen! Stattdessen haben sich die Vandalen ausgetobt…
Um es mal vorsichtig auszudrücken: In der Stadt besteht eine höhere Wahrscheinlichkeit das sich junge Leute wirklich kreativ ausprobieren wollen, es leben einfach mehr Menschen dort. Die fahren aber nicht so weit und etwas zu üben. Wenn sie aber nicht mehr üben wollen, dann zumindestens Aufmerksamkeit, gesehen werden.
Auf dem Lande gibt es das künstlerische Potential nicht, aber viele Deppen die nicht wissen wohin mit ihrer Energie. Und den Mädels imponieren wollen. Solch einer Deppengruppe bin ich zuletzt in Immerath im Krankenhaus begegnet. Die kamen mit ihren BMWs und sind randalierend durchs verlassene Krankenhaus gezogen, während die Polizei unten die Autos eingeparkt und gewartet hat. Weil laut erregt halt Aufmerksamkeit. Gott gibt es dumme Menschen auf der Welt….
Ha, ha – großartig! Endlich mal so etwa swie ausgleichende Gerechtigkeit, wobei die Wahrscheinlich mit einer Verwarnung und einem kleinen Bußgeld davongekommen sind.
As recently as August 2015, an announcement was made that Ryan Air (the primary benefactor at Frankfurt-Hahn is pulling out). Apparently, the initial intent by Fraport was to utilize it as an overflow for the cargo traffic. However, when US government rail ceased to exist in Germany, DeutschBahn didn’t pick up maintenance of the railways mentioned in the post. Because of this, and with not having immediate access to a major freeway for LKVs (tractor trailer rigs) and also Frankfurt International’s recent expansion for cargo processing, that left only the meager foot traffic of passengers who drive and park outside the main terminal. So, with little else in the way of commercial development, no immediate replacement for it’s major departing airline partner and a large portion of the grounds in further decay, the likelihood that it will stay around much longer gets dimmer by the day.
I lived at Hahn housing in the early 70s and was back to visit in 2008. Such a shame it was such a beautiful place to live. On our visit back we were able to stay at what was called the InterCity hotel which was the old teachers building across from Housing Bld #22. Could someone please tell me what has happened to that little hotel and if it is still there what is the name? Any updated photos would be appreciated. Thank you.
Hahn was home to me 1960 – 1964, worked in Hq 50th Tac.Fighter Wing,
Colonel Keating,Colonel McBride, Sgt Garrity, Sgt Gerstenecker, Capt Pratt,
Colonel Dudek, Those were the days in Lautzenhauszen, Berncastle,
Alf, Simmern, The Rhine River,The Mosel River, Koblentz, etc.
Andy, I don’t know if you remember me from Hahn. I was there between 1961 to 1963. Susan Dudek was a friend of mine. By the way the Dudek’s ended up in Stockton Ca. Oh! Yes I remember Traben Trabach on the Mosel and Berncastle. What weekends!!! I stayed away from Lautzenhausen. I treturned on a river cruise in 2005. What a trip. Pray you are well. Frank
I was at Hahn from 1969-1973 and the first place I called home since dad was reassigned every 18-24 months. High school only went to 10th grade so I was one of lucky ones that was a Hahn dormie as we lived in a dorm Mon-Fri. I’ve been back to visit several times with 2011 being my last one. It was heartbreaking to see everything falling apart after being so active. Hahn will always hold a very special place in my heart and even after all these years I really miss it.
In 1990/91, the local Deutch population had a rally and support march for our presence in Operation Desert Storm. I never felt such welcome while at Spangdahelem in 84 and 85!
I was stationed at Hahn AB from August 1990 to August 1993. Hahn AB always looked great as it is AF policy to do so. However, under ground the steam system for heating was in bad shape and looked like a volcanic eruption was going to happen any time when the steam plant first fired up for winter. The base’s phone systems were ancient, the close proximity of all the aircraft TabVees (covered storage) was less than optimal for defense, and again the location made spending more to stay when the US wanted to save money doom Hahn.
Our jets flew off to war to Qatar and never returned. There was the one training squadron of F-16s left minding the store if the Russians wanted to start any trouble – but they had enough of that on their own in Russia at the time. Hahn’s location was a plus and a minus; it was too close to Warsaw Pack aircraft’s reach, it is often overcast to the point of shutting down airfield operations, and the runways aren’t the longest. It was also in a great area to visit the Mosel sites, eat great German food and drink fine wine in many little Mom and Pop restaurants, and the locals were friendly as they appreciated the influx of American money. The 50 TFW shutdown the summer of 1991 but the 50th Air Base Group was there to close the base because of the reduction of US forces in Europe. I left when the Base Supply “account” was closed out and Ramstein AB signed for the few remaining items left on Hahn AB in August 1993. At that time we heard that the base would be turned into a regional airport and about 20 buildings were being passed over to the new owners as is, while we were still shutting down the rest. The irony was new dorms that never used were “pickled” – made ready for long term non-use, and a German firm was still building more TabVee covered aircraft storage buildings as it was still under contract. The builder was the same that built Iraqi revetments we had no trouble destroying in Desert Storm. Good thing we didn’t really count on them.
I have not been back to Hahn AB area since I left but have visited Germany twice – once while the DM was still the currency and later the Euro. Under the euro it got to be too expensive as I think they just changed the prices to euros and pressed on. No more inexpensive bier and brats…… too bad.
Okay more than you wanted to know. I was in Germany on three tours with the US Air Force. I was in Wiesbaden, Kaiserslautern, Zwiebruecken, and at Hahn. Loved them all. What a country, great people, things to see and do, and after a while it can feel like home. Best of luck with the Airport and to all the people in the area that i am sure are depending on it. Tshuss!!
I always enjoy lengthy comments and I read them with great interest – but I decided to step back when it comes to replying to comments on abandoned military bases and instead having the comments section used for you guys to reminiscent and maybe rekindle old friendships. I grew up in Germany, one of my early memories is about an elementary school exchange program between my school and a school of the Benjamin Franklin Village in Mannheim. My dad is a musician who played tons of army clubs in the area during the 70s, so I’m always happy to hear that soldiers deployed to Germany had a great time!
I was stationed at Hahn after being moved from Toul AB in France. I got to France in September 1957 and went to Germany in December 1959. My assignment was as a 462X0 with the 81st FBS/TFS. I went back to the states in May of 1960. Enjoyed my time in France and Germany.
My Dad was stationed at Hahn in 55 I think? Married Mom, who lived in Simmern in 56, then went from Hahn, to Toul in 57 where I was born in Chambley ! Then we all went back to Hahn from 65-68. I don’t remember France since I was a baby, but I loved Germany. Many Many memories of Hahn. I still remember the building we lived in. M14B6, right across from some woods where we picked blueberries. Different times then!
Did you know a Colonel Cothern or a TJ Piotrowski?
My Dad is gone, but I asked my Mom and she didn’t recognize the names (but she’s 90 years old) . She did remember that Chuck Yeager was there when we were, and I googled it and he was there from 55-57.
I went TDY there as a young man on operation “Crested Cap”. Seems a lifetime ago. I was sad to see the disrepair, but I guess all things change. Was a fun 30 days for me at 17…
Ron
This was home for nearly 4 years just before it closed!!! Thank you for sharing ❤️❤️
I was stationed there 1975 to 1978 with the F-4 and then again 1990 to 1993 when it closed. One of the best AF assignments I had. So sorry that it is in such sad shape.
We lived at Hahn for four too long years. We lived on the third floor of a walk up apartment that was in disrepair then. For all the military bases we lived on, Hahn was the worst ever. My husband was a major but we were put in enlisted housing and we were not welcome by the enlisted folk. We had no amenities and our laundry time was scheduled, whether you needed it or not. We moved to officer housing and that was a huge improvement. I was just amazed that housing was so terrible with so many people living there.mintaught at the elementary school. My children were 6, 8 and 12 but to this day, my two daughters remain good friends with girls they first met at Hahn. Traveling was great and a lot of fun. I was so glad to leave there.
K. Gommel
WE MOVED FROM CLOVIS TO HAHN IN AUG.1953 …I WAS A CREW CHIEF ON A F-86 IN THE 417th FBS..SPENT MY TOTAL TOUR AT HAHN GREAT TIME…GREAT FRIENDS..BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE….
I was an SP there. I have a few photos from the late 80s. Ahh, I remember it well.
We moved to Hahn July, 1966 and stayed four years. Loved the area, the friends I made, and of course the great beer and food. My brother and I were in a band that played a bunch of teen clubs and gasthauses; Morbach, K-Town, Sembach, Ramstein, and of course Hahn. Simply the best time of my life.
Hi Stu, did you know of a Colonel Cothern or a TJ Piotrowski?
Steve
So very sad to see this once well-maintained, extensive military base go to crap. We were stationed there in the 70’s and when we later learned of it’s closure and RYAN AIR taking up at the airport, we knew it would go nowhere; no direct rail to FRA, so it’s planned use as a feeder/ air traffic offloader for FRA Main would ultimately fail. Some of the loveliest countryside in all Germany, in easy driving of almost anywhere, we Loved our time there as we lived off-post in Sohren.
I’m Gary Moore, E5, Air Traffic Controller
Hi I was stationed at Hahn in the late 70s. But I wasn’t in the A.F , we were the only army building on base. I was in air defense artillery and also lived off base in sohren with my wife we were newly weds and army life sucked but Germany was beautiful. I still would like to go back one day and see it. I know all the places are probably gone but I guess when you get older you what to connect with your past sometimes.
We agree Steve, it was the best time of our lives. Not because of the USAF but because of all our German and military friends and traveling all over for the cost of gas. The young couple just finished building their new home, rented us the bottom floor, and a retired Luftwaffe Major across the street rented us all out furniture for 15DM a month. And I scored a barn-parked BMW 2500 with super low miles from a farmer looking to buy a new Mercedes. We Went everywhere with every free moment.
But seriously, who’d dumb enough in a heavy snowstorm to drive down the mountain to Briedel on the Mosel to pickup a fresh case of wine – just cuz’ we ran out? Drifts were so high they frequently covered over the hood and windshield and we were “flying blind”. Our vintner Martin Kroth thought we were nuts. Had to follow the road scraper going back up LOL.
I was a K9 handler from 1973-’75. That was all outside work and Hahn had terrible weather. I couldn’t wait to get discharged and I believe the USAF was happy to get rid of me. I’m certain I would’ve done better anywhere else.
I was a Air Force Crash Fire Fighter at Hahn from 77-79. The weather was dreary most of the time but I learned to adjust to it and eventually enjoyed my two years there. Most of fellow firefighters were my age, and we all were close on and off duty. There were many training exercises with extended work hours, but we worked 24 hours ON duty anyway and it did not much affect us. When I was not traveling on the German trains throughout Europe, I took college courses offered on base. Before I knew it, my time was up and I rotated to a much warmer base in Texas and I have missed Hahn ever since. Even at my young age, I realized how important our job was to the defense of Germany and NATO and am proud of what we did. Flight line operations and Firefighting are dangerous enough, but we were lucky war never came to Hahn during my tour. We all were prepared to do whatever we were ordered to do and now as I look back at it, glad it never came. I am planning to return to Germany and Europe for sightseeing and will return to Hahn. I know seeing the base gone and remaining buildings in disrepair will be sad and depressing. I am glad I was stationed there, and will never forget memories and friends made during this part of my life.
I was an F-4 and F-16 crew chief there in the 10th Fighter Squadron from ’82 to ’84 and again from ’89 to ’91 when they moved me to Spangdahlem. A shame that it’s not being used, but I understand – it’s too remote for business to thrive there.
Geesh…reading the comments, I wondered if anyone was there with me. As a Load Toad, I was assigned to the 496th from 1985-87, so we just missed each other. Hahn was remote on top of the Hunsruck, but I fondly remember life down from Hahn. I lived in the dorm next to the CBPO and my friends were only crew chiefs because we had the same interests: Monsters of Rock, Rock am Ring, ITT Tours, wine festivals…Perminator! In 2 years, we must have hit the Oktoberfest 6 times. During launch and recoveries, I was always jumping out of our truck to be fire guard for them. You may have noticed between ’84 and ’89, Hahn built a new commissary. Its location was the supply building behind our dorm but they demolished it while I was there for the new commissary (photos above). Its neglect is a shame but its memories are still alive and well. Happy Hahn was the beginning of my World Tour in ’85 because I had 5 COTs afterwards…then a huge culture shock at Cannon with the F-111. Yeah, maintaining was lots of fun but Clovis was a good time to cross-train.
Around Jan 1964 Hahn AB was my first assignment out of Fire Protection School. Really enjoyed it and did traveling around like most of the other people assigned there. Responded to many off base mutual aid calls in towns with fires and accidents. Sep 1966 was reassigned to Little Rock AFB, Arkansas after taking emergency leave home.
i was stationed at Hahn in the 50th SPS from 81-83–i would love to hear from anyone who was on the swing/graveyard shifts–mostly great memories!! Bart Rebman
About the time you were leaving Hahn, I was arriving to my first assignment at Grand Forks, ND. Nice, huh? I chatted with a bunch of Hahn Security while participating in those “special” convoys at the TAB VEEs. I don’t who was the boss of Hahn Security in ’85 but our Security ALWAYS looked sharp! High-gloss boots, bloused pants, tented chevrons, starched berets. I wanted to look like you but once you slosh hydraulic fluid on your boots, you’ll never get ’em shined again.
Our crew never liked the “dog-and-pony” show of dayshift so only preferred swings & mids…and I spent almost my 2 years at Hahn on swings & mids. At night, I remember the lights atop Big Voice. Remember the altitudinous Big Voice tower?
I also remember the long access-road running parallel to the runway. For flightline vehicles towing trailers, we could only get to our backshop on the other side of Hahn via this access road and on mids, it was always dark, foggy, spooky. It reminded me of the movie, An American Werewolf in London. Werwolf in Hahn?
Other than this, I don’t remember much about swings & mids…other than it was quieter than dayshift! Remember the “Frenchie” shelters? These shelters were the shape of a TAB VEE but had earthen tops. The French built ’em in the 50s, our squadron had 2 but we only stored equipment in ’em. Anyway…we heard our Security would have “shenanigans” in these unlocked shelters on mids. Probably a myth but…as a dopey kid…I thought it was awesome.
Dave Holleman AF brat 59-61 I walked the trax
My parents were both stationed at Hahn around 85-88, He was an aircraft mechanic & she was an administrator in the Wing Inspection Division, I was born there in 87. Growing up I heard many great stories about their time there exploring all Germany had to offer, Mom and Dad were very fond of their apartment and landlady in Wueschheim and were able to convince my grandparents to move over for a couple years in their retirement. Dad was a golf fiend at the time and spent many hours working on his game at the course near the base. Sad to see the deterioration but these things happen. Dad passed away recently, he was an immediate friend to most people he met in the AF, we couldn’t go to the Commissary without him being stopped by an old friend for most of my life. I thought they might like to know.