Wenzendorf

Wenzendorf is a municipality in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is also the name of the chief village of the municipality.

Wenzendorf
Municipality
Flag of Wenzendorf
Flag
Coat of arms of Wenzendorf
Coat of arms
Location of Wenzendorf within Harburg district
Wenzendorf is located in Germany
Wenzendorf
Wenzendorf
Wenzendorf is located in Lower Saxony
Wenzendorf
Wenzendorf
Coordinates: 53°21′N 09°46′E
CountryGermany
StateLower Saxony
DistrictHarburg
Municipal assoc.Hollenstedt
Subdivisions5
Government
 • MayorManfred Cohrs
Area
 • Total21.47 km2 (8.29 sq mi)
Elevation
64 m (210 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-31)[1]
 • Total1,473
 • Density69/km2 (180/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
21279
Dialling codes04165
Vehicle registrationWL
Website

The area is known mainly for the airfield near the village, where the Hamburger Flugzeugbau, the aircraft manufacturing arm of Blohm & Voss, built a factory during the Nazi era.

Municipality

Wenzendorf is a municipality in the Lower Saxony district of Harburg, Germany. Its five main villages are Wenzendorf, Wennerstorf, Klauenburg, Dierstorf and Dierstorf-Heide.

Wenzendorf is the largest Christmas tree growing area in northern Germany.[2]

Wenzendorf village

The village of Wenzendorf lies approximately 25 km southwest of Hamburg. It has a population of a little over 1,000.

Airfield

Wenzendorf airfield lies about 2 km to the southeast of the main village.

Aircraft factory

In 1934, Hamburger Flugzeugbau began construction of its first dedicated aircraft factory at Wenzendorf and laid out a large aerodrome for test flying. The factory began operation in 1935, license-building the Dornier Do 23, the first of which flew in December 1935.[3]

Not long afterwards the company adopted its parent company's name of Blohm and Voss, by which it is chiefly remembered.

A great many aircraft were assembled at Wenzendorf throughout the war period, mostly under sub-contract to other manufacturers. They included:

On 6 October 1944 the plant was severely damaged in a bombing raid by the US Air Force, and three months later was almost completely destroyed in a second attack.[4][5]

Modern use

Today, the airfield is much reduced in size. It has a single grass runway of 750m length and is home to the Airbus HFB gliding club.

Some of the old factory buildings have been converted to a retirement home.[6]

References
  1. "LSN-Online Regionaldatenbank, Tabelle A100001G: Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes, Stand 31. Dezember 2021" (in German). Landesamt für Statistik Niedersachsen.
  2. Die Zeit: Der Baumbauer 19. Dezember 2007
  3. Hermann Pohlmann; Chronik Eines Flugzeugwerkes 1932-1945, Motorbuch, 2nd Impression, 1982. (In German).
  4. RonaldV; "Wenzendorf", Abandoned, Forgotten & Little-Known airfields in Europe. (Retrieved 25 June 2017)
  5. Flugzeugwerk und Flugplatz Wenzendorf (in German). (Retrieved 25 June 2017)
  6. Eighth Air Force Historical Society
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