Vogelsang, Zehdenick

Vogelsang is a village, one of the thirteen districts of the city of Zehdenick in the Oberhavel district, in Brandenburg, Germany.

Vogelsang is located in the northeast of Zehdenick. To the south lies the district of Wesendorf, west Zehdenick and hillfort. In the East Vogelsang borders Templin in Uckermark.

Founded in the 18th century, in 1882 Vogelsang was added to the state forest Gutsbezirk Zehdenick. The local people have always lived from the forest, and felled timber products. Forestry work continues today, while the former mill has been converted into a factory.

In 1888 a railway station was built at the Löwenberg-Prenzlau Railway. In December 2001, the village was annexed as part of Zehdenick.

After the end of World War II, a site north of the village became important within the Western forces of the USSR. From 1952, a barracks town was constructed within the woods, that eventually was capable of housing 15,000 people, including military personnel and their families. The town was self-contained and off-limits to non-essential personnel, and contained a theatre, shops, offices, a gym, school and medical facilities. During the Cold War, it was the third largest Soviet base inside East Germany, after the base at Wünsdorf.

Forces stationed at the base included the: 25th Panzerdivision; 20th Armored Division; 162nd Panzerregiment; Armored Regiment, the 803rd Schützenregiment; Rifle Regiment. But the most important were the 1702nd Anti-aircraft missile regiment. In early 1959, three years before the Cuban Missile Crisis, they were equipped with 12 of the R-5 Pobeda nuclear missiles, capable of launching from a mobile launcher from one of four tennis-court sized sites capable of handling the larger R-12 Dvina. Other similar sites were set up at Fürstenberg/Havel (4 pads), and Lychen (1 pad).

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