In the dense forests and heaving hills of Germany’s naturally rich Palatinate region, sits a small city that can be associated with the meaning of the phrase “the lion that roared.”  The city itself isn’t a menacing, goliath metropolis, but what supports it for many reasons and protects it for others is: the United States Army and Air Force.  It is the city of Kaiserslautern in Western Germany surrounded by a seemingly impregnable wall of military installations making it the home to the largest military community in Europe.  The city is affectionately known at K-Town by the Americans, or more formally in a broader sense as the Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC) in military terms.  This is the city that I have called home on and off for two decades, and a major military end point for Army and Air Force assignments in the USAREUR and USAFE commands.  Most notably is the Air Base of Ramstein that sits outside Kaiserslautern’s perimeter, a major Air Force installation that supports most of the support and troop flights to the War on Terror in the Middle East, as well as transferring wounded to the medical hotspot of Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.  When I lived here as a younger lad, there were over 100,000 military personnel stationed in and around Kaiserslautern during the Cold War, although today the number has decreased to a fluctuating 40,000 to 50,000 military personnel, civilians and their families.  Nonetheless, this American presence still supports Kaiserslautern, bringing in income to the stores, restaurants, bars, and the renting of houses and apartments.

A tour in Kaiserslautern is a gold mine to many assignments overseas, and is popular among the military who choose where they wish to take their next overseas tour, for good reason.  Being stationed in Kaiserslautern equates to the prospect of traveling easily to many countries since Kaiserslautern is a stone’s throw away from France, Luxembourg and Belgium.  The famous Rhein and Mosel river valleys in Germany are right around the corner, offering intriguing valleys full of ancient wine towns, and age-old cultures that have not changed much since kings and barons ruled this land.  The city is also only a four to five hour drive from the alluring Bavarian Alps, and two to three hours to the breathless landscape of the Black Forest.  To help transport military members to destinations such as these is an efficient network of train systems, and major highways know as Autobahns that flank Kaiserslautern’s city limits.

Kaiserslautern hadn’t enjoyed such a spotlight and economic boost until the end of World War II.  During the war Kaiserslautern took the back seat to such cities as Berlin, Frankfurt, Mannheim and Ludwigshafen whose industrial and political might overshadowed such smaller cities of Kaiserslautern whose only purpose was to barracks German troops and act as a rail marshalling area for the German military.  Unfortunately, this is the doom that Kaiserslautern was to inherit in the Air War against Germany and all it’s cities, no matter how diminutive is was.  Allied air power, in an attempt to stop Kaiserslautern’s rail transport system, flattened 80% of this small city, and effectively sent the population into disarray, as well as the military forces stationed there.  When the U.S. forces arrived in Kaiserslautern on their march towards the eastern fringes of the Third Reich’s crumbling empire, Kaiserslautern or its crushed military community did not put up a fight, and were “liberated” without any incident.  The people were actually pleased and welcomed the Americans with white flags, since they knew the war was soon over, and it was better to be behind the American lines than the notorious and vengeful forces of the Russians.

Following the War, the Cold War ensued and American forces found it necessary to protect their assets from a Russian attack, and what better barrier than the Rhein River, and what better city than Kaiserslautern to plant the American military’s might in airpower, and ground weapons and troops.  So the move was made in 1952, and the money came rolling into a city still trying to rebuild from World War II bombing raids from the thousands of Americans stationed in the KMC.  With the American funds, Kaiserslautern was able to almost completely rebuild in an accelerated timeframe.  To this day, the money the Americans bring to this city still boosts its economy.

Today, Kaiserslautern has transformed itself into a bustling industrial and marketing metropolis, home to iron works, furniture construction, automobile development, several major Palatinate breweries, to name just a few.  Although modern in many aspects, Kaiserslautern has saved many of its historical traits, which date back almost a millennium.

Kaiserslautern was not only favored by the Americans, but also by the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Kaiser (emperor in German) Frederick Barbarossa who ruled from 1155 to 1190.  The walled in town at the time became the favorite hunting retreat for the Kaiser, whose small palace ruins can still be viewed in the near the center of the city until this day.  Since the city had a river running through it, called the Lautern, it was only fitting that the future metropolis be named Kaiserslautern in honor of the emperor and the town’s waterway.

Throughout the city are many signs of the Medieval Kaiserslautern from remnants of its old walls, to the palace mentioned above, and various half timbered houses and impressive edifices flaunting the elaborate architectural designs of the 18th and 19th centuries.  The famous icon of the city is the Stiftskirche, a colossal church that sits in the center of the city, and is the oldest structure in town dating back to the 13th century.  These old-world buildings of course mingle with the modern architecture such as the City Hall (Rathaus) that towers above the city just behind the emperor’s palace ruins, and large department stores, legal offices and glass-encased banks.

For the American stationed in Kaiserslautern, the city offers many cultural and entertainment activities.  Countless restaurants, cafes and bars can be found throughout the city, especially in the city’s entertainment hub, the Altstadt, old town.  Bars and cafes range from ultramodern to historically decorated pubs, and restaurants range from typical German, French, Spanish, Italian to Greek, Japanese and Chinese, to name a few.

Operas, musicals and plays perform every month in the newly constructed opera house as well as other halls located nearby.  Live music in the form of Rock, R&B and Jazz is performed in the Kammgarn cultural and entertainment center.  Two museums are home to a wealthy collection of Palatinate history, art and folklore.  There is also a Beer Tankard Museum with over 500 exhibits from the last 200 years.

Parks surround the city, with a massive garden show held from spring through late fall intermingled with displays of fearsome dinosaurs towering over the plants and trees.  To view animals that aren’t extinct, Kaiserslautern operates the Wildpark, a zoo just outside the city’s boundaries.  The park is full of animals native to Germany, such as several species of deer, wild cats, wild boar, and even a small herd of American buffalo.

For sports fans, Kaiserslautern hosts one of Germany’s national soccer teams called the 1 FCK, which translated means First Soccer Club of Kaiserslautern.  When at home, the team plays in a massive stadium that crowns a hill above the city, and tickets are relatively inexpensive.  The atmosphere of these games is lively and a must to experience for anyone who enjoys the sports atmosphere.

Kaiserslautern may be a small city, but the cultural and entertainment aspects of it are quite expansive, allowing an American stationed in the KMC to indulge in a myriad of activities, from dining, nightlife, musical and sports entertainment, to viewing nature in all its wild glory.

For more information on what Kaiserslautern has to offer, visit the official website.