The Ruhleben barracks (in German Ruhleben Kaserne) is part of the German Naval establishment located in Plön, Holstein, Germany.

From 1940 to 1945 it was home to the III U-Boat Training Division (III Untersee-Boot Ausbildungsabteilung). On April 22, 1945 Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz moved the headquarters of the Naval High Command (Oberkommando de Marine) there. As of April 30, 1945 until May 2, 1945, following Dönitz being named head of the German Reich, it was the de facto capital of Germany.

On May 7, 1945, the instalation was captured by British Forces who installed themselves there renaming it the Connaught Barracks. Towards the end of formal British occupation, the British set up the King Alfred School on March 10, 1948 to teach the children of the British military officers stationed in Germany.

Following the re-establishment of the German Navy, the barracks reopened as the home of the Naval NCO School (Marineunteroffizierschule Plön) on September 9, 1960.

External link

• Marineunteroffizierschule Plön (German)

Ruhleben, near Spandau, Berlin. Horse racecourse, turned into a prisoners-of-war camp for the male civilian British subjects living in or visiting Germany at the outbreak of the World War One. In November 1914 about 4 000 men aged 17 to 55 were gathered at Ruhleben. Following the Armistice of 11 November 1918 most of the restrictions on the movements of the prisoners were abolished and their release started. Life in the Camp has been described in several books by inhabitants

Among philatelists Ruhleben is known for its private postage stamps (which are rare). The monotomy in the Camp resulted in organisations and enterprises by the prisoners. Thus, on 19 July 1915 Albert Kamps started the Ruhleben Express Delivery, which soon monthly handled roughly 6 000 pieces of mail between the prisoners. The distances between the barracks were considerable. 16 different postage stamps were issued. Although this postal service had been pre-approved by the Camp Commandant, it was prohibited on 3 April 1916 and Kamps was sentenced to solitary confinement.

External link

• Ruhleben P.O.W. Camp Stamps