The picturesque Bavarian town of Filzek has been home to American troops since the end of World War II and could be hardest hit by President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw at least 5.000 troops from Germany.
Although details of the units affected by the order have not been confirmed, the 2nd Mechanized Regiment "Stryker" - the only permanent combat brigade in Germany - based at the Rose Barracks base in Filzek is expected to leave.
“The consequences would be dramatic,” said new mayor Torsten Gredler, who took office this week facing the prospect of losing thousands of jobs in a rural area where the base is one of the largest employers in the wider area.
Over the years, he said, the presence of the base, with thousands of well-paying jobs for locals and a steady stream of customers for local businesses, has created a dependency whose risks are now being felt.
"Our entire town of Filzek largely lives off the military training ground - pubs, restaurants, car service stations, supermarkets," he said.
US wants Europe to spend more on defense
The decision to withdraw troops came at a time of increasing pressure from Washington on European countries to increase defense spending, as well as accusations that reliance on American forces has allowed them to neglect their own militaries.
During Trump's first term, there was already talk of withdrawing the 2nd Regiment, a brigade-sized combat formation built around Stryker wheeled armored vehicles, but those plans were canceled under former President Joe Biden.
"It is important to say that it has not yet been officially confirmed that the 'Strikers' will indeed be withdrawn. That is why I have not lost hope yet," said Gredler.
The government in Berlin, which has significantly increased spending to rebuild the German military after years of underinvestment, said the announcement of the troop withdrawal was not a big surprise.
However, in addition to the economic consequences, the news would also cause a profound culture shock in the town of 6.500, where American soldiers and their families make up a larger community than the local population.
Although their numbers had declined compared to the height of the Cold War - when as many as 250.000 American troops, as well as tens of thousands of civilian personnel, were deployed to confront the Soviet Union - their presence was a reality for generations of West Germans.
By the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, 60 percent of all U.S. bases abroad were in Germany, along with hundreds of other facilities, mostly in southwestern cities like Filzek. Many of these were “little Americas,” with their own accommodations, shops, and amenities within the bases, but their presence left a deep mark on local communities.
"I never knew Filzek other than as a place where people lived side by side with Americans," Gredler said.
Many American soldiers enjoy life in Germany
There are now only about 35.000 American troops left in Germany, the largest American contingent in Europe. But even today, soldiers and their families leave a visible mark in Filzek and the surrounding areas - eating in restaurants, shopping in local supermarkets and joining local sports and car clubs.
“I’ve been here since 2022, so about four years. And there’s nothing I don’t like about Germany,” said Sergeant Robert Moore, 31, who lives about 20 kilometers north of Filzek. He said the people are friendly and respectful and it’s “very, very safe.”
Many in Filzek say that if the Americans leave, there would also be an emotional sense of loss.
"When the 'Strikers' arrived, we were worried they would be a bunch of roughnecks, but they're actually really nice," said Albin Merkl, 66, a retiree who rents apartments to American personnel.
“We have always done good business with the Americans,” he said, adding that the trains to nearby Nuremberg in the evenings are full of younger soldiers going to have fun in their free time.
Philzek resident Judith Georgiadis, 63, who worked in base administration for 17 years, said life became calmer after the reduction of US forces after the Cold War.
“In the 1980s, life was great here. The nightlife was lively, with bars and pubs,” she said. The latest news has many worried. “People who work for the Americans are scared. There is a lot of worry.” “The city government is long overdue to do something to reduce our dependence on the Americans. When you are young, you either work for the Americans or you leave,” she said.
Local companies that provide services to the base are also on display.
"Many of us here - I mean business people - have built companies relying 100 percent on American clients," said 64-year-old Robert Grasic, whose company, Vilseck Military Auto Sales, sells cars to soldiers and their families.
But for some older residents, the fear that the American presence will one day end is nothing new. “Growing up here, I can tell you that it was always said, ‘They’re leaving and closing the base,’” said Brenda Hutchinson, 61, whose parents were among the many mixed-race couples formed over decades of close contact.
"It was talked about when my father was in the army," she said.
Translation: NB
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