Schwerin's aviation history: From Görries airfield to oblivion

Schwerin's aviation history: From Görries airfield to oblivion

In the hectic times of the early 20th century, Schwerin began to make a name for itself in the aviation industry. The history of Görries airfield, which was officially opened in 1913, is inextricably linked to the name Anthony Fokker. This visionary entrepreneur not only shaped the airfield with his presence, but also revolutionized aviation in Germany. His career and the developments in Schwerin are closely linked, as nordkurier.de reports.

The foundation stone for the Görries airfield was laid during the German Tour of 1911, in which Schwerin served as a stopover location. With the growing interest in aviation, the city decided to build its own airfield. The “Mecklenburg Airfield Company Görries-Schwerin mbH” was founded at the end of 1912. By Easter 1913, the infrastructure such as spectator stands, a restaurant and an aircraft hangar could be completed on the newly created area. The opening of Fokker's flying school in May 1913 with six of his famous "spiders" marked the high point of these early days.

The rise of Fokker and the Görries airfield

Anthony Fokker, born in 1890, was an aviation pioneer who discovered his love of flying at an early age. After he began studying in Germany in 1910, he founded Fokker Aviatik GmbH in 1912. In the same year he gave birth to his first successful construction, the “Fokker Spider”. When production was moved to Schwerin in 1913, the city experienced an economic boom. Between 1914 and 1917, the production company employed up to 1,600 workers and manufactured around 3,400 aircraft, including the legendary Fokker Dr.1 model, which is closely linked to the story of Manfred von Richthofen.

But success also had its downsides. After the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles meant that Fokker had to move its activities back to the Netherlands. Flight operations in Görries decreased and ended in 1927. From 1932 the airfield was used for civilian purposes, but was later converted to military use. The Second World War brought change again; the airfield acquired strategic importance and was badly damaged by Allied bombing raids. Most of the buildings were destroyed in August 1944 and April 1945, and only a few structures, including two hangars, remained and are still partially listed today.

A living legacy

Despite the destruction, the legacy of the Schwerin-Görries airfield has survived. Today we remember the glory days of aviation history, when the airfield was a popular excursion destination for the people of Schwerin. Pennants in the city center used to inform citizens about the latest aviation activities - a connection between past and present that still lives on in people's memories today.

Anthony Fokker's story is also a tale of ups and downs. He was an innovator who created air superiority for German aviators during World War I. In 1915 he received German citizenship and actively worked to further improve his machines. The greats of Fokker's company spoke for themselves: During the war years, the number of employees increased from around 100 to 6,000. Fokker's achievements did not go unnoticed and his machines achieved international fame, sometimes drawing comparisons with greats such as Henry Ford.

After returning to the Netherlands in 1919, Fokker continued to work in aviation, eventually switching to American business, which opened up new perspectives for him. But as is often the case, fame was followed by bad decisions, and with the closure of its American factories in 1931, an era came to an end. Fokker's autobiography, The Flying Dutchman, was published in 1933, and he gradually withdrew from the business in the 1930s until his death in New York in 1939.

The development of Schwerin-Görries airfield and the biography of Anthony Fokker show how closely aviation history is linked to regional heritage. It remains to be hoped that the memory of this remarkable time will not be forgotten. The airfield, largely forgotten today, is nevertheless a valuable part of Schwerin's history.