In November 2021 a small group of Bücker enthusiasts had a first winter online Bücker meeting where we discussed the Bücker factory in Rangsdorf. So we invited Knut Hentzschel and Ralf Gaida to give us more information about the situation of Bücker Museum, the airfield and buildings in another online meeting. This is what they came up with:
Information on the future of the ancient Bücker aircraft factory in Rangsdorf
The Bücker Museum “Förderverein Bücker-Museum-Rangsdorf e.V.” would like to give you an overview about the future of the former Bücker aircraft factory in Rangsdorf. In 1945, at the end of World War II, Carl-Clemens Bücker left his aircraft factory in Rangsdorf after 10 years of production and fled from the approaching Soviet army. From that time on, the Soviet army used the former Bücker aircraft factory as a helicopter base until they withdrew from Germany in 1994. The workshops and all other buildings were left behind.
Since then they have not been used until today. Luckily, our association managed to have the former plant listed as a monument. As a result, the buildings could not simply be demolished or converted. Owner since 1994 was the Federal Republic of Germany, later the state of Brandenburg. Many investors and users showed interest in the industrial monument, ut it always failed because of the finances to bring new life to the workshops. Only Bücker's administration building and the works canteen found a new owner, who enthusiastically renovated the buildings in accordance with the monument requirements and put them back to use.
Today, wind, weather and vandalism have taken their toll on the factory buildings. Almost all panes are destroyed, roofs are rotten and broken, walls have collapsed, hangar doors have been damaged and even fires have partially destroyed the buildings. However, the metal supporting structure has survived this for a long time and can also be used in the future after appropriate refurbishment. Club membersposted a flight video with a drone on YouTube. The sight is devastating. www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2kejjcabOA
A series of images compare views of the workshops in Bücker's time and today. It's really not a pretty sight. The company terraplan from Nuremberg has become the new owner of the property in Rangsdorf in 2018. They approach the BUC-36 project with a great deal of expertise. www.buc-36.de/buc-36/
The museum club was involved in the development right from the start. Above all, we were able to help with extensive historical image material from the Bücker period and relevant information. At www.terraplan.de you will find information and, above all, learn something about the company's previous projects. Terraplan have specialized and successfully brought many historic buildings back to life over the past 50 years. Currently the Olympic Village of 1936 is under reconstruciton and shows with G.O.L.D. how efficient they work. Information on this can be found at www.gold1936.berlin/gold/
The former Bücker aircraft factory will therefore be part of BUC-36 (Bücker – 36 meters above MSL) in the future and will be expanded into a quarter for apartments, schools, day-care centers and after-school care centers as well as services and businesses. All workshops will be preserved and put to a new use. And our Bücker Aviation Museum will also find a new home in Bücker's former workplace. We're really looking forward to that. The Bücker history museum is finally going where it belongs, to the Bücker aircraft factory!
The planning for BUC-36 is in full swing and construction is scheduled to start this year. The development will take 10 to 15 years until finally a good 1000 apartments for 2400 inhabitants have been built. A project that will change Rangsdorf. And the airfield will remain as a wide, open, natural area and will be available to all Rangsdorf citizens for recreation. You will find pictures of what the entire area will look like in this document. www.terraplan.de/site/assets/files/3582/buc-36_thementafeln.pdf
In order to give these events ahead of us a worthy start, we have planned a highlight for the year 2023. Our association Bücker-Museum Rangsdorf e.V. and terraplan would like to organize a Bücker-Fly-In in Rangsdorf. We would like to offer all Bücker pilots one last chance to land in Rangsdorf again with their great planes. We know from our experiences between 2000 and 2005 how difficult it will be to get all the necessary permits. Nevertheless, we are optimistic about the event to take place end of June or the beginning of July 2023. So please save the date and make your travel plans. We already involved all the necessary authorities and above all the German air traffic control at an early stage. Ralf Gaida, a Bücker Bestmann owner, as an employee of German air traffic control, has appropriate contacts to the Berlin air traffic control and we belive that he will get all the permits we need to fly into Rangsdorf and have fun in the air while we are there.
A big round of applause and many thanks to Knut and Ralf for this surprise. The Bücker community will give you all the support we can to prepare the event and to make it an unforgettable historic moment.
