Kleines Kanada

A quarter century after Canadian Cold War-era bases closed in Germany, strong pockets of our home and native land still stand

- Joseph Frey

THERE’S A MEMORIAL to Canadian military personnel in Lahr, Germany, beside the offices of the city’s lord mayor. It’s a simple yet elegant stone column adorned with bronze-coloured plaques — including a maple leaf and the heraldic crest of the city’s former Canadian military base — that was erected by the citizens of Lahr in recognition of the Canadians who were garrisoned there during the Cold War. One of its inscriptions reads: “Friends – Neighbours – Allies.”

It’s not the only Canadian memorial in a European town, but it serves to mark the unique nature of this city of about 47,000 in the country’s southwestern corner. “Lahr is the most Canadian place in Germany,” says the city’s lord mayor, Wolfgang Müller. “We were the only city in Germany to discuss the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement in our local parliament and back it with a positive vote,” he continues, offering just one example of the city’s many Canadian connections.

“The Canadian Armed Forces helped provide Germany with security and safety during the Cold War, and the city of Lahr also appreciated Canada’s support for German reunification after the Berlin Wall came down,” says Müller. “Talks were held in Ottawa that made German reunification possible. We appreciate it.”