Sennelager

Sennelager is a village in Germany that forms part of the City of Paderborn. It is notable for its association with the military since the 19th century. It is now the location of a British army barracks, where the 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade are currently based.LocationSennelager lies around 5 km north of Paderborn City Centre in the West of the landscape "Senne". The area falls under the administration of the Schloss Neuhaus/Sande wards of the city. To the South between Sennelager and the City of Paderborn is Schloss Neuhaus, to the West Sande, and to the North Hövelhof.HistoryThe name Sennelager literally translates as "camp on the Senne" - a name originating in 1851 when the Prussians used the area as a training camp for their cavalry. At the time, the area belonged to what was then the region and was largely unpopulated. This camp later expanded into a full training facility for the armed forces, most notably during the reign (1888-1918) of Wilhelm II.The word Senne itself derives from the old Low German word sinedi, meaning "sand".During the First World War (1914-1918) a POW camp here housed merchant seamen, most notably many British trawlermen taken prisoner after German raiders sank their ships in the North Sea, especially in the first days of the war. Many of the fishermen came from Boston or from Grimsby in Lincolnshire. Many were later transferred to Ruhleben internment camp near Berlin, where many remained for the duration of the war.