Autobahnmeisterei Oelde, Straßenmeisterei an der BAB 2 nahe der Stadt Oelde in Nordrhein-Westfalen
The Autobahnmeisterei Oelde is a road maintenance facility in North Rhine-Westphalia situated near the BAB 2 highway, consisting of multiple red brick structures arranged as connected buildings. The complex includes office blocks, a large equipment hall, storage areas for materials, and worker facilities spread across the grounds.
The depot opened on September 29, 1938, after a decision to locate it in Oelde rather than Beckum due to better ground conditions. Additional buildings were constructed between 1939 and 1940, and a tall gravel silo was added in 1942 to support growing maintenance operations.
The depot was designed to look like a rural farmstead complex, using red brick construction typical of the local building tradition. This choice to blend with the surrounding landscape shows how infrastructure was meant to fit into the region's character rather than stand apart from it.
The site remains in active use for road maintenance operations, with parts protected as a historic monument. A small museum displays tools and equipment from past decades, and visitors can see an air raid shelter dating from the original construction period.
The site still houses a functional air raid shelter from the original construction period, and a historical painting from that era was recently uncovered and restored. The museum displays hand-painted wooden road signs from the 1950s, offering insight into how drivers were warned about hazards long before modern safety systems.
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