I visited Lahr, Germany in the summer of 2002. As a child, my family was stationed there (my father was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces). The base has since closed. The town itself seems to have survived the economic impact of the departure of thousands of Canadians. The military facilities, however, have not fared nearly as well.
Below are some pictures from my visit. I didn't take too many; I'm not sure exactly why that is. Probably some psychological reason...
Here is a picture taken on the grounds of the former Kaserne. The the Kaserne hosted a number of schools, recreational and shopping facilities and some military offices. I spent a lot of time here as child. It is now mostly overgrown; the windows in most of the buildings are almost completely smashed out. The first few buildings (as you enter the former front gate) are currently occupied and seem to be in good repair.
We used to hang out at the Canadian Youth Centre (CYC) shown below. Now it is fenced off and smashed up. Sigh.
I used to live in "Area 23, Block 4, Apartment 5" (23-4-5), located at 63 Schutzenstrasse (apartment on the top-left). The former Canadian housing is now (apprently) privately owned. Curiously, the swings and other playthings in the back yard seem to be same ones I played on twenty years ago.
I was a very active member of the Boy Scouts in my youth. We used to go camping at Langenhart. Below is a picture of one of the huts at the now overgrown facility.
I'll post more later...