Officers Clubs

[jon m.]

Is this very common? I found it in a Grundwissen Handbuch.
Jon

[AR-11]

Is this very common? I found it in a Grundwissen Handbuch.
Jon

Jon,
that was not a club only for officers. In nearly every town where was located a NVA-garrison there was also a "Haus der NVA" or "Haus der Grenztruppen". That was open restaurants-open to all people.
AR-11, Dirk

[jon m.]

Jon,
open restaurants-open to all people.
AR-11, Dirk

I never knew that. Did they serve any special foods?

I always thought that the "Haus der NVA" was some sort of resting place for soldiers when away from base. Boy do I feel stupid now.

[torstenbel]

I never knew that. Did they serve any special foods?

I always thought that the "Haus der NVA" was some sort of resting place for soldiers when away from base. Boy do I feel stupid now.

They were usually just outside of the barracks and they were predominantly used by soldiers...at the OHS in Zittau the HdA was used for mass lectures, but also for theatre performances and we had rock concerts there and various army clubs used it for training and practice sessions, etc. I think that there would also have been a restaurant in it that would have been open to the public...but I do not remember ever have been in it myself or even having even considered going into it myself???...and maybe, there was not one in it...but the HdA was quite a big place in Zittau....Cheers, Torsten.

[AR-11]

Jon & Torsten,
I was on occasion in the HdA in Zittau. One had not far to run, food was very good and the beer was okay. The disadvantage was that one found a lot of Vorgesetzte there and the barracks were directly in the background.
Quite differently the HdA in Halle. It was in the center of the city, the barracks quite far away.
I was there several times. Some of the most announced "Disco"- arrangements took place there at that time.
Even in Wolfen (AR-11) we had a HdA too.

The importand and common thing of a HdA was, that all NVA-members (no matter if NCO******180;s, professionals or enlisted) was preferred and very welcome there.

AR-11, Dirk

[torstenbel]

Jon & Torsten,
I was on occasion in the HdA in Zittau. One had not far to run, food was very good and the beer was okay. The disadvantage was that one found a lot of Vorgestzte there and the barracks were directly in the background.
Quite differently the HdA in Halle. It was in the center of the city, the barracks quite far away.
I was there several times. Some of the most announced "Disco"- arrangements took place there at that time.
Even in Wolfen (AR-11) we had a HdA too.

The importand and common thing of a HdA was, that all NVA-members (no matter if NCO******180;s, professionals or enlisted) was preferred and very welcome there.

AR-11, Dirk

ah, there you go...I had been in the HdA many times, but I really do not think that I was ever inside of the restaurant part of it...every Thursday night we had training for the Artillery Section chess group in it..I was a member of that group...geeky, isn;t it??... we played chess in there for an hour or two and then we took a couple of boards and chess clocks and went to our favourite pub and played 5mins Blitz-Chess and after each round a pint had to be downed...it really became fun after about ten pints or so... Cheers, Torsten.

[Mike G.]

Dirk,

I find it very interesting that in the NVA, the Officers, NCOs, and even the lower enlisted could simultaneously eat together, and consume alcoholic beverages together in a common area. Certainly this occurred in the US Military on very rare special occasions (local unit function perhaps after a field problem where a specific platoon performed outstanding for example, or a Tank Crew came off a Gunnery Table qualifying Expert.

But as a common place thing - no. Not acceptable. And probably for good reason. I think a lot of officers (US Army) would have awakened only to find themselves bed-ridden in the local hospital.

[AR-11]

Dirk,

I find it very interesting that in the NVA, the Officers, NCOs, and even the lower enlisted could simultaneously eat together, and consume alcoholic beverages together in a common area. Certainly this occurred in the US Military on very rare special occasions (local unit function perhaps after a field problem where a specific platoon performed outstanding for example, or a Tank Crew came off a Gunnery Table qualifying Expert.
But as a common place thing - no. Not acceptable. And probably for good reason. I think a lot of officers (US Army) would have awakened only to find themselves bed-ridden in the local hospital.

Michael,
the same problem between conscripts, NCO******180;s and professionals we in the DDR/NVA also. A HdA never was within barracks (as much as I know and have seen). Conscripts might enter it exclusively with a "time off ticket" or furlough certificate. And because the conscripts did not want to see their superiors on vacation or during "time off", they avoided visiting a HdA! The same was with the professonals.
There were in Wolfen from time to time fights in the HdA which had to settle location patrol then. These became on occasion NCO's or soldiers arrested.
I have to say, I never visited the HdA Wolfen without having "patrol-duty"!
It was not a very inviting place. The other reason was, that we had a little puib inside the barracks. the host was called "The could Bernd", because he was not verry communicatve... the regularies was the same as in a HdA, and there we had our beer together in the same room (and sometimes even at the same table) with the conscripts or NCO******180;s. But it was INSIDE the barracks, and so the guard, duty-officers etc had the permanent controll! AND the pub was closed half past eight p.m.

In Zittau the HdA was only a few steps away from the checkpoint. And I visited it only after having a 24-hours duty (guard etc), because the way to Zittau-"downtown" (and it******180;s cool pubs) was a really long ... And the HdA Zittau never was overfilled. You ever got a place there for having a meal some beers...

AR-11, Dirk

[jon m.]

Haus der NVA

Haus der NVA, Zittau:
Kantstr. 31, Telefon..........29 69

[Ralph P]

Hello all - This has been an interesting thread to read that initially started with a pub receipt. Sometimes simple items sparks some good discussions...

I have a couple of receipts from my collection that I need to find and then place in the correct thread...stay tuned...