Memories in the Patton Barracks
It was a poster of Heidelberg Castle that drew him from California to the world-famous city in Europe: Chaz Bargainer saw the poster hanging at his university and immediately knew, “That’s where I want to go!” So in the 1970s, he made his way to Heidelberg and worked first at PHV and later at the Patton Barracks. However, his first impression of the city was underwhelming—it was cold and dark, and people walked around all buttoned up. But one day, he noticed a small yellow blossom, a forsythia. Soon, people were lying in the sun on the Neckar meadows, laughing together, and the world suddenly seemed entirely different. Chaz decided to stay.
Today, we walk through the former barracks, now transformed into the Heidelberg Innovation Park (HIP), with him and his wife, Annette. Even at 80 years old, he fondly remembers his time as a civilian employee for the U.S. military in customer service. He worked as a driver and warehouse employee, supporting the U.S. military across the region, up to Stuttgart.
“The Patton Barracks and other American areas were like a small city within Heidelberg,” Chaz recalls. “There was a bank, supermarkets and malls, a gym, gas stations, lawyers, and even a vehicle inspection center. We were completely self-sufficient.” His work at the Patton Barracks and life in Heidelberg brought him a lot of joy. “The most fun was the German-American folk festival, which we completely supplied with ice cream, candy, and beer. There was always so much to do,” Chaz reminisces wistfully. He and many of his friends—both American and German—miss the life that existed back then.
“Everything seems much bigger today, and the area is, of course, more open now. After 9/11, the barracks were more locked down than ever before. When the buildings began to disappear one by one starting in 2010, we were very sad. Looking around now, it almost seems as if the U.S. military was never here, as if we never experienced it all.”
But the memories remain, and they are all positive. Chaz, an African American, never experienced rejection in Heidelberg. “The city defines itself through its diverse cultures and is very open. Maybe this openness has something to do with the presence of the Americans back then,” he reflects. This open-hearted culture and enthusiasm for innovation can still be felt at HIP today. “Coming to Heidelberg was the right and best decision I ever made. I found my place in life here!”Chaz’s motto is: “What happens happens, but you have to know when to stop.” The times at the Patton Barracks are long gone, but he looks back on them fondly, alongside his wife Annette, with whom he has been married for 35 years. Life changes, as he notes. Today, Chaz paints passionately, though he does not see himself as an artist but as a “creator.” Colors are his passion. Night after night, he creates art in his garage in Kirchheim, making the world a brighter and happier place. For him, it’s not about what he, as a painter, sees in his work. “It’s about what the viewer sees in it.”
And so, walking with him through the Patton Barracks feels almost like viewing a piece of art—it evokes memories and visions of the future simultaneously. Each person interprets it from their own perspective, seeing something different within it.