NS-Ordensburgen

In Nazi Germany, the NS-Ordensburgen ("National Socialist Order Castles", singular Ordensburg), also called Schulungsburgen, were schools developed for elite Nazi military echelons. There were strict requirements for admission to the schools. Junker candidates had to be aged between 25 and 30 years old, belong to either the Nazi Party, the Hitler Youth, the Sturmabteilung, or the Schutzstaffel, be physically completely healthy, and be pure-blooded with no hereditary defects.

The schools themselves were typically stark, modern structures with extensive facilities. Vogelsang, for instance, reportedly contained the world's largest gymnasium at the time. Each student attended all four institutions in sequence, for specialty training, finishing in Marienburg for training that included live-fire military exercises.

The three institutions for education of political leaders and their educational focuses were:

• Ordensburg Vogelsang in North Rhine-Westphalia

focus: racial philosophy of the new order;

• Ordensburg Sonthofen in Bavaria, Allgäu, built 1934;

focus: administrative and military tasks and diplomacy;

the facility was used by Germany's Bundeswehr until end of 2007.

• Ordensburg Krössinsee in Pomerania;

focus: development of character;

According to the training model the disciples had to spend one year at each castle in order to become familiar with each educational focus.

A fourth Ordensburg was planned at (the historic) Ordensburg Marienburg, in West Prussia, which was to be established at the medieval Malbork Castle.