Unit Name: | Navy Band Kiel |
Native Name: | Marinemusikkorps Kiel |
Dates: | 1 June 1956 – Present |
Country: | Germany |
Allegiance: | Bundeswehr |
Type: | Military band of the Bundeswehr |
Role: | public duties |
Size: | 50 members |
Command Structure: | Joint Support Service |
Garrison: | 14 Greifswalder Street, Kiel[1] [2] |
Garrison Label: | HQ |
Website: | https://www.konzerte-marinemusikkorpskiel.de/ |
Commander1: | Lieutenant Inga Hilsberg(Since February 2022)[3] |
Commander1 Label: | Director |
Commander2: | Kapitänleutnant Andreas Siry |
Commander2 Label: | Deputy Director |
Identification Symbol Label: | Insignia |
Navy Band Kiel is a military band of the German Navy responsible for raising the esprit de corps or morale of personnel of the Navy. The 50 member band has an area of responsibility for the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It also covers the entire coastal region of Germany on the North and Baltic Seas, with the states of Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as well as the cities of Bremen and Hamburg.[4]
The band has 6 ensembles:
The task of the band is mainly in troop support, all of which includes the ceremonial entry and exit of ships and the swearing-in of sailors. An important part is also public relations with residents of the Kiel area and northern Germany. concerts at home and abroad. As part of the public relations work, the band performs at numerous charity concerts. In recent years, more than 3.2 million euros have been made in donations.[5]
Navy Band Kiel was set up on 1 June 1956 under the designation Navy Band Ostsee (Baltic Sea) in Eckernförde.[6] At the same time, Navy Band North Sea in Wilhelmshaven was established, and was affiliated to the Ostsee Band and was housed in the band's base at Kiel Airport. At first, there was a lack of personnel and instruments, so the ability to continue operated depended solely on cooperation between the two bands. In July 1957, cooperation ended and Navy Band North Sea was able to return to its intended location in Wilhelmshaven. In March 2014, the band in Wilhelmshaven was dissolved and merged with the Baltic Sea Band to become Navy Band Kiel, which became the sole official band of the Navy until 2019, when Navy Band North Sea was reinstated with the new name of Navy Band Wilhelmshaven.