# 1st Panzergrenadier Brigade (Germany)

The 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade (German: Panzergrenadierbrigade 1) in Hildesheim was a formation in the Bundeswehr, which was subordinated to the 1st Armoured Division in Hanover. The Brigade was disbanded on 31 December 2007. During its lifetime the Brigade was stationed between the Lüneburg Heath, Harz Mountains, the Solling hills and the River Weser.

## Formation sign

The formation sign displays the white Sachsenross or Saxon steed on a red background within a yellow and white shield. The steed recalls the Welf dukes and the Kingdom of Hanover. The original Saxon tribal emblem was adopted in 1235 by the Welf dukes, the Dukes of Brunswick and Lüneburg, as an additional coat of arms. Through the amalgamation of part of the Lüneburg-Brunswick region with the Principality, later Kingdom, of Hanover the Saxon steed appeared in 1705 on the escutcheon of the kingdom's coat of arms surrounded by the main yellow and white shield. On the foundation of the state of Lower Saxony in 1952 the Saxon steed on a red field became the coat of arms of the state. The white border of the coat of arms, in embroidery shown as a white cord - represents the usual heraldic custom of the German Army: white borders were always the formation signs of the "first" brigades in a division. The superior division as well as the other two brigades in the division traditionally bore an identical formation sign apart from the white border. On the disbandment of the Brigade the sign continued to be worn by Panzerlehrbrigade 9, which gave up its old sign in 2006. The white border remains.

## Composition 2007

In 2007, just before disbanding the brigade was organised as:
* Headquarters Company Stabskompanie, in Hildesheim
* 33rd Tank Battalion
* 421st Panzergrenadier Battalion
* 10th Armoured Engineer Company
* 15th Armoured Artillery Battalion
* 803rd Armoured Engineer Battalion
* 141st Logistics Battalion

## Commanders

The brigade commanders were (rank on taking over):
| No. | Name | Date took over | Date handed over |
| 16 | Oberst Ernst-Otto Berk | 27 March 2003 | 13. April 2006 |
| 15 | Brigadegeneral Dieter Skodowski | 26 March 1999 | 26 March 2003 |
| 14 | Brigadegeneral Dr. Dirk Oetting | 1 January 1995 | 25 March 1999 |
| 13 | Oberst Jürgen Ruwe | 1 October 1991 | 31 December 1994 |
| 12 | Oberst Manfred Dietrich | 1 December 1989 | 30 September 1991 |
| 11 | Oberst Hans-Theodor Dingler | 1 October 1987 | 20 December 1989 |
| 10 | Oberst Istvan Csoboth | 1 April 1984 | 30 September 1987 |
| 9 | Brigadegeneral Johann Adolf (Hanno) Graf von Kielmansegg jun. | 26 March 1982 | 31 March 1984 |
| 8 | Brigadegeneral Detlef Ahrens | 1 October 1977 | 26 March 1982 |
| 7 | Oberst Walter Hoffmann | 1 April 1973 | 30 September 1977 |
| 6 | Brigadegeneral Johannes Poeppel | 1 January 1970 | 31 March 1973 |
| 5 | Brigadegeneral Carl-Gero von Ilsemann | 1 October 1966 | 31 December 1969 |
| 4 | Brigadegeneral Eicke Middeldorf | 15 October 1963 | 30 September 1966 |
| 3 | Brigadegeneral Heinz-Helmut Hinckeldey | 1 October 1962 | 14 October 1963 |
| 2 | Brigadegeneral Hans-Georg Tempelhoff | 1 November 1959 | 30 September 1962 |
| 1 | Oberst Hans-Heinz Fischer | 1 April 1958 | 31 October 1959 |