The 7th Panzer Division or Westphalian Panzer Division (german: 7. Panzerdivision or ''Westfälische Panzerdivision'') was a major

formation Formation may refer to: Linguistics * Back-formation, the process of creating a new lexeme by removing or affixes * Word formation, the creation of a new word by adding affixes Mathematics and science * Cave formation or speleothem, a secondar ...

in the German Army (''Heer'') within the German Armed Forces or ''

Bundeswehr The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...

'' whose headquarters was for many years in Lippstadt und

Unna Unna is a city of around 59,000 people in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the seat of the Unna district. The newly refurbished Unna station has trains to all major cities in North Rhine Westphalia including Dortmund, Cologne, Münster, Hamm, ...

and, finally in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

. Until its dissolution in 2006 it was seen as the "backbone of the Army" or the "spearhead of the German Army". The majority of new weapon systems were introduced by this formation. Many Inspectors of the Army (''Inspekteur des Heeres'') were once divisional commanders of the 7th Armoured Division. Its last commander was Wolf-Joachim Clauß. It was the only division in the

Northern Army Group The Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) was a NATO military formation comprising four Western European Army Corps, during the Cold War as part of NATO's forward defence in the Federal Republic of Germany. The Army Group headquarters was established on ...

without a forward defence sector in line against a projected Warsaw Pact attack. It was the only immediately available reserve division.

References

External links

Information on the disbandment of the Division

{{DEFAULTSORT:Armoured Division, 07 7 History of Düsseldorf Westphalia Military units and formations established in 1958 Military units and formations disestablished in 2006 1958 establishments in Germany