the soltau-lüneburg agreement designated an area, 40 km long and 10 km wide, between the towns of soltau and lüneburg, with an area of about 34,500 hectares, in which some 26,000 people lived. the federal government rented about 12% of the area, of which the stationed forces were given about 4,600 hectares as red areas for their continuous and unrestricted use. 3,700 hectares of red area belonged to the present-day county of heidekreis, the remaining 900 ha to the county of lüneburg. before the agreement the military had been using 48,000 hectares for training purposes. the red areas were set aside purely for the stationed troops, the bundeswehr were not permitted to exercise on them.