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All Germany Hamburg Blankenese Shipwrecks

Blankenese Shipwrecks

Remnants of an exploded schooner and wrecked submarines form a breakwater.

Hamburg, Germany

Added By
nicoscagliarini
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Wrecks at low tide   nicoscagliarini / Atlas Obscura User
Wrecks at low tide   nicoscagliarini / Atlas Obscura User
Blankenese Shipwrecks partially submerged   nicoscagliarini / Atlas Obscura User
The Polstjernan as breakwater now   nicoscagliarini / Atlas Obscura User
Blankenese Shipwrecks  
  Johan SWE / Atlas Obscura User
Blankenese Shipwrecks  
Exploring Blankenese   Kris McCracken / Atlas Obscura User
  Erin Johnson / Atlas Obscura User
  Erin Johnson / Atlas Obscura User
Wedding couple at Shipwreck Uwe   Thomas Weinsheimer / Atlas Obscura User
Shipwreck Uwe (Long Exposure)   Thomas Weinsheimer / Atlas Obscura User
Exploring Blankenese   Kris McCracken / Atlas Obscura User
Exploring Blankenese   Kris McCracken / Atlas Obscura User
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About

On October 20th 1926, an old Finnish four-masted schooner-cum-motor glider, the Polstjernan, was cruising along the Kiel-Canal, when its engine abruptly exploded. Fueled by a cargo bay loaded with wood, the vessel caught fire and couldn't be quenched.

A rescue boat dragged the ship to the Elbe river while still smoldering. A few days later, it was towed away and left along the beach of Blankenese, west of Hamburg’s harbor, weighted with stones, and turned into the present-day breakwater seen now.  At low tide it's possible to walk up to the wreck without getting one's feet wet. 

The Polstjernan is not alone at this site: after World War II, submarine scraps were added to the Polstjernan’s seawall. A few meters away also lies what is left of the barge Uwe, sunk there in 1975 after colliding against the coaster Wiedau. The Uwe was torn into pieces and while most of these chunks had eventually been towed into the harbor, it became apparent its stern was too heavy, and was left between the Polstjernan and the Lighthouse of Blankenese, where it remains to this day.

Related Tags

Shipwrecks Ships Submarines Ship Graveyards

Know Before You Go

The beach of Blankenese is easily reachable via Hamburg public transport (HVV). Take the S-Bahn line 1 from Altona in direction Wedel/Blankenese to the stop Blankenese and then walked to the beach. It's a nice walk through a park and along the beach, but there are also buses from the train station to the beach. The shipwrecks are about 300 meters down the beach past the lighthouse.

Community Contributors

Added By

nicoscagliarini

Edited By

littlebrumble, Mike Portanova, Erin Johnson, Kris McCracken...

  • littlebrumble
  • Mike Portanova
  • Erin Johnson
  • Kris McCracken
  • Thomas Weinsheimer
  • Johan SWE

Published

July 22, 2015

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Sources
  • http://www.schulcommsy.de/wikis/276082/2626342/Main/TextDieWracksWeiter
  • http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=53.559481&lon=9.788046&z=17&m=b&show=/2240383/de/Wrack-des-Binnenschiffes-Uwe-
  • http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=53.559637&lon=9.791393&z=18&m=b&show=/2240367/de/Wrack-des-Viermastschoners-Polstjernan-
Blankenese Shipwrecks
Hamburg, 22587
Germany
53.558889, 9.788056

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