Laboe Naval Memorial

While the main structure at the Laboe Naval Memorial is the sweeping brick monolith that is dedicated to those fallen in the battles of World War I and II, but also on the grounds is one of only four remaining U-boats in the world which Germany bought back for the sweet price of a single Deutsche Mark.

The tall brick tower at the site was actually built in 1936 to remember those lost in WWI. The tall, curved structure was not designed to resemble any single form or item, but was instead meant to simply inspire positive feelings in all those who gaze upon it. After WWII the scope of the monument’s remembrance was expanded to include German soldiers who perished in the fighting, but later on the memorial was simply christened to be devoted to all who died in all the World Wars.

In 1971, the German U-boat submarine U-995 was mounted on land next to the monument. The ship had been surrendered to Allied forces at the end of WWII and eventually spent some time after the war in the service of Norway. However, as a show of good faith, when the historic ship was finally decommissioned, Norway sold the vessel back to Germany for the sweetheart price of one Deutsche Mark.

Today, the ship has been turned into a technical museums ship and visitors can enter the submarine to better inspect the inner workings. The main memorial can also be explored and features an observation deck at the very top that looks out over the sea where so many soldiers were killed.