Laboe Naval Memorial, Naval memorial tower in Laboe, Germany
The tower stands as a narrow brick structure close to the water, with two lifts carrying visitors up to the open platform at the top. The base houses a large hall where walls carry long lists of names, while nearby a restored submarine rests on land as part of the site.
After the First World War, sailors collected funds to create a place that would honor those who died at sea during the conflict. The structure opened years later, and following another war its purpose expanded to include all naval losses.
Locals use the term Ehrenmal when speaking about this place, connecting it to the seafaring tradition along the Baltic coast. Visitors walk through the entry hall and find themselves surrounded by carved names on the walls, each one marking a sailor who never returned.
The platform offers wide views over the fjord and the Baltic Sea, especially when the sky is clear. Visitors can walk through the exhibition rooms and enter the submarine that sits beside the tower.
Three stones on the grounds remember American submarine crews, German and Australian naval encounters, and cooperation between German and Japanese forces at sea. These markers stand away from the main paths and often go unnoticed by those who stay near the tower.
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