U-11, Naval museum with submarine in Burgstaaken, Germany

U-11 is a diesel-electric Type 205 submarine of the German Navy, built at Howaldtswerke in Kiel and launched on 1 April 1966. Since May 2005 it has been a museum ship at Burgstaaken harbour on Fehmarn. In 1987-1988 a second outer hull was fitted around the original pressure hull, turning the boat into a target for other submarines.

U-11 was laid down at Howaldtswerke in Kiel on 1 April 1966, launched on 1 April 1966, and commissioned on 21 June 1968 into the 1st U-boat Squadron. Its main task was to prevent a Soviet landing on the Baltic coast. In 1987–1988 a second hull was fitted around the original, turning it into a target boat for other submarines; it was long the only NATO submarine used for this. It collided with a Finnish tanker on 3 February 1997 and was decommissioned on 30 October 2003 after 2,140 days at sea and 178,000 nautical miles.

The vessel bears the name of a historic submarine class and shows how sailors lived and worked in tight quarters. You can see what daily life on board looked like and understand the role such boats played during the Cold War.

The museum is accessed via a walkway and you can explore the entire boat from top to bottom. If you find confined spaces or stairs challenging, check in advance which areas are accessible.

In 1987–1988 U-11 received a second outer hull around its original one, turning it into a target boat for other submarines; the extra skin absorbed hits from training torpedoes. For years it was the only NATO submarine used this way and took part in frequent exercises. On 3 February 1997 it collided with a Finnish tanker.