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Planned military project: Rügen in sight as a strategic port!
Bergen auf Rügen: A look at failed naval bases and their impact on the island's history until 2025.
Planned military project: Rügen in sight as a strategic port!
The island of Rügen, known for its picturesque coastline and tourism, has a long and complicated history. This is particularly characterized by the numerous failed attempts to build a naval port in the Großer Jasmunder Bodden. These ambitious plans would have fundamentally changed Europe's military landscape and the region's identity, but all attempts ended in failure.
Over the centuries there were three major phases in which serious consideration was given to creating a port on Rügen. The first attempt, which lasted from 1848 to 1866, was marked by the aftermath of the revolution of 1848. The German Confederation had the idea of building a naval port on Rügen, but this failed in 1852 due to financial bottlenecks and political disagreements. Admiral Adalbert of Prussia also tried in vain to establish a naval base. Plans for a canal through the Schaabe and a railway connection between Berlin and Breege were ambitious, but the geographical conditions were not suitable. The project was ultimately abandoned Uckermark courier reported.
The second phase, from 1936 to 1945, took place during the National Socialist era. Grand Admiral Erich Raeder was a driving factor in the plans to make Rügen the main base of the Kriegsmarine. The Rügen Dam was completed in 1936 and made it possible to connect to the mainland. An extensive port complex was planned, which would be equipped with a shipyard and a submarine base. However, technical challenges and the chaos of war led to construction being halted as early as 1940, while a new attempt in 1944 was also unsuccessful.
In the third phase, which lasted from 1950 to 1953, the GDR took over the planning with Soviet support. The “Rügenhafen” was intended to strengthen the region’s military potential. More than 1,600 residents from Glowe and the surrounding area were relocated as part of a forced relocation. Construction began in 1952, using up to 15,000 workers, including political prisoners. The city “Hafenstadt Jasmund” was intended for up to 100,000 people. But this project was ultimately canceled in 1953 due to political and economic difficulties. The unrest in the GDR prevented major work stoppages on construction sites, but dismantling began immediately after the protests in July 1953 Wikimedia supplemented.
The remains of what was once a large-scale project are now almost completely overgrown. Historical traces can only be recognized in a historical context. The Rügenhafen therefore remains an unfinished chapter in the history of the German navy, which impressively shows how political and economic circumstances can lead even the most ambitious projects to nothing. However, Rügen remains a popular travel destination where nature continues to play the main role and tourism is maintained - a small ray of hope in an otherwise turbulent history.