Laboe Naval Memorial

Dominated by a sweeping brick monolith that is dedicated to the fallen seamen and women of World War I and World War II, the Laboe Naval Memorial was established in 1936 in the town of Laboe near Kiel. It was originally designed to memorialize the dead of the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy), with the World War II Kriegsmarine added after 1945. It has more recently been rededicated as a memorial to sailors of all nationalities who have been lost at sea.

The monument was designed by architect Gustav August Munzer, without the intention of resembling anything specific but more to inspire positive feelings in the viewer. Despite this, it’s often considered reminiscent of a submarine tower or the sweeping stem of a Viking ship.

Climb to the observation deck that’s located at the top of the 72-meter-high tower, then wander through the Hall of Remembrance at the base. The Laboe Naval Memorial also consists of a World War II-era German submarine U-995, which is the only Type VII U-boat remaining in the world.

It was mounted on land next to the monument in 1971 after being surrendered to Allied forces at the end of WWII. It had been serving in Norway ever since and was sold back to Germany when decommissioned for a symbolic token price of one Deutsche Mark. The submarine has now been transformed into a technical museum, with visitors invited to step aboard the vessel and get an up-close look at its inner workings.