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The U16 Submarine Salvage: An Archaeological Treasure Is Unveiled!
In the Wind Force 10 Museum in Cuxhaven, archaeologists provided information about the recovery of the submarine U16, a cultural treasure trove.
The U16 Submarine Salvage: An Archaeological Treasure Is Unveiled!
On October 28, 2025, an exciting evening of lectures about the recovery of the submarine U 16 took place in the Wind Force 10 Museum in Cuxhaven. The second chairman of the nautical club, Ralf Gütlein, opened the event in front of around 100 interested listeners. Museum director Christina Wawrzinek and the club chairman Arne Ehlers warmly welcomed those present and accompanied the participants through an evening full of fascinating insights into maritime history.
Ralf Gütlein provided a historical overview of the U 16, which was built in Kiel in 1911 and ultimately sank during a voyage to Great Britain in 1919. In the more than 100 years that the wreck lay in the mouth of the Elbe, it sank into mud and sand, recorded on nautical charts and often unnoticed by shipping. The last comprehensive investigation took place in 2023, followed by the company's own recovery work, which used a Dutch floating crane with a lifting capacity of 1,800 tons. Unfortunately, the wreckage broke into two pieces during recovery. One part was brought to Cuxhaven, the other is still 20 meters deep in the water.
The historical context and the recovery work
Dr. Henning Haßmann, state archaeologist, reported on the scientific significance of the wreck and described it as a “real treasure trove” for researchers. The sub's hull was brittle and covered in fishing nets. Inside, the archaeologists found electric motors, a petroleum drive and contaminated sediments that were classified as toxic hazardous waste. This shows once again that the preservation of such maritime monuments is essential to protect the environment and for scientific analysis.
What is particularly exciting is that evidence suggests that the U 16 served as a spare parts depot for other submarines towards the end of the Second World War. This makes the precise examination of the technical components, such as the copper cables, textile fibers and plastics, which Dr. Mike Belasus from the Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research explained.
Trouble with permits
The salvage operation met with criticism because the Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA) and the Federal Real Estate Agency were not involved in advance. Archaeologists were concerned that no monument office had been informed about the recovery. The WSA considers the wreck to be part of the federal waterway and is therefore responsible for salvaging it for safety reasons in order to exclude potential dangers to shipping.
A press conference to present individual parts of the submarine has been announced for November 6th at 11 a.m. in the Wind Force 10 Museum. Despite being invited, representatives of the WSA and the Federal Real Estate Agency did not take part. It remains to be seen what the political and institutional reactions to these issues will be.
The evening in Cuxhaven showed once again that the work of archaeologists has not only historical, but also current and future significance for our society and the way we deal with historical heritage. The U16 not only has an eventful history, but is now also the focus of social sciences and environmental research, because the question of preserving this history will affect us all.
For further details on the rescue and the historical background of the U16, please refer to the reporting by CNV Media and Ingenieur.de which provide detailed information and analysis.