The memorial was originally erected for the 5,249 dead U-boat navy sailors in World War I and inaugurated on June 8, 1930. It now commemorates the sailors who died serving in U-Boat units during the First and Second World Wars, along with all victims of submarine warfare.
Eagles:
3 eagles have existed on this monument:
- 1930-1938: Concrete (designed by Philipp Becker, It is a very similar design to one by Fritz von Graevenitz)
- 1938-2001: Galvanised, copper-coated iron skin (designed by Fritz Schmoll also named as “Eisenwerth”). It is now located in the German Military Museum in Dresden.
- 2001 onwards: Remade in Bronze (by the Noack firm of Berlin) – 5.6 tons (total height with base 4.50 m, wingspan 4.80 m)
Information:
- It is located in Heikendorf near Kiel.
- In 1938 its was rebuilt and inaugurated after suffering structural damage in the concrete. An eagle designed by Fritz Schmoll was located on a 15.30 m high pillar. The eagle was 4.8-metre-high (designed by Fritz Schmoll)
- After WWII the memorial was in very bad shape and the local socialists wanted to dismantle the memorial. But that was prevented by British troops in Kiel.
- The swastika on the brick base was covered by the U-Boat War Badge after World War II (1945). This was made unrecognizable by the filling-in of the spaces between its arms, however it can still be made out behind the badge.
- The eagle on the pillar (from 1938) was replaced in 2001 due to extensive rust penetration discovered in the internal steel supporting structure of the eagle.
- Since 12 July 2001, the original eagle with its galvanised, copper-coated iron skin has been replaced by a recast bronze version similar to it (designed by the firm Noack from Berlin)
- The eagle was removed again in March 2012 for necessary reinforcement work after the detection of fatigue in the supporting structure. It was returned on 25 April 2013.
- In the arched tour around the memorial, the names of the fallen U-boat sailors from both world wars as well as more recent German Navy sailors who died on duty are immortalized on 115 bronze plaques. These were added in the 1970’s by the German Wargraves Commission.
Pics (1930-1938 – original monument and eagle):
Pics (1938-present):
The various plates on the pillar (note images of the original pre-1938 version are not clear enough to show)
Interesting Point:
The Königsberg eagle at the top of the ‘Tribünenturm’ at the Erich-Koch-Platzmention has a significant likeness with Möltenort U-Boat Memorial in Heikendorf near Kiel. The two eagles (and their likeness can be seen below which is interesting as this style of eagle is very unique and these are the only 2 known versions. The Königsberg one was designed by Fritz von Graevenitz
Similar styled eagle:
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