German submarines: Technology fascination and terror

Submarines of the Second World War evoke a variety of emotions - The SEEHUND is at the center of the new exhibition area

The ambivalence of the topic requires a sensitive and differentiated approach to the sources and a balanced presentation. The aim of this new exhibition unit is to illustrate the complex technology involved in underwater travel and the vehicles constructed for use in war.

The small submarine type XXVIIB/127 SEEHUND is at the center of the exhibition area. This is one of the three examples salvaged in the western harbor of Wilhelmshaven in 1969, which were sunk there by members of the Kriegsmarine themselves in the spring of 1945. The location and equipment of the boat suggest that it was not used in front-line operations, but was only just being fitted out after being built (at an as yet unknown shipyard) and delivered. After salvage, the SEEHUND was restored in the 1970s for the exhibition at the DSM by the Seebeck company in Bremerhaven, whereby virtually no original construction documents were available. One visible consequence of this is the small submarine's tower cladding, which is slightly too high. In addition, windows were installed in the outer skin so that visitors could look inside the SEEHUND and get an impression of the cramped conditions and the strain on the crews. The pressure on the crews was therefore at the forefront of the museum's interpretation, while less attention was paid to other aspects and actors of the submarine war. Even as an exhibit, SEEHUND tells a story that can shed light on past interpretations of submarine warfare.