Monday, March 19, 2012

Germany - Laboe Naval Memorial


Marine-Ehrenmal Laboe or Laboe Naval Memorial.

Sent by Daja, a postcrosser from Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : The Laboe Naval Memorial is a memorial located in Laboe, near Kiel, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Started in 1927 and completed in 1936, the monument originally memorialized the World War I war dead of the Kaiserliche Marine, with the Kriegsmarine dead of World War II being added after 1945. In 1954, it was rededicated to commemorate the sailors of all nationalities who died during the World Wars.

The monument consists of a 72-metre high tower with an observation deck atop the tower. The deck stands a total 85 m above sea level. A hall of remembrance and World War II-era German submarine U-995, which houses a technical museum, both sit near the foot of the monument, and the site is a popular tourist venue. U-995 is the world's only remaining Type VII U-boat.

The tower was designed by architect Gustav August Munzer, who stated that the form was not meant to represent anything specific but was to inspire positive feelings in those who look at it. It is frequently associated with the stem of a viking ship or the conning tower of a submarine.

The Monument to Italian Sailors in Brindisi, Italy (begun in 1932, dedicated in 1933) bears a resemblance to the Laboe tower.

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