Seedienst Ostpreußen

Seedienst Ostpreussen or Sea Service East Prussia was a ferry connection between the German Province of Pomerania and the German exclave of East Prussia between 1920 and 1939.

Political Background

After the end of World War I Poland obtained access to the Baltic Sea by the Polish Corridor cutting off the direct connection between East Prussia and the rest of Weimar Germany. Throughout the East Prussian plebiscite in July 1920 Polish authorities tried to prevent traffic through the Corridor, interrupting any postal, telegraphic and telephonic communication. [Butler, Rohan, MA., Bury, J.P.T.,MA., & Lambert M.E., MA., editors, Documents on British Foreign Policy 1919-1939, 1st Series, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1960, vol.x, Chapter VIII, "The Plebiscites in Allenstein and Marienwerder January 21 - September 29, 1920", p.726-7] Due to these difficulties, ongoing after the East Prussian Plebiscite ended with a significant German success, the German Ministry for Transport established the Seedienst Ostpreußen ("Sea Service East Prussia") to provide a ferry connection to the German exclave of East Prussia, independent on the transit through Polish territory.

Ships and Routes

Already on January 30, 1920 the first HAPAG - Ship "Hörnum" left Swinemünde to Pillau on behalf of the German Government. Other Ships were provided by the North German Lloyd and the Shipping Company Braeunlich (Stettin). At first these ships left Swinemünde four times a week, later on once a day in Summertime, 4 - 5 times a week in the Winter, also harbouring in Zoppot and Stolpmünde. In 1927 the route was expanded to Memel (Klaipėda) and in 1930 to Liepāja. After 1933 the Sea Service also made for the port of Lübeck - Travemünde and Kiel (1934). Due to the spreading distances the first used ships were not able to meet the requirements any more and in 1926 the "Preussen" (of Shipping Company Braeunlich) and the "Hansestadt Danzig" (of North German Lloyd) went into service, followed by "Tannenberg" ( of HAPAG, Hamburg) in 1935. The projected "Marienburg" wasn´t finished after the beginning of World War II, but completed in 1950 in Wismar as a Reparation for the Soviet Union, later running as „Ленсовет" (Lensoviet) and „Абхазия" (Abchasia) at the Black Sea, scrapped in 1980 at Barcelona.

The Sea Service East Prussia was abandoned after the German Invasion of Poland in 1939 made it redundant.

Literature

*Claus Rothe: "Deutsche Seebäderschiffe. 1830 bis 1939." In: "Bibliothek der Schiffstypen." transpress Verlag für Verkehrswesen, Berlin 1989, ISBN 3-344-00393-3

References

External links

* [http://www.schiffe-maxim.de/hansestadt_danzig.htm Picture of "Hansestadt Danzig"]
* [http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=382653&cid=60 Picture of "Abchasia"]
* [http://www.newsletter.infoflot.ru/Articles/50/50.htm Russian Article with some pictures of "Abchasia"]
* [http://www.die-graue-flotte.de/magic_viewtopic.php?f=123&p=5287 Picture of "Tannenberg" and "Preussen"]