Sights of Rostock

Heinkel He 178

On 27 August 1939, the first aircraft with a jet engine completed its maiden flight. The machine was developed by Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke and bore the type designation He 178. [German]

Do cranes own personality? I asked myself this question while strolling around the city harbour of Rostock. There, I found two port cranes nicely coloured blue and yellow. They saw their completion in a GDR combine named TAKRAF in 1960.

Youth hostel in Warnemünde

A fun way to stay in Warnemünde is this youth hostel inside a former weather station. The equipment on top of the tower still collects data for weather forecasting. From the rooms in the tower, you have a fine view of the Baltic Sea.

Manhole cover in Rostock

The manhole covers in Rostock display the city arms. The coat of arms dating back to 1367 depicts a golden gryphon of a blue field (representing the former princes of Rostock). Bars of silver and red represent the colours of the Hanseatic League. As a member of the Hanseatic League, the city is named Hansestadt Rostock. [German]

Heinkel Villa in Warnemünde

This villa, built in 1880, became famous for being the home of the aircraft designer Ernst Heinkel. One of his designs was the Heinkel He 178, the world’s first turbojet aircraft and jet plane. Today the villa is part of the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research (Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung).

Museum of local history in Warnemünde

The museum of local history (Heimatmuseum) is located in a building dating back to 1767. The exhibition tells about local life as well as typical elements of a seaman’s life. For example, you see dioramas built by sailors. There are also souvenirs like English stoneware brought home from numerous sea travels.

Police boat FPB 25 (2001) in Rostock

While cruising the river Warnow from Rostock to Warnemünde I came across a police boat of the same name. The Warnow is a patrol vessel (Type FPB 25) built by the company Fassmer.

Warehouses at the city harbour of Rostock

At the Rostock City Harbour you can find old as well as reconstructed warehouses. In the rooms of the warehouse on the left side the headquarter of AIDA Cruises is based. The piers for the huge AIDA cruisers are not far way at the port of Warnemünde.

Icebreaker “Stephan Jantzen”

This icebreaker was built in 1967 and is named after the sea rescuer Stephan Jantzen (1827-1913). The ship is off duty now. Although plans were to convert the vessel into a luxury icebreaker for private tours to the Arctic and the Antarctic, it is still waiting for a new assignment at Rostock City Harbour.

‘Seven proud sisters kissed by one sea’ in Rostock

This sculpture in the city of Rostock named ‘Seven proud sisters are kissed by one sea’ (Sieben stolze Schwestern küsst das eine Meer) was created by Reinhardt Dietrich in 1985. It portrays the peaceful coexistence of the seven countries surrounding the Baltic Sea.

Main building of the Rostock University

The Rostock University, founded in 1419, is considered the oldest university in the Baltic Sea area. The depicted main building was erected in the years 1867 – 1870 and is an example of Renaissance Revival architecture in Mecklenburg.

Astronomical clock in St. Mary’s Church

This astronomical clock was built in 1472 by Hans Düringer and is the only one of its kind still in working condition with its original clockwork. It stands in St. Mary’s church (Marienkirche), the biggest of three town churches in the Hanseatic city of Rostock.