Kategorie: News
Salvage from the bottom of the Baltic Sea
On Tuesday, 30.08.22, four divers from the SDA research diving association set out to work on one of their projects. It is still very early and light fog hovers over the Baltic Sea. The divers are supported by One Earth- One Ocean.
For the past 7 years, the organisations Scientific Diving Association and OEOO have been working together to search for and recover lost fishing nets on a voluntary basis for up to 50 days a year. This is an extremely important project, as there are only an estimated 500 harbour porpoises left in the Baltic Sea and more of these animals die in ghost nets rather than being born.
On this day, the divers want to investigate the report of an angler who reports that he always gets his fishing hooks caught in the same place in Kiel harbour. This is an indication of a potential ghost net.
Today, the team has decided not to use the large catamaran "Seekuh 1" and instead chooses a faster inflatable boat. It is 08:17 when the first diving team gets ready and drops backwards from the boat into the Baltic Sea. The team carries a surface buoy so that they can always monitor where the divers are. Not unimportant, as the Kiel Fjord is a very busy waterway.
The whole bottom of the Baltic Sea is full of junk here
After about an hour, the divers give the signal to surface and after a safety stop at 5 metres, both surface. The divers have their hands full, but it is not a net, it is a metal object. Both divers take their masks off and their regulators out of their mouths... The first thing they say is: "We couldn't find a net, but the whole seabed here is full of scrap metal"!
On this day, Hubert Pinto de Kraus is in charge of the operation and, as an experienced research and wreck diver, he is also on board. Already at first glance he notices the stamps on the objects. These are the HSDG insignia. He already knows them from the Cap Arkona shipwreck. A ship belonging to the Hamburg Südamerikanische Dampfschifffahrtgesellschaft (Hamburg South American Steamship Company) which was sunk with thousands of concentration camp prisoners by an English air force in Neustadt Bay on 3 May 1945. He also knows that the HSDG stamp was only on valuable silverware and cutlery.
The divers are brought on board and asked what the situation on the seabed would look like. Both divers confirm once again that it would be a huge area full of metal parts and that there would be watering cans among them. These watering cans later turn out to be silver carafes for coffee and tea.
How did the supposed silver get to the bottom of the Baltic Sea?
It takes less than a day for research to reveal that another ship belonging to the Hamburg Südamerikanische Dampfschifffahrtgesellschaft was sunk by a bomb hit at exactly this spot, also on 3 May 1945. However, the literature also states that the ship was lifted and scrapped as early as 1946. During the dismantling of the ship, however, a large part of the ship's equipment and cargo went overboard.
Another 8 weeks pass before the team of the Scientific Diving Association can set off again to investigate the matter, because important research work still has to be done in Tanzania and Uganda in September.
When the team returned to the site of the sinking in mid-October, it quickly became clear that hundreds of silver objects and other finds from the ship were on the seabed. Already during the first diving mission, about 30 objects made of silver can be recovered. There is also something curious: the discovery of a motorbike from the Second World War, which is found among all the objects, is a very special piece. Since the Monte Olivia caught fire from the bombing, many of the items are blackened and contaminated with residues of heavy oil.
One of the most important measures was probably to immediately contact the State Archaeological Office in Schleswig, because according to the Monument Protection Act, all artefacts found that are older than 100 years automatically belong to the state and thus to the general public. Anyone who digs or loots without an investigation permit (NFG) commits a criminal offence. However, since the SDA has already worked in close cooperation with the ALSH in recent years, they are relatively quick to issue a permit for further prospection.
Looting is to be expected
It is equally important to involve the water police and the harbour authority, as it is clear that looting is to be expected if the find becomes known. Individual items from the HSDG's past are highly traded on the Internet. For example, a silver drinking cup set can be found on an American platform for 16,000 euros. Commercial marketing of the finds is not in the interest of the SDA, which works on a voluntary basis. It is clear to the members that this unique treasure find belongs in the public domain.
After contacting Hamburg Süd, Philip Oetker got in touch personally and arranged another important contact, Ms Eva Graumann. Ms Graumann is a long-time employee of Hamburg Süd and a close confidante of the Oetker family. Ms Graumann reports that an important exhibition on the history of Hamburg Süd is on display at the International Maritime Museum in Hamburg. It is a travelling exhibition.
At the first meeting at the IMM in Hamburg, at which Peter Tamm was also present, it was agreed that the finds should be exhibited there. There has been a lively exchange between all those involved since the meeting.
Perspectives
The SDA research divers have been working almost every week since November to recover as many more objects as possible. Especially in winter, the operating conditions are not always pleasant, with water temperatures of 4 degrees and snow and sleet. Many of the finds were pushed deep into the sediments by the screw movements of large mooring ships and have to be literally prepared free, or lie hidden in the rotting mud of the Baltic Sea.
At present, an early brown algae bloom is clouding visibility and the finds have to be felt almost blindly.
The aim, however, is to recover as many objects as possible before the treasure is announced today, Wednesday (03.05.23), and not to give potential looters and treasure robbers any chance of a quick haul.