Was the reason a strong gust of wind, the carelessness of the captain or helmsman, or an oncoming vessel? In any case, the ship hit a shoal in a bend in the river, so that the hull, despite its flat bottom, was torn open and the sailor immediately sank. The accident happened about 400 years ago in the Trave near Lübeck and has now brought the Hanseatic city a unique find: the wreck of a merchant ship from the late Hanseatic period.
During routine inspections of the fairway by the Waterways and Shipping Authority at the end of 2021, an unevenness was discovered on the bottom of the Trave. Divers examined the anomaly and found the remains of a ship around eleven meters deep, which still contained numerous barrels. After 13 dives with a total of 464 minutes, the scientists are certain: "It was a medium-sized cargo ship, the workhorse of Baltic trade," says archaeologist Fritz Jürgens from the Institute for Prehistory and Protohistory at Kiel University. According to dendrochronological analyses, the find is dated to the 17th century.
It was probably a flute or a galliot developed from it, common types with which trade in the Baltic Sea was conducted in the 17th century. The ship, of which numerous wooden beams still exist, was between 20 and 25 meters long and eight meters wide, making it significantly smaller than the classic flute with which the Dutch had built their trading and colonial empire.
These ships were mass-produced and could be sailed with a small crew. With a shallow draft, they had a large hold and could be sailed with different rigging. Smaller specimens were therefore ideal for transporting bulk goods in the shallow coastal waters of the Baltic Sea, which they could also cross on the high seas. The ship now found may have been on its way from Scandinavia to Lübeck.
According to current knowledge, the cargo consisted of 163 barrels with burnt lime, of which 73 are still on board. "This proves that the ship did not capsize, but sank more or less vertically," says the head of the archeology department of the city of Lübeck, Manfred Schneider. Burnt lime was obtained in the Middle Ages and early modern times by quarrying limestone that was burned and slaked. A mortar was obtained from this, which was used in house construction. When combined with water, it became as hard as concrete.
"This is an archaeological jewel, the importance of which has only been dimly guessed at so far and whose salvage gives us fascinating insights into the history of seafaring and maritime trade," says archaeologist Ulrich Müller from the Kiel Institute for Prehistory and Protohistory. It is a unique find in the western Baltic Sea region.
It opens a window, so to speak, into the later days of the Hanseatic League. In the 17th century, the league of cities had long since lost its monopoly over Baltic trade. The competition between the cities and - above all - the rise of powerful territorial states, which restricted the autonomy of the municipalities and subjected them to their economic policies, had undermined the alliance. The last Hanseatic Day took place in Lübeck in 1669.
Nevertheless, Lübeck's Mayor Jan Lindenau (SPD) is pleased: "Finally, the Queen of the Hanseatic League also has a real Hanseatic ship." However, the question of costs is completely unresolved. The wreck should be salvaged as soon as possible. "We are in the process of developing a rescue concept," says Lindenau.
The dives had shown that the wreck is massively endangered by erosion and exposed parts are infested with the ship's bore shell. Without protective measures, the wreck would have been destroyed within a few years. The salvage is expected to take several months, and the conservation will take several years afterwards, it is said. "Since monument protection is a matter for the Hanseatic City of Lübeck, we are also responsible for the costs of salvage and conservation," says the mayor. "But we hope for support from foundations."
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