In the northern German city of Lübeck, divers have discovered a 400-year-old wreck of a Hanseatic ship at the bottom of the River Trave. The remains of the approximately 20-meter-long ship are partly hidden in the sediment, the Hanseatic city of Lübeck announced on Tuesday. The divers were able to view more than 150 barrels in the wreckage.
Mayor Jan Lindenau (SPD) said on Tuesday at the presentation of the find that he is happy that Lübeck as Queen of the Hanse now also has a real Hanseatic ship. This spectacular wreckage will add another piece of the puzzle to the economic and commercial history of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck, culture senator Monika Frank said.
Dozens of barrels of burnt lime on board
According to current knowledge, the 17th century ship was en route to Lübeck when it leaked and sank on the Trave. The cargo consisted of 163 barrels of burnt lime, 73 of which were still on board.
“This proves that the ship did not capsize, but sank more or less vertically,” said Manfred Schneider, head of the archeology department of the city of Lübeck. Burnt lime was a popular building material in the Middle Ages, which becomes as hard as concrete on contact with water.
Recovery expected at the end of the year
The wreck was discovered during a routine inspection of the Trave fairway by the Waterways and Shipping Department. Salvage is expected to begin at the end of this year, Mayor Lindenau said.
Source: Krone
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