Branch of the Stralsund Museum in the Sternschanze fortification on the Dänholm: naval history from Prussia to the present, open May to October.
July 14, 2026 – October 31, 2026
Six themed sections trace the history of the GDR training ship from its planning in 1950 to its current restoration, with photos, eyewitness accounts and the ship's bell of the "Greif."
The small island of Dänholm between Stralsund and Rügen was of military importance for centuries. During the Thirty Years' War, Swedish troops built a star-shaped redoubt here; after 1815, Prussia expanded it into today's Sternschanze with ramparts, casemates and barracks. In 1851 a royal Prussian naval depot was established on the island, which is why the Dänholm is regarded as the cradle of the Prussian navy. Military use ended only after German reunification, when the island reverted to the Hanseatic city in 1991.
In November 1991, two former officers of the Volksmarine (East German navy) founded a friends' association, which began building a branch museum together with what was then the Kulturhistorisches Museum Stralsund in January 1992. On July 24, 1992, the naval museum opened in the former barracks inside the Sternschanze. To this day, volunteers from the association play a major part in running it; the museum belongs to the Stralsund Museum.
The exhibition on two floors traces the development of the German navies from their Prussian beginnings through the Imperial Navy and the Kriegsmarine and the naval forces of the GDR to today's Deutsche Marine. Separate sections are devoted to naval aviation in Stralsund, uniforms and training at the nearby Marinetechnikschule Parow (naval engineering school). Large objects stand on the outdoor grounds, such as an Mi-8 helicopter, Volksmarine torpedo boats, anchors, cannons and naval mines. For the museum's 30th anniversary in 2022, the exhibition "Mein Marinemuseum" and a donated collection of nautical instruments were added; the casemates are also to be opened to visitors once they have been restored.
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Children and teens aged 6 to 18, apprentices, students, people in military or civilian service, Strela-Pass holders, museum staff with ID, people with severe disabilities |
| Children & teens | €3Children and teens aged 6 to 18 pay the reduced price; the price list gives no rate for younger children. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount stated. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €3companion free · People with severe disabilities pay the reduced price. |
| Students & apprentices | €3Students and apprentices pay the reduced price. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €4 per personGroup ticket, reduced: €2 per person. |
| Families | €14According to the friends' association, for parents with children up to 18. |
| Combined ticket Museumshaus + Marinemuseum (May 1 – October 31, valid for 2 days) | €8Reduced €4, family ticket €18. |
| Stralsund Museum annual pass | €50Reduced €25, family annual pass €120. |
| Guided tour fee (per group) | €35Reduced €20. |
Free admission: International Museum Day and Tag des offenen Denkmals (Heritage Open Day)
Tickets available only at the museum ticket desk.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Great for kids & families
| Family ticket | €14 · According to the friends' association, for parents with children up to 18. |
|---|
Free children's quiz on naval history with a small reward from the treasure chest; in the summer holidays, a family program with storytelling and crafts.
City bus line 1 from Stralsund; bus line 30 from Rügen (e.g., from Bergen or Putbus); Stralsund-Rügendamm station is about 1 km away.
Free parking
Free parking directly at the museum.
By car via the B96 or the Rügenbrücke; the way to the Sternschanze is signposted with maritime signposts.
Get directionsOn event days, the friends' association runs a visitor café.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | For private use only, without tripod or flash. |
| Good to know | Guided tours (about 1.5 hrs) led by members of the friends' association by advance reservation only, also for school classes; inquiries to museum-veranstaltungen@stralsund.de. Dogs are welcome on the outdoor grounds but not in the exhibition rooms. |
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