Peenemünde – The cradle of modern space technology

There is a place on Usedom where, almost 80 years ago, scientists worked on technologies that changed the world forever. A visit to the Peenemünde Historical and Technical Museum takes you to the very place where the history of modern space technology was decisively shaped.

A look at the year 1936

In 1936, during the National Socialist era, those in power founded the Peenemünde Army Research Institute (HVP) on Usedom. It was an army development and testing facility specializing in the research and development of armaments and rocket technology. The Peenemünde site was chosen due to its remoteness and proximity to the Baltic Sea, which offered ideal conditions for testing.

The facility at the time covered a huge area of around 25 km² and became the largest armaments center in Europe. Up to 12,000 people worked simultaneously on the development of missiles and other weapons systems. Wernher von Braun was in charge of rocket development. The military command was headed by Walter Dornberger.

1940-1944 First rocket tests

On October 3, 1942, the first successful test flight of the “Aggregat 4” (A4) rocket, which later became known as the “V2”, took place in Peenemünde. This was the first rocket to reach space and a milestone in rocket technology.

In addition to the V2, the “V1” (Fieseler Fi 103), a cruise missile, was also developed. Both missiles were later used by the National Socialists as “retaliation weapons” to carry out attacks on Great Britain and other targets.

Attack and destruction (1943-1945)

On August 17, 1943, the British Royal Air Force carried out a massive air raid on Peenemünde (Operation Hydra). The aim was to disrupt rocket production and slow down the development of V-weapons. The attack caused considerable damage and claimed many lives, including forced laborers who were deployed in production under inhumane conditions.

After the attack, most of the production was relocated to underground facilities, such as the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp near Nordhausen, to protect it from further bombing.

End of the war and post-war period (1945 and after)

At the end of the Second World War, Peenemünde was occupied by the Red Army. The Soviet troops secured the remaining technical documents and rocket prototypes.

However, many German scientists, including Wernher von Braun, were taken to the USA by the Americans as part of Operation Paperclip, where they later worked on the development of space travel.

In the post-war period, Peenemünde remained a place of great interest. During the division of Germany, it was one of the biggest mysteries, as it was unclear whether military research was still being carried out there.

Why you should visit this museum

The Historisch-Technisches Museum is one of the most exciting places on the Baltic Sea where you can experience the history of technology up close. However, we were not only interested in the history of technology, but also in the history of the people and the region. Peenemünde is not just a place that tells of innovation and technical progress. The Peenemünde Historical-Technical Museum is also thought-provoking: The V2 rocket was used during the war and its construction was accompanied by the suffering of many forced laborers. The museum manages to sensitively shed light on these difficult aspects of history, while at the same time opening up a view into the future.

The grounds of the Peenemünde Historical and Technical Museum are large and divided into different areas. The outdoor area, for example, displays a rocket and a rocket launching pad. However, as it was quite cold, we were more drawn to the buildings.

In the old power station, you have the opportunity to discover the former machinery. Huge control panels with buttons and levers seemed to say “press me, bring me to life”. I would have liked to know what the machines sounded like…

Don’t miss the ride in the glass elevator. This takes you to the roof of the old power station. A visit to the viewing platform costs €1 per person. It is best to buy your ticket with your admission ticket. However, there is also a ticket machine directly at the elevator if you want to make a spontaneous visit.

For us, the visit to the viewing platform was well worth it. The sun happened to come out briefly between the clouds and made the water in the adjacent harbor sparkle. From up there, you can see the museum ship and the museum submarine. Excursion boats also depart from the harbor during the warmer season.

Permanent exhibition

The exhibition on the history of the site is located in an outbuilding whose room layout is more reminiscent of administrative and laboratory rooms. The permanent exhibition extends over two floors, with a temporary exhibition on the top floor during our visit. Among other things, it showed photos of places on Usedom where the past is still visible today. It’s amazing how many bunkers or remains of buildings are hidden among the trees.

My experience of the permanent exhibition was very ambivalent. When I look at the purely technical achievements, what has been created here is truly outstanding. Peenemünde was the place where the vision of man in space was born. The rocket that was developed here in Peenemünde was the first rocket to reach space. With a top speed of over 5,000 km/h and a range of up to 300 kilometers, it was considered a technological sensation. Without the developments in Peenemünde, the later successes of NASA or the Soviet space programs would hardly have been conceivable.

The future vision of space travel was created here. This can also be clearly seen in some of the exhibits. For example, we discovered a comic that shows the visions of the future at that time. Today, not everything is a vision of the future!

But unfortunately, technology also has consequences that catch up with me again and again during the tour. Not “only” machines were created here that later gave rise to space travel, but also machines that were used in the war and form the basis of today’s weapons technology. The topic of forced labor and the consequences for the people without whom the work would not have been possible back then is also addressed in the exhibition. Fortunately, the exhibition also takes a critical look at this topic.

Even if I leave the Historisch-Technisches Museum Peenemünde with a bit of an emotional turmoil – this exhibition is a must-see.

Visitor information

Address

Im Kraftwerk
17449 Peenemünde

Website

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