The team
Marco Folchnandt
Jürgen Holznagel
Wolfram Kempin
Hans-Uwe Rehse
Heike Spiegelberg
Christian Wilkens
Gudrun Neidhardt
Hans-Herbert Dünow
Ingo Elend
Bodo Häsler
Jiri van den Kommer
Andreas Ratje
Frank Teller
Volker Wiechmann
Our mission statement
The German Seamen’s Mission in Lübeck is part of the worldwide network of the German Seamen’s Mission. Supporting the God-given dignity of seafarers – support of seafarers’ dignity – is our mission statement and our challenge. We stand up for the dignity of seafarers – regardless of nationality, religion or skin color. Our history is shaped by the commandment of Christian charity.
With more than 600 employees, we are active worldwide on a full-time and voluntary basis as the German Seamen’s Mission. We use our personality personality, our work and our faith to ensure that seafarers lead a dignified life.
To this end, we face up to the challenges and changes in the shipping industry every day.
Our History
At the beginning of the 20th century, seafaring pastor Münchmeyer from Stettin was commissioned to set up and expand the seamen’s mission in the Baltic Sea ports. In 1904, he gave a lecture at the Schiffergesellschaft in Lübeck and met with the understanding
of the shipowners and the church leadership. In 1906, the “Lübeck Seamen’s Mission” association was founded by Senior L. F. Ranke. A reading room was opened at Hafenstraße 20a. Deacon Jordan started his ship visits from here and invited the crews to stay.
crews to stay for a while.
Establishing our own seamen’s home was the the goal right from the start. On February 13, 1913, it was opened on inaugurated on the Untertrave. The same building housed the was located in the same building, making the seamen’s home a meeting and meeting place for seafarers from all over the world. During the two wars, the home was partly closed or occupied by others. During the Second World War, the continued existence of the Seamen’s Mission was endangered several times. The closure was prevented by a clever association policy. prevented. In 1948, the Seamen’s Mission resumed its work after the temporary tenants moved out.
Between 1964 and 1966, the building was completely renovated and extended by Pastor Ottomar Paul. A dormitory for the Lübeck Maritime School was added and a bunker from the Second World War was built over with great difficulty.The rooms were equipped with washing facilities and were only intended for one or two people. At the time, it was the most modern seamen’s home in Germany. At the same time, the house was renamed “Sweder-Hoyer-Haus” in memory of Lübeck’s first seamen’s pastor.
Pastor Ottomar Paul recognized early on that the seamen’s families needed a facility where their children could be accommodated. In 1977, a children’s hotel was built with the help of the Possehl Foundation. However, completion came too late. In the meantime, the shipowners allowed wives to bring their wives were allowed to bring their children if they wanted to accompany their husbands. In addition, the accommodation was very expensive due to the requirements of the youth welfare office. The children’s hotel was soon closed. The rooms were used, among other things, as a contact point for Finnish truck drivers (SuomiKoti).
In 2010, the German Seamen’s Mission in Lübeck moved
from the Untertrave to Seelandstraße 15 – in the middle ofthe heart of Lübeck’s harbor area. The shipping company Lehmann offered it the premises and supports its work. The old seamen’s home was closed in 2011. It was in great need of renovation and was hardly ever visited by sailors. The City of Lübeck took over the building and
and established the Hanseatic Museum there. From Lehmannkai 2, the employees of the German Seamen’s
of the German Seamen’s Mission in Lübeck set off on their
visits on board. This is the location of the “Sweder
Hoyer”, where seafarers can switch off from everyday life on board and find people to talk to and support.
Unser Leitbild
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