U17 submarine: A masterpiece of technology opens in the Sinsheim Museum Museum!

U17 submarine: A masterpiece of technology opens in the Sinsheim Museum Museum!

From May 24, 2025, the submarine U17 will be accessible to the public in the Sinsheim Museum Museum. With a length of 48 meters and a weight of 350 tons, it is an impressive specimen of maritime technology. The transport of the submarine, which went to Sinsheim via Kiel and Speyer, was accompanied and persecuted by thousands of people. This spectacular transport began in May 2023, when a portal crane lifted the submarine in Kiel on a swimming pontoon. After a stopover in Speyer, the submarine finally reached its new home in Sinsheim in July 2023.

The total project costs amount to around two million euros, with the vast majority being financed by donations. At the opening of the submarine, former submarines will be on site to report on technology and life on board. In addition, the U17 submarine comradeship will take over the long-term support of the submarine.

preparations for the opening

In the weeks before the opening, the preparations were intensively worked on. Supports were welded under the submarine, vandalism protection for levers and buttons were installed, ventilation created and a fire alarm system installed. The connection to the power grid is also on the agenda, for which a change of voltage is required.

Visitors to the submarine will have the opportunity to visit the bridge, the machine room, the combination and the beds of the crew. The world of experience is supplemented by original noises, various lighting and monitors with cards. Access to the submarine takes place via the roof of the museum, where an installed bridge enables visitors to admission. A maximum of 30 people can stay in the submarine at the same time.

Experience the submarine up close

The passage height within the submarine is sometimes only about 160 cm and the gear is only 80 to 100 cm wide in places, which makes the sightseeing a special experience. The team of the Technik Museum Sinsheim offers exclusive tours through which visitors can experience the technology and history of the submarine up close. Further information on the submarine and the events are provided via the museum's social media channels, so that interested parties can always stay up to date.

The original domicile of the submarine was Eckernförde on the Baltic Sea, from where it started its long journey into the Palatinate. The anticipation for the opening in early June 2025 could not be greater, since the submarine U17 will not only secure a fixed place in the Sinsheim Museum Technology Museum as a technical highlight, but also as part of maritime history.