U17 – The last leg of the most spectacular transport
In July 2024, we will demonstrate how to manoeuvre a 90-metre-long and 10-metre-high heavy transport not only under low bridges but also through the narrowest of roads in the picturesque Kraichgau.
From Technik Museum Speyer via the Rhine and Neckar, past Heidelberg and continuing on land via Haßmersheim, Eberbach and Bad Rappenau to Technik Museum Sinsheim. That is the plan.
After the world's first attempt to turn a submarine around was successfully mastered after initial difficulties, testing the turning device is now at hand: among other things, U17 will be turned on the pontoon of the push barge train next to the Old Bridge in Heidelberg, after which it will pass under the bridge and then be set upright again. A spectacle for young and old alike.
Do you want to be there? Sign up for our newsletter now, follow us on social media and keep an eye on this website – more details on the shipment will be announced at the end of March.
The Route
| Date | Stage |
| 30. June 2024 | Road transport from the Technik Museum Speyer to the Rhine |
| 5. July 2024 | River transport to Mannheim, then rotation of U17 |
| 6. July 2024 | Arrival in Heidelberg |
| 8. July 2024 | Drive past Neckargemünd, Neckarsteinach and Hirschhorn to Eberbach |
| 9. July 2024 | Drive from Eberbach to Haßmersheim |
| 13. July 2024 | Roll off of U17 from the pontoon to land |
| 14. July 2024 | Drive from Haßmersheim to the Fünfmühlental |
| 15. July 2024 | Passing through Siegelsbach |
| 16. July 2024 | Siegelsbach to Bad Rappenau |
| 17. July 2024 | Cross the railway line in Bad Rappenau and continue to Bonfeld |
| 20. July 2024 | Motorway drive from the Bonfeld to Sinsheim-Steinsfurt, stop between Reihen and Ittlingen |
| 21. - 27. July 2024 | Drive through Ittlingen, Hilsbach and Weiler to the TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stadium |
| 27. - 28. July 2024 | Crossing the A6 at night |
| 28. July 2024 | The grand finale: drive on the Neulandstrasse & drop anchor on the grounds of the Technik Museum Sinsheim |
About U17
- U17 is a class 206A submarine that is around 48 metres long, with a draught of 4.6 metres, and displaces roughly 500 tonnes when submerged.
- Submarines were mainly deployed in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and then, later, after the conversion to the class 206 Alpha, in the Mediterranean as well.
- U17 had a very special mission and, together with U26, was the first German submarine in American waters after the Second World War and the first submarine to enter the port of Baltimore after the last submarine anchored there in 1916 (U-Germany).
- The Type 206 submarines have served in the German Navy for almost 40 years – more than any other submarine before – and after such a long time it would have weighed on the souls of the generations of crew members if people had not preserved them and made them accessible for posterity. The "U17 submarine camaraderie", consisting of former crew members, will later take care of preserving the submarine as an exhibit.
The previous transport in pictures
At 7 a.m. on 4 April 2023, the submarine U17 was in the water for the last time. It was waiting for the tugboat on the grounds of the German Navy in Kiel.
Hours later, it was lifted into dry dock by a mighty 900-tonne gantry crane in the German Naval Yards Kiel's branch harbour.
U17 had to be demilitarised and thoroughly cleaned before it could be transported. Algae, mussels and barnacles adorned the belly of our new museum attraction. After all, it had been in the water since it was decommissioned in 2010.
At the end of April 2023, we returned to the water at walking pace.
29 April: U17, towed by the tug Teddy, left the dry dock for the Kiel Canal. The start of an exciting journey.
We travelled through the North Sea in high waves ...
... in the direction of the Netherlands: Hoek van Holland entrance.
Until U17 could dock in Dordrecht ...
... there was a short tour of Rotterdam.
The pushed convoy travelled on the Waal from Dordrecht via Nijmegen to Germany.
First harbour in Germany: Duisburg, the city of water and fire.
In the morning hours, U17 left the Ruhrpott city ...
... past idyllic banks of the Rhine and ...
... finally made a stop in the metropolis of Cologne. Thousands made a pilgrimage to the landing stage to welcome U17.
On its way to Speyer, the convoy, pushed by the pusher PIETER of the Van der Wees company, passed Bonn, Lahnstein, Mainz and the Nibelungen city of Worms.
Speyer's natural harbour was not far away: the cathedral city's Rhine bridge.
May we introduce the transport crew: Van der Wees, Fischer Kran und Transport GmbH & Co. KG, Spedition Kübler GmbH and our colleagues.
Jacked up, secured and off the pontoon we went.
On a 30-axle vehicle, the colossus moved millimetre by millimetre towards solid ground.
The roll-off was successful.
On Sunday, 21 May 2023: The road transport to the Technik Museum got underway.
Thousands accompanied the procession in perfect spring weather.
The professionals from Spedition Kübler GmbH mastered all challenges, such as a traffic light system standing in the way, with flying colours. This was moved without further ado.
After a three-hour journey, the submarine dropped anchor in its temporary home.
The successful test rotation followed in November. U17 was tilted by a full 74 degrees. This is the only way U17 will be able to pass various bridges and level crossings when it is transported from Speyer to Sinsheim in July 2024.
Overcoming the impossible together
Every euro counts to get closer to our goal!
With your donation, you can help ensure that the submarine is safely transported, restored and made accessible to the public. Together, we can ensure that this mega-exhibit is preserved for future generations. With a contribution of 25 euros or more, you can have your name listed as a donor on this page.
Support the shipment with membership!
Our non-profit association is the backbone of many activities in and around our museums. We have our members to thank for the fact that the museums are also prepared for the future. Become part of a community of technology fans and get to know other people whose hearts beat for technology. Your membership directly helps our work at the museum – and thus also transporting U17.
Press
Thank you very much!
We would like to thank the following persons, companies and institutions who made this transport possible with their donations.
Frieder Saam, Jörg Wiest, Ben Einkörn, Jürgen Weber (VDU), Ubootkameradschaft München 1926, Ubootkameradschaft U-17, FT1 U19 Walter Kryskiw, Carl Bender, Christian Reuter, Eugen Witte, Werner Vogt U8, Tom Eiteljörge, Dr. Jürgen Brandt, Uwe Pretzsch (exSmut U28), Markus Bloem, Michael Dittmann (A 1418 Meersburg), Otto Christoph, Udo Geffers, Detlef Bexkens, Ulrich Späh, M. Marschalt (E-Maat U19), Lutz-Peter Unger, Klaus Magdziak, Detlev Helmker, Jörg Braun, Wolfgang Müller-Seedorf (Kdt. U17 von 1995 -1998), Martin Witt (Sonarmaat U17), Johannes Förster, Gerhard Senning, Sandra Wissmann, Christoph Knauer (U15), Erwin Daube (VDU), Hinrich Neumann (U13), Pierre Fiedler (Vice U17), Dieter Wexenberger, Ubootkameradschaft U15, Familie Holz, Timor K.F. Feigion (Smut U30), Jürgen Schick, Michael Setzer (VDU), Torsten Riedel (VDU und U28), Günther Gründel (UK U11), Jörg Rinkowski, Thomas Brandau, Christoph Merkel, Roland Scharf (ELO auf U17), Verband Deutscher Ubootfahrer e.V. (VDU), Hans-Joachim Gurske, Armin Quante (EMaat U24), Herbert Kupzyk, Horst Weber, Ernst Kiesling (U20), Ulrich Zorn, Walter Franke (Sonarmaat U20), Simon Schmidt-Zenner, Dieter Kapelle (UK U11), Ingo Buth (ehem. Kdt U26), Dirk Spengler, Jürgen Gädigk (UK17), Torsten Heinrichs, Frank Straub, Armin Schaletzki (E-Maat U20), Familie Hemstedt, Rolf Bittner, Wolfgang Gosch, Siegfried Sebernegg, Ingo Bauernfeind, Markus Zickermann (III WO U17, Kdt U28), Uwe Meyer, Raimund Damm, Petra Fiedler, Frank Holecek, Christian Paschen, Patricia Grubliauskas, Alexander Fromm, Alexey Konovalov, Deutsches Paintball Museum, Norbert Dörich, Frank Laurenat (U28 Torp I), Wilfried Kallenbach, Carolin Höfling, Frank Averbeck, Miriam Herrmann, Reginald Eder, Fritz Werthmann, Raimund Wallner, Dr. Maik Dietrich, Jürgen Kupieczek (E-Maat U23), Detlef Ehmke, Doris und Arno Milschewski, Bernd Haines, Wolfgang Baars (Ex Reederei F. Laeisz), Dietmar Wolf, Philipp Acker, Jürgen Engelfried, Ubootkameradschaft U11, Thomas Körner, Jörg Ziegelmüller, Ilona Scheidt, Christoph Hartung (Funker U17 und U31), Jürgen Rödig, Konrad Zientek, Ramon Tino Bütow (Elo MT U17), Autohaus Kobia GmbH, Jürgen Kahl, Bernhard Klier, Christiaan Vink, Ralf Monzel, Carsten Kuczma (STO-Pra U17 + STO U19), Joachim Schneider, Familie Steingass, Stefan Mayer, Werner Hoffmann, Matthias Schütte, Dieter Eisenhauer (Mot-T-Maat U17), Timo Holzner, Jörg Süpke (U-15), Bianca Schneider, Jörn Schierhorn, Barbara Kasper, Marek Deutschmann, Norman Vogel, Holger Kretschmer, Steffen Hartel, Sonarmaat Besatzung GOLF, Peter Krämer, Wolfram Ritter, "Zentrum für Cyber-Sicherheit der Bundeswehr - Regionalzentrum Nord (Wilhelmshaven)" , Kuno Göttinger (1953-2023; Mot-Maat U 9), Andreas Meier, Eduard Scholer (Ex Puster), Rainer Hankiewicz (Viz U13), Siegfried Sebernegg (1949-2023 UK München 1926), Manfred Penz, OFw d. Res. Brilon, Peter Stöckl, Gernot Riecker, Darius Niestroj, Caddy-Service Dirk Müller, Dr. Pietro Raineri, Stefan Drumm, Familie Mroß, Andreas Ruppenthal (Kdt U 18 - 90/93) Dieter Fritzsche, Mathias Wulff, Steffen Abel, Gerhard Ott, Detlev Lang, David Rentschler, Bernd Lang, David Rentschler, Familie Rehg, Bernhard Strobel ( Torpedo-Maat U8 + U29), Michael Serr (Vice U19), Jürgen Gollan, Peter Kellner, Ulrich Rothenbacher (1925-2023 UK München) , Tom Nitsche, Lars Hümmeler (Soni U17), Michael Drews, Uwe Schmidt-Harms, SPRITE 67, Vanja Crncec, Regina Lauè, Thorsten Lachenmayer (Vize U26-Kiel), Dr. Ute Albrecht, Bernd Willms (SmutU17), Rainer Böker, Daniel Kamm, Dietmar Landau (Puster U13),Bernhard Nigl (E-Meister U20), Andre Marrek (Ex E-Mstr.), Franz Josef Maag, Karsten Fick (U21 + U22), Monika Hühner, Ludwig Weber (Puster U17), Alexander Barth, Nikola Spuzic, Joachim Happe, Dirk Herzmann, Daniel Göhrs (EloB U24), Jessica Lenhardt, Merten Link,Rainer Österlen, Mirko Just, Lisa Muehlenbruch, Andre Loppien, Johannes Lamsbach, Steuerei U24, Timo Lörsch (U12), Tobias Spiechowicz, Franziska Kirchner, Georg u. Lukas Stockhammer, Harald Lück, Romana, Böhme, Magnus Piekny, Oliver Zabel, Markus Tenhagen, Daniel Mommsen, Wolfgang Ries, Andreas Nolte (EMI U17), Marcus Knopp (Elo U16), Michael Kallage, Frank Kirchberger, Thomas Nemet U-Jagdboot "Thetis", Frank Matern, Gerd Becker, Gerald Schatz, Eva-Maria Petrus, Harald Otto DH3SUP, Matthias Stoeckert, Tom Huber, Oliver Schöpe, Thomas Jilg, Karlheinz Becker, Wolfgang Mayer-Brod, Ines Biedermann, Hideya Yoda, Hermann Klinzing,Ronald Drummond, Jochen Nass, Ina Kuhn, Marcus Bertram, Christian Löllgen, Finja, Linus u. Tilda Fischer, Marco Torkler (E-Maat U17 1995-1998), Christian Zey, Georg Hienzsch, Volker, Heizer S-Löwe P6065, Uwe Grieger, Wolfgang Dorrscheidt, David Korell, Andreas Göbel, Karl Ludwig Wagner, Ulrich Rosskopf, Die Fischers, Markus Bochem, Tobias Ritter, Peter Frank, Heiko Dörr, Arno Schmitt, Sven Bohlmann, Kevin Barth, Sascha Völling, Werner Zinser, Peter Rohenkohl, Martin Zur, Carsten Bleikertz, Reinhold Schmid, Holger Schiele, Michael Wittke, Dorothea Treichel-Linnenweber, Thorsten u. Kerstin Küppers, Jürgen Rüffer, Andrea Pauwen, Helmuth Storck, Ingo Sommer, Robert Meyboom, Dieter Fell Puster U13 1984, Klaus Benthaus (STO U18), Ursula Höhne, Bettina Wilting, Info Stellenhofsky, Sabine Scholt, Reinhild Beyreiss, Uwe Gundacker, Ulrike Lentner, Bernd Helfmann, Evylyn Grahl, Angela Brigitte Roemelt, Burkhard Bergmann, Heiko Sander, Andreas Deckers, Peter Grampe, Peter Igl, Manuela Müller, Anja Köhler, Nick, Mafalda u. Erik Neuhoff, Fam. Bartz/Hock, Manfred Michel, Ruskowski Klaus-Hermann, Dr. Maximilian Reininghaus, Falko Adrian Froehling, Nikolaj Reichard, Kurt Hochreutener, Michael Jeub, Michal Stachowicz, Jörg Schug, Ulrich Giesecke, Jörg Hörnemann, Bernd Heilmann, Thomas Busko, Simon Brüggemeier, Silvia Voigts, Gawlowski Thomas, Lothar Walliser, Daniela Schulz, SKODA/RICHTER, Alexander Proboszcz, Jens Hildebrandt, Kneilmann Gerätebau GmbH, Irene Ramesh, Raphael Sklorz, Hans-Joachim Willems, Reiner Raether, Joachim Peitz, Christiane Häßler, Klaus Richter, Florian Nünlist, Peter Hühner, Josef Mertens, Kai Stepken, Stefan Schaefer, Odilo Natzel, Franc Bartelt, Tim Kohaupt, Sabine Wisskirchen, Li Cai-Wachter, Wladimir Jablonowski u. Irina Jablonowska, Angelika W. Schrettenbrunner, Die Bellis aus Düsseldorf, Klaus Barghoorn, Ulrich Hardt, Nicole Bueermann, Anja Wirtz, Detlef Pezely, Petra Quademechels, Jürgen Raab, Martin Frevert, Hans-Günter Lübben, Melanie Buschbell, Simone Williams, Axel Bock, Britta Hammann, Ute + Markus Weyers, Robert Schumann, Markus Flosdorf, Elke Heuckeroth, Sylvia Kuehnrich, Brigitte Schäfer, Bertold Casaretto, Ralf Lamers, Uwe Schütz, Frank Dickmann, Peter Pleiner, Michael Honisch, Sabine Zabel-Schulte, Gisela Machel, Thomas Elsner, Werner Horn, Markus Röder, Arnd Gräfe, Dagmar Werner, Francisco Simon Fernandez, Oliver Schappe, Christine Knoepffler, Julia Buschbell, Dr. Patrick Liptau, Lars Hoese (Puster U26) , Christian Kaiser + Alexandra Zajonz, Heinrich Stammen, Dämmline Dämmsysteme, Werner Künstle, Birgit Antia,HS CAR DESIGN, Tom Wesely, Mario Pagenkemper, Simone Hänse, Markus Schöllgen, Birgit Hücking, Jörg Grössl, Ursula Keller, Dirk Berns, Helmut Clemens, Michael Stelgens, Peter Merkler (SonMt U17 91-93), Thomas Suhr, Martin Becker, Dr. Joachim Dörr, Herbert Zedka, Dorothee Kaspari, Dennis Grothmann, Volker Hingst, Edward Godzick, Heinrich Mohr, Bernhard Schüßler, Katalin Molnar, Karin Winkler, Gerüstbau Wolfgang Fuchs GmbH, Fam. A. Danieli, Sam Großmann, Herbert Schaefer, Beate Scholl, Markus Höfling, Dieter Vogt, Manfred Lauk, P. Schindler OMt36, David Korell, Patrick Lünow, Fam. Sauer aus Bretten, Jürgen Kuntner, Karin Breitfeld, Werner Sepke, Marco Mossa, Fabian Baumgartner, Raimund Wallner, Hans Heling, Die Urenkel Franz Heim - Daniela Heim, Jürgen Mayer, Harald Haller, Marco Bilwachs, Jürgen Wilms, Julia Meyer, Jutta und Michael Donhauser und Schöneberger, Martina Eck, Jan Moritz (Vize U17/Strm U17), LR Versand Richter, Harry Voegtlin, Maxi Pfeffer, Jörg Kaufmann (I WO U17, 1994-1995), HEBSE alias Herbert Dietzel, Thomas Hahn, Joerg Peter, Karsten Gillert, Patrick Strauß, Wido Ballmann, Thorsten Krohmer (Unterwassenwaffen U26 und U14) Joseph Silverstein, Dr. Wolfgang Eggersmann, Stephan Weise, Wolfgang Kieslich, Bärbel & Stefan Steeg, Alexander Nehring, Jonas Linge, Elly, Sonja + Niklas Maier, Werner Künstle, Uli Joos, Kim-Georg Weidler, Zent Michael (Funker U17), Karoline u. Peter Kornmeier, Manfred Rehbock (U22, U20, U30), Mag. Peter Hofecker, Ulrike Lersch, Erich Weiß, Obersteuermann Klaus Grundwald, Egon Müller, ECK (Puster U15, 1.1.1977 bis 31.12.1979), Schulschenk, Ulrich U24, Peter Tobias, UK München, Johann Lamprecht, Ulrich Habel, Stefan Zerrweck, Vasileios Tsitsiklis, Lilia Riefert, Rene Braun, Kevon Hovis, Peter Kellner +177 further supporters