History

1947
After his return from war captivity the former submarine officer-of-the-Watch Horst Bredow established contact to the next-of-kin of his former crew mates of U 288 to exchange memories. This initially mere private effort to establish a comprehensive picture of the u-boat and the circumstances of its final operation quickly developed an own dynamism, to eventually grow to the current collection.

1983
On 12th December 1983 the meanwhile significantly grown collection moved from Berlin to the island of Sylt to be accommodated at the Naval Air Station Westerland.

1986
On 30th of August 1986 an institutional meeting established the “Uboat Tradition Archive Foundation”. The use of the former name “U-boat Archive Möltenort”, that was selected to demonstrate the close ties to the fallen comrades and their memorial at Möltenort, was given up since there was a widespread assumption the location of the archive to be at Möltenort.

1988
The Naval Air Station Westerland on the island of Sylt was given up be the Federal German Navy and handed over to civil administration. Rental charges for the accommodation of the museum under new rules were beyond feasibilities. Luckily, the city of Cuxhaven offered new premises to the archive.

1989
On 18th of January 1989 a major removal was carried out from the island of Sylt to the new home at Bahnhofstrasse 57 at Cuxhaven-Altenbruch.

2003
The collection in the museum and archive had reached such a size that the foundation acquired an additional home at Lange Strasse 1 at Cuxhaven-Altenbruch. On the 5th of June 2003, the official acquisition occurred at the notary, however, renovation and redecoration took another two months, to be completed at the 8th of August 2003.

2007
The private home of the Bredow family was conveyed to the foundation. Most parts of the house at Lange Strasse No.3 are being used already as library.

A detailed summary of the history of the museum and the archive can be looked up at our yearbooks, which are given to the members of the FTU annually. In 2010, volume No. 18 was published already.