Letters to the Archive

Rear Admiral (rtd.) Dr. Flachsenberg – ex CO U-71
“…only future times will be able to honour the true historical importance of the U-boat-Archive to crews, their dependents und their descendents…”

Mr. Jak Mallmann-Showell (british historian and author)
“…most certainly, this archive is the best monument for the German U-boat Force, memories are alive here…”

Mrs. Hedwig Breuer, depedent of a fallen submariner
“…I am deeply moved, here I found my only brother Rudolf Nett, here he has his home…”

Mr. Charles Christ, USA
“…it was a long way to here, but each mile was worthwhile. Horst, your work compiling the history of the U-boat Force will be more important day by day…”

Mr. Eberhard Möller, former Chief Engineer of U 530, U 867, U 2550, during research for a PhD
“…all expectations were well passed, even on the depth of the material so valuable to me…”

Mr. Knut Sivertsen, historian from Norway
“…I am admiring the work here, it is of utmost importance to historical research…”

Vice-Admiral (FGN) Helmut Kampe, Commander Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approches
“…am deeply impressed about that what has been achieved to keep the history of the U-boat Force…”

Captain Hannes Ewerth, Commander Submarines Federal German Navy
“…tradition is truely alive here…”

Rear Admiral (FGN) Franz-Dieter Braun, Commander-in-Chief Naval Office
“…would love to see a similar establishment for destroyer crews…”

A Japanese TV-Team during research on German-Japanese submarine cooperation
“..it was really worthwhile to come here from Tokyo, because you provided us with such an enormous amount of material…”

Mr. Peter Gerhardt, Director of the Naval Branch at the Wehrmacht Information Agency, Berlin
“…deserves highest appreciation. Hoping for further good and fruitful co-operation…”

Rear Admiral (rtd.) Eberhard Godt
…”…hits a former U-boatman right into the heart: what has been achieved here is clearly unique and admirable…”

Surgeon Captain (FGN) Dr. Werner Haag, Commanding Officer Armed Forces Hospital Bad Zwischenahn
“…a place for reflection, honouring the deaths, respecting the survivors…”

Visit by 18 members of the Veteran Association of U 71
…”…support should be given by all means…”

Mr. Ed Caram, US Naval Historian
“…this has got to be the best assemblage of U-boat historical material I have seen…”

Pierre Magot-Curvu, Vice-President of the Association of French Submariners
“…in full admiration of the powerful and wonderful work, being an example for us…”

Commander (FGN) Bernd Molter, Commanding Officer 3rd Submarine Squadron
“… I wish this spirit to live on in todays generation of submariners…”

Mrs. Gabriele von Arnauld de la Periere during research on her uncle Lothar von Arnauld d.l.P.
“…researching for years now in archives. It is a first time I have seen such a comprehensive compilation…”

Mr. Eberhard Rößler, Expert Author
“…already now the U-boat-Archive is the most important institution for documents on German UBoats, their fates and, above all, their crews. I am most grateful for having been able this year again to deepen my knowledge for my future work…”

Lieutenant Commander (FGN) Henry Püschel, Desk Officer Naval Staff
“…and last but not least the humane and comradely value is inestimable…”

Member of Parliament, Mr. Martin Oldenstädt, Lieutenant Commander (Naval Reserve)
“… will be supporting the work of the Archive to the best of my abilities…”

Mr. Franz Kurowski, Expert Author
“…was blessed to find new evidence about our U-boat Force…”

Professor Dr. Michael Hadley, University of Victoria, Canada
“…my three-day visit to the U-boat-Archive remains the highlight of my tour of research this year through the Federal Republic of Germany… to Naval Historians is provides for an impressive collection of the most valuable documents…being of real use to researchers, comprehensive, clearly arranged and easy accessible…”

Mr. Carl Emmermann, former Commanding Officer U 172
“…good for us, that this unique documentation will be maintained and taken care of by the living and the next generation…”

Mr. Harry Hutson, British Naval Historian
“…many thanks for the offer of co-operation and the exchange of U-boat-Information…”

TV-Team of FR 3 Television Francaise, Limoges
“…thanks for the help, support and provision of material for our project “The Battle of the Atlantic”…”

Mr. Charles Walker, British Merchant Navy Officer, sunk three times by German submarines
“…this is the best place on earth to get information on activities of both sides, the German and English,…after 40 years of research here I have finally managed to receive comprehensive information…”

Dr. Rüppel, Historical Advisor to the Naval Office, Wilhelmshaven
“…much is talk, less is real discussion and even lesser is action, here it is quite the opposite, might it be so furtheron…”

Mr. Timothy P. Mulligan, National Archive, Washington D.C. USA
“…an enormous amount of valuable material, a living monument for those men that served in the U-boat Force…”

Mr. Christopher Lowe, British Naval Historian
“…The archive must be kept alive for future generations, to inform the world about German maritime history…”

Captain (FGN) Ullmann, Assistant Chief of Staff Operations, Submarine Flottilla
“…thanks for the quick support of looking for material on the beginnings of the new German Submarine Force…”

Mr. Gero Kintzel-Hübner, Journalist and Chief Editor
“… this archive is extremely valuable and of unique kind. For historians it is a rich source of first class…”

Prof. Dr. Michael Gannon, Historian, University of Florida, USA
“…this archive is an important centre for scientific research and work by historians pursuing their aim of search for the contexts of World War II…”

Dr. Manfred Kehrig, Colonel (rtd) and Director of the Archive of the Military Archive of the Federal Archive, Freiburg
“…a day full of surprises, with an amazing amount of findings and impressions…”

Vice-Admiral (rtd.) Horst von Schroeter, former Commanding Officer U 123 and President of the Naval Officer Association
“…I found documents of great interest to me and I am impressed about the ongoing work on further archiving…” (Already third visit at the archive).

Commander (FGN) Hans-Gerrit Albers, Naval Communication School, Flensburg
“…we take along back to Flensburg valuable ideas and hints for our work on establishing a Communication Museum at the Naval Communication School…”

Mr. Manfred Dörr, Expert Author of the Biblio-Publishing House
“…Here I found ideal conditions for work and I only can strongly recommend other publishers which occupy themselves with the history of the U-boat Force to allow their authors to visit the U-boat-Archive…”

Note: The above citations stem from entrances to the archive´s guest book and letters to the archive between 1984 an 1987.