Wilhelmshaven (, ''Wilhelm's Harbour'';

Northern Low Saxon Northern Low Saxon (in Standard German, Standard High German: ', also ', lit. ''North(ern) Low Saxon/German''; in Dutch language, Standard Dutch: ') is a subgroup of Low Saxon dialects of Low German. As such, it covers a great part of the West ...

: ''Willemshaven'') is a coastal town in

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. It is situated on the western side of the

Jade Bight The Jade Bight (also known as ''Jade Bay''; , ) is a bight or bay on the North Sea coast of Germany. It was formerly known simply as (the) Jade or Jahde. Because of the very low input of freshwater, it is classified as a bay rather than an e ...

, a bay of the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmshaven is the centre of the "Jade Bay" business region (which has around 330,000 inhabitants) and is Germany's main military port. The adjacent

Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park The Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park () was established in 1986 and embraces the East Frisian Islands, mudflats and salt marshes between the Bay of Dollart on the border with the Netherlands in the west and Cuxhaven as far as the Outer ...

(part of the Wattenmeer

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Natural Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritage ...

) provides the basis for the major tourism industry in the region.

History

The , built before 1383, operated as a

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

stronghold; the

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...

destroyed it in 1433. Four centuries later, the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...

planned a fleet and a harbour on the North Sea. In 1853, Prince Adalbert of Prussia, a cousin of the Prussian King

Frederick William IV Frederick William IV (; 15 October 1795 – 2 January 1861), the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, was King of Prussia from 7 June 1840 until his death on 2 January 1861. Also referred to as the " romanticist on the t ...

, arranged the

Jade Treaty The Jade Treaty () of 20 July 1853 between the Kingdom of Prussia and the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg provided for the handover of 340 hectares of Oldenburg territory at what is now Wilhelmshaven, Germany, on the western shore of the Jade Bight, a bay ...

(''Jade-Vertrag'') with the

Grand Duchy of Oldenburg The Grand Duchy of Oldenburg (, also known as Holstein-Oldenburg) was a grand duchy within the German Confederation, North German Confederation and German Empire, that consisted of three widely separated territories: Oldenburg, Eutin and Bir ...

, in which Prussia and the Grand Duchy entered into a contract whereby Oldenburg ceded of its territory at the Jade Bight to Prussia. In 1869 King

William I of Prussia Wilhelm I (Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 1861 and German Emperor from 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the first head of state of a united Germany. ...

(later also German Emperor) founded the town as an

exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...

of the

Province of Hanover The Province of Hanover () was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1866 to 1946. During the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Hanover had attempted to maintain a neutral position, alo ...

and a naval base for Prussia's developing fleet. All the

hinterland Hinterland is a German word meaning the 'land behind' a city, a port, or similar. Its use in English was first documented by the geographer George Chisholm in his ''Handbook of Commercial Geography'' (1888). Originally the term was associated wi ...

of the city remained a part of Oldenburg. A shipbuilding yard developed at Wilhelmshaven, the ''Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven'' (

Wilhelmshaven Imperial Shipyard Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven (Wilhelmshaven Imperial Shipyard) was a German Shipbuilder, shipbuilding company in Wilhelmshaven, founded in 1871 and closed in 1918. Together with Kaiserliche Werft Danzig and Kaiserliche Werft Kiel it was one ...

). On 30 June 1934 the "

pocket battleship The class was a series of three (armored ships), a form of heavily armed cruiser, built by the officially in accordance with restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. The ships of the class, , , and , were all stated to displace in a ...

" '' Admiral Graf Spee'' was launched at Wilhelmshaven. The battleship ''Scharnhorst'' was subsequently laid down a year afterward, before her commissioning in 1939. The biggest european warship of the second world war, the battleship "Tirpitz", was built at the same naval yard 1936-1941. In 1937 Wilhelmshaven and the adjacent village

Rüstringen Rüstringen or Rustringen was an old Frisian gau (country subdivision), gau, which lies between the modern district Friesland (district), Friesland and the Weser river in modern Lower Saxony. Nowadays, only a small part of the original territory re ...

merged and the united city, named Wilhelmshaven, became a part of the

Free State of Oldenburg The Free State of Oldenburg () was a federated state that existed during the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. It was established in 1918 following the abdication of the Grand Duke Frederick Augustus II of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg after th ...

World War II

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

(1939–1945), Wilhelmshaven served as the main base of the

Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official military branch, branche ...

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

bombing destroyed two thirds of the town's buildings while the main target, the Naval Shipyard Wilhelmshaven, remained operational despite serious damage. A major attack on residential areas of Wilhelmshaven was carried out on 15 October 1944. Various churches, hospitals, schools and many residential buildings were destroyed or severely damaged. During the war, ''Alter Banter Weg'' (No. 1582 Wilhelmshaven), functioned as a subcamp of the

Neuengamme concentration camp Neuengamme was a network of Nazi concentration camps in northern Germany that consisted of the main camp, Neuengamme, and List of subcamps of Neuengamme, more than 85 satellite camps. Established in 1938 near the village of Neuengamme, Hamburg, N ...

. On 28 April 1945 the Polish First Armored Division captured Wilhelmshaven, and took the surrender of the entire garrison, including over 200 ships of the

. The Poles remained as part of the Allied occupation forces until 1947.

Since 1945

In 1947 the city council decided to seek a new emblem for the city. After the Control Commission for Germany – British Element (CCG/BE) had rejected several designs, Wilhelmshaven selected the image of a

Frisia Frisia () is a Cross-border region, cross-border Cultural area, cultural region in Northwestern Europe. Stretching along the Wadden Sea, it encompasses the north of the Netherlands and parts of northwestern Germany. Wider definitions of "Frisia" ...

n warrior (''Rüstringer Friese''), designed after a nail man erected in the city during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

to collect war donations. Between 1947 and 1972 Wilhelmshaven was the home of Prince Rupert School, a comprehensive boarding school for children of

British Army of the Rhine British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) was the name given to British Army occupation forces in the Rhineland, West Germany, after the First and Second World Wars, and during the Cold War, becoming part of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) tasked ...

and

Royal Air Force Germany Royal Air Force Germany, commonly known as RAF Germany, and abbreviated RAFG, was a List of Royal Air Force commands, command of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and part of British Forces Germany (BFG). It consisted of units located in Germany, init ...

personnel serving in

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

. The school relocated to

Rinteln Rinteln () is a small town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the banks of the Weser river north of the Porta Westfalica. The town of Rinteln is in the broad valley between the hills of the Weserbergland and the North Lippe Bergland. In ...

in 1972, and closed in 2014. There is an active association of former Wilhelmshaven pupils called The Wilhelmshaven Association. After World War II the shipyard was totally disarmed under the British Commander in Chief, and of course many military buildings were damaged or vacant. While it was prohibited to establish any kind of military-linked businesses, Wilhelmshaven took the opportunity to provide a convenient location for

Olympia Werke Olympia-Werke Aktiengesellschaft, AG was an important German manufacturer of typewriters and other office equipment. Since the plant in near Wilhelmshaven was closed in 1991, only the brand name has survived. Beginnings (1903–1945) As typ ...

, which became one of the most popular quality typewriter factories in the world. A workforce of 7,000 worker was employed there in 1953.

Today

Wilhelmshaven is Germany's only deep-water

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

, and its largest

naval base A naval base, navy base, or military port is a military base, where warships and naval ships are docked when they have no mission at sea or need to restock. Ships may also undergo repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usu ...

. Concerning the new plans for the

Bundeswehr The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: Germ ...

which took shape in 2011 it has become the largest military base in Germany as well. The German defence forces (

German Navy The German Navy (, ) is part of the unified (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Marine'' (German Navy) became the official ...

, navy arsenal, logistics centre) together with the public sector, are the main pillars of the local employment market. The benefits of the deep shipping channel were already recognised at the end of the 1950s with the construction of the first

oil tanker An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk cargo, bulk transport of petroleum, oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quant ...

jetty A jetty is a man-made structure that protrudes from land out into water. A jetty may serve as a breakwater (structure), breakwater, as a walkway, or both; or, in pairs, as a means of constricting a channel. The term derives from the French la ...

. Wilhelmshaven has been the most important German import terminal for

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring u ...

ever since. Pipelines from here supply refineries in the Rhine-Ruhr region and Hamburg. Other major business operations followed, and constructed jetties for crude oil and oil products, coal, and chemical products. Planning for a

liquefied natural gas terminal A liquefied natural gas terminal is a facility for managing the import and/or export of liquefied natural gas (LNG). It comprises equipment for loading and unloading of LNG cargo to/from ocean-going tankers, for transfer across the site, liquefa ...

for LNG ships began in 2017, but

regulatory Regulation is the management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. In systems theory, these types of rules exist in various fields of biology and society, but the term has slightly different meanings according to context. Fo ...

impediments delayed construction for years. Following the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

, as gas commitments from the

Nord Stream 1 Nord Stream (Denglisch, German–English mixed expression for "North Stream 1"; ) is a pair of offshore natural gas pipeline transport, pipelines in Europe that run under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. It consists of the Nord Stream 1 ( ...

and

Nord Stream 2 Nord Stream 2 (German language, German–English language, English mixed expression for "North Stream 2"; ) is a natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany running through the Baltic Sea, financed by Gazprom and several European energy compani ...

undersea

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages *Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...

pipelines became unreliable and then unavailable, construction of the Wilhelmshaven LNG terminal was rapidly accelerated from May 2022 to displace some of the pipeline gas imported from Russia. The terminal received its first load of LNG in December 2022.Germany Welcomes First LNG Carrier At New Wilhelmshaven Terminal
OilPrice.com, 3 January 2023. Another element of the "Wilhelmshaven energy hub" programme is the

chemical industry The chemical industry comprises the companies and other organizations that develop and produce industrial, specialty and other chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, the chemical industry converts raw materials ( oil, natural gas, air, ...

(refinery, PVC, and chlorine gas production), as well as power generation (two

coal-fired power station A coal-fired power station or coal power plant is a thermal power station which burns coal to generate electricity. Worldwide there are about 2,500 coal-fired power stations, on average capable of generating a gigawatt each. They generate ...

s, wind power). Two short pipelines connect the LNG reception to the industrial zone. One of the main industrial sectors in Wilhelmshaven is the port industry with its wharves, sea port service companies, service providers and repair businesses, transhipment and handling businesses, agencies, etc.... The "

JadeWeserPort JadeWeserPort () is Germany's largest harbour project. It is supported by the states of Lower Saxony (50.1% stake) and Bremen (state), Bremen (49.9% stake). This new containerization, container port is located at Wilhelmshaven at the Jade ...

" – Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven (CTW), operational since 2012 and the development of the neighbouring Freight Village provide prospects for employment in areas such as logistics and distribution. In 2016 Eurogate increased transhipment volume up to 480,000 Container (TEU). And since

Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...

is interested in using the deep-water facilities the number of employed workers is assumed to rise from 400 to 600.

Geography and climate

Wilhelmshaven has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Cfb'';

Trewartha Glenn Thomas Trewartha (1896 – 1984) was an American geographer of Cornish American descent. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with a Ph.D. in 1924. He taught at the University of Wisconsin. He gave an address to th ...

: ''Dolk''). Wilhelmshaven is located on the coast of the

and is influenced by a distinct maritime climate. The average temperature ranges from in winter to in summer, with warm winters and cool summers throughout the year. The Wilhelmshaven weather station has recorded the following extreme values: * Highest Temperature on 9 August 1992. * Lowest Temperature on 11 February 1929. * Wettest Year in 1988. * Driest Year in 1959. * Highest Daily Precipitation: on 29 June 1981. * Earliest Snowfall: 3 November 1919. * Latest Snowfall: 14 April 1966.

Sights

Wilhelmshaven townhall front facing north Wilhelmshaven Germany 04

Wilhelmshaven Jadestadion U21 Laenderspiel

*The Jadestadion, the stadium of local club

SV Wilhelmshaven SV Wilhelmshaven is a German association football club from Wilhelmshaven, Lower Saxony. SV Wilhelmshaven play in the Regionalliga Nord. SV Wilhelmshaven was founded in 1905. Since 1999, Wilhelmshaven's stadium is the Jadestadion. History Pre ...

* Wasserturm Wilhelmshaven – water tower built in 1911 and a significant landmark of Wilhelmshaven city. *Aquarium Wilhelmshaven, located on the Helgolandkai – a view of the oceans and underwater habitats around the world. *The

Botanischer Garten der Stadt Wilhelmshaven The Botanischer Garten der Stadt Wilhelmshaven (6000 m2) is a municipal botanical garden located at Neuengrodener Weg 26 in Wilhelmshaven, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is open daily in the warmer months; admission is free. The garden was establis ...

, a municipal

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...

. *The Deutsches Marinemuseum (Navy Museum), whose main exhibits are the former German Navy

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

Mölders (D186) Mölders is a German name. It may refer to: * Carmen Nicole Moelders or Nicole Mölders, American atmospheric scientist * Sascha Mölders (born 1985), German footballer, played for 1860 München * Werner Mölders (1913–1941), German flying ace ** ...

, a

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

, and some smaller warships as well as an exhibition of German naval history from the 19th century onwards. *UNESCO World Heritage Site Wadden Sea Visitor center. The large permanent interactive exhibition provides insight into the Wadden Sea environment. One of the special displays is the 14-metre-long skeleton of a sperm whale which beached on the island of Baltrum in 1994 and weighed 39 tonnes when alive. The whale's organs were preserved using

plastination Plastination is a technique or process used in anatomy to preserve bodies or body parts, first developed by Gunther von Hagens in 1977. The water and fat are replaced by certain plastics, yielding specimens that can be touched, do not smell or ...

by Gunther von Hagens. *The Küstenmuseum (Coastal Museum). The exhibition displays a broad spectrum of the past, present and future of the coast. *The ''Bontekai'', city harbor jetty, featuring the former light vessel "Weser" and the steam engine powered buoy layer "Kapitän Meyer", an active museum ship. During the "Jade Weekend" (late June) it is berth of tall sailing ships, too. *The double swing bridge ''

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Brücke The Kaiser Wilhelm Bridge ( or "Emperor William Bridge") is a swing bridge in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, and the town's landmark. Location The Kaiser Wilhelm Bridge connects the beach (''Südstrandpromenade'') with the South Quarter. History Const ...

'' ("Emperor Wilhelm Bridge") crosses an inlet of the Jade Bight. It was built from 1905 to 1907 and is considered to be one of Wilhelmshaven's landmarks. *The Town Hall (Rathaus), a large brick building, constructed from 1927 to 1929 by the architect

Fritz Höger Fritz is a common German male name. The name originated as a German diminutive of Friedrich or Frederick (''Der Alte Fritz'', and ''Stary Fryc'' were common nicknames for King Frederick II of Prussia and Frederick III, German Emperor), as well ...

as the town hall of the city of Rüstringen. It was severely damaged by bombs in 1944 and rebuilt from 1948 to 1953. *Ruins of Sibetsburg Castle. It was built in 1383, conquered and dismantled in 1435. *The oldest church of the city is St. Jakobi Church at Neuende which was built about 1383 under the direction of the chieftain of Jever Edo Wiemken. The Christus-und-Garnisionskirche, built in 1869 by the Prussian architect Friedrich Adler was heavily damaged by bombs in 1942 and rebuilt after the war. *Kopperhörner Mühle is a windmill dating from 1839 which was renovated in 1982 and 2000. *Kaiser-Wilhelm-Denkmal at the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz, a monument erected in memory of emperor Wilhelm I of Prussia in 1896, who was one of the founder of the city. After the statue had been melted down in 1942, it was reconstructed in 1994. *The entrance building of the former Kaiserliche Marinewerft ("emperor's shipyard"), built in the 1870s. *The building of the former Kaiserliche Westwerft ("emperor's western shipyard"), completed in 1913. Every year in the first days of July, the big "Weekend on the Jade" event attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the big port, the southern beach and the navy arsenal. Another big event takes place at the end of the sailing season at the beginning of October when two dozen large

sailing ships A sailing ship is a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on Mast (sailing), masts to harness the power of wind and propel the vessel. There is a variety of sail plans that propel sailing ships, employing Square rig, square-rigged or Fore-an ...

dock in Wilhelmshaven as part of the "

Cup".

Notable people

August Friedrich Wilhelm Crome August Friedrich Wilhelm Crome (8 June 1753 in Sengwarden – 11 June 1833 in Rödelheim) was a German economist and statistician, and Professor of Cameralism at the University of Giessen. He is known particularly for his 1782 product map of Europ ...

(1753–1833), economist and statistician; produced a

thematic map A thematic map is a type of map that portrays the geographic pattern of a particular subject matter (theme) in a geographic area. This usually involves the use of map symbols to Geovisualization, visualize selected properties of geographic fe ...

of Europe *

Eilhard Mitscherlich Eilhard Mitscherlich (; 7 January 179428 August 1863) was a German chemist, who is perhaps best remembered today for his discovery of the phenomenon of crystallographic isomorphism in 1819. Early life and work Mitscherlich was born at Neuende ...

(1794–1863) a chemist, discovered crystallographic isomorphism in 1819. *

Erhard Milch Erhard Milch (30 March 1892 – 25 January 1972) was a German ''Generalfeldmarschall'' of the ''Luftwaffe'' who oversaw its founding and development during the rearmament of Germany and most of World War II. Milch served as State Secretary in ...

(1892–1972), field marshal who oversaw the development of the

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

* Ernst Paul Heinz Prüfer (1896–1934), Jewish mathematician *

Hans Hellmann Hans Gustav Adolf Hellmann (14 October 1903 – 29 May 1938) was a German theoretical physicist. Biography Hellmann was born in Wilhelmshaven, Prussian Hanover. He began studying electrical engineering in Stuttgart but changed to engineering ...

(1903–1938), theoretical physicist; associated with the

Hellmann–Feynman theorem In quantum mechanics, the Hellmann–Feynman theorem relates the derivative of the total energy with respect to a parameter to the expectation value of the derivative of the Hamiltonian with respect to that same parameter. According to the theorem ...

* Heinrich Seetzen (1906–1945), lawyer and

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

official;

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

perpetrator *

Adalbert von Blanc Adalbert Pierre Louis Karl Erich Johann von Blanc (11 July 1907 – 7 November 1976) was a German naval officer during World War II and later an admiral in the West German Navy. During World War II he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the I ...

(1907–1976) naval officer in WWII and admiral in the West

. *

Klaus Riedel Klaus Riedel (2 August 1907 – 4 August 1944) was a German rocket pioneer. He was involved in many early liquid-fuelled rocket experiments, and eventually worked on the V-2 missile programme at Peenemünde Army Research Center. A Lunar crat ...

(1907–1944), rocket pioneer, worked on the

V-2 The V2 (), with the technical name '' Aggregat-4'' (A4), was the world's first long-range guided ballistic missile. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was developed during the Second World War in Nazi Germany as a " ven ...

missile programme at

Peenemünde Peenemünde (, ) is a municipality on the Baltic Sea island of Usedom in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in north-eastern Germany. It is part of the ''Amt (country subdivision), Amt'' (collective municipality) of Used ...

Otto von Bülow Otto von Bülow (16 October 1911 – 5 January 2006) was a German U-boat commander in World War II, and a captain in the '' Bundesmarine''. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. Family Bülow ...

(1911–2006), U-boat commander in World War II, and captain in the Bundesmarine *

Henry Picker Henry Picker (6 February 1912 – 2 May 1988) was a lawyer, stenographer and author who co-transcribed and first published transcripts of Adolf Hitler's informal talks, known colloquially as the '' Table Talk''. Biography Henry Picker was born i ...

(1912–1988), lawyer, stenographer and author, co-transcribed

Hitler's Table Talk "Hitler's Table Talk" () is the title given to a series of World War II monologues delivered by Adolf Hitler, which were transcribed from 1941 to 1944. Hitler's remarks were recorded by Heinrich Heim, Henry Picker, Hans Müller and Martin Borma ...

Wilfried Struve Wilfried Hermann Georg Struve (1914–1992) was a German scientist. He started his career as a sixth-generation astronomer, a direct successor in the famous family line of Friedrich Georg Wilhelm, Otto Wilhelm, Hermann, Georg Hermann Struve. He f ...

(1914–1992), scientist working in astronomy and acoustics, son of

Georg Hermann Struve Georg Otto Hermann Struve (; 29 December 1886 – 10 June 1933) was a German astronomer from the Struve family and the son of Hermann Struve. Georg was born in 1886 in Tsarskoye Selo – a former Russian residence of the imperial family and visi ...

Hans Clarin Hans Clarin (14 September 1929 – 28 August 2005) was a German actor. He became a well-known voice actor of characters in children audio plays, particularly the kobold '' Pumuckl'' (including its TV and cinematic film adaptations), the German voi ...

(1929–2005), actor and

voice actor Voice acting is the art of Acting, performing a character or providing information to an audience with one's voice. Performers are often called voice actors/actresses in addition to other names. Examples of voice work include animation, animated, ...

in children's audio plays *

Karl Leister Karl Leister (born 15 June 1937) is a classical clarinet player from Wilhelmshaven, Germany. At a very young age, he learned to play the clarinet from his father, also a clarinetist, and later studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin. As a ...

(born 1937), clarinetist with the

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra The Berlin Philharmonic () is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. Throughout the 20th century, the orchestra was led by conductors Wilhelm Furtwängler (1922� ...

Hans-Michael Bock Hans-Michael Bock (born 5 July 1947 in Wilhelmshaven, Germany) is a German film historian, filmmaker, translator and writer. Work Bock is editor of the encyclopaedia ''CineGraph - Lexikon zum deutschsprachigen Film'', a reference work for Ger ...

(born 1947), film historian, filmmaker, translator and writer. *

Rainer Fetting Rainer Fetting (born 31 December 1949 in Wilhelmshaven, West Germany) is a German painter and sculptor. Rainer Fetting was one of the co-founders and main protagonists of the Galerie am Moritzplatz in Berlin, founded in the late 1970s by a gr ...

(born 1949), painter and sculptor *

Thomas Hengelbrock Hans Thomas Hengelbrock (born 9 June 1958) is a German violinist, musicologist, stage director and conductor. Biography Hengelbrock was born in Wilhelmshaven, the son of teachers Günther and Dorothea Elisabeth (Schliefert) Hengelbrock. He stud ...

(born 1958), violinist, stage director and principal conductor of the

NDR Symphony Orchestra The NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra () is a German radio orchestra. Affiliated with the ''Norddeutscher Rundfunk'' (NDR; North German Broadcasting), the orchestra is based at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany. Earlier the ensemble was call ...

* Nico Beyer (born 1964), film director and producer *

Olaf Lies Olaf Lies (born 8 May 1967) is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). In May 2025 he was elected as Minister-President of the federal state of Lower Saxony. Political career Lies joined the Social Democratic Party in 2002. ...

(born 1964), local politician (SPD) *

Niels Högel Niels Högel (born 30 December 1976) is a German serial killer and former nurse who was sentenced to life imprisonment, initially for the murders of six patients, and later convicted of a total of eighty-five murders. Estimates of Högel's alle ...

(born 1976), former nurse, serial killer, convicted of the murders of 85 people

Sport

Maren Brinker Maren Fromm (née Brinker; born 10 July 1986) is a retired German volleyball player, a member of Germany women's national volleyball team. Personal life On 24 June 2017 she married Christian Fromm, German national team volleyball player. Car ...

, volleyball player *

Kurt Doerry Kurt Wilhelm Doerry (24 September 1874 – 4 January 1947) was a German track and field athlete. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and the 1900 Summer Olympics held in Paris. Doerry was 21 years old when he competed at the 18 ...

(1874–1947) track and field athlete, competed at the

1896 Events January * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports Wilhelm Röntgen's dis ...

1900 Summer Olympics The 1900 Summer Olympics (), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 14 May to 28 October 1900. No opening or closin ...

. *

Helmut Reichmann Helmut Reichmann (1941 – March 10, 1992) was a German glider pilot, thrice World Gliding Champion, and co-founder, along with millionaire Barron Hilton, of the Barron Hilton Cup. He was an arts teacher and a professor of industrial design in hi ...

(1941–1992), a glider pilot, thrice World Gliding Champion * Steffen Puttkammer (born 1988), footballer who has played over 390 games *

Sebastian Polter Sebastian Polter (born 1 April 1991) is a German professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Eintracht Braunschweig. Club career Early career Polter played for VfL Wolfsburg II from July 2008 until June 2012. During the 2008–09 ...

(born 1991), footballer who has played over 350 games *

Kai Pröger Kai Pröger (born 15 May 1992) is a German professional footballer who plays as a right winger for club VfL Osnabrück. Career Pröger made his professional debut for Mainz 05 II in the 3. Liga on 2 August 2014, coming on as a substitute in th ...

(born 1992), footballer who has played over 320 games

Twin towns – sister cities

Wilhelmshaven is twinned with: *

Vichy Vichy (, ; ) is a city in the central French department of Allier. Located on the Allier river, it is a major spa and resort town and during World War II was the capital of Vichy France. As of 2021, Vichy has a population of 25,789. Known f ...

, France (1965) *

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

, Virginia, United States (1976) *

Dunfermline Dunfermline (; , ) is a city, parish, and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland, from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. Dunfermline was the de facto capital of the Kingdom of Scotland between the 11th and 15th centuries. The earliest ...

, Scotland, United Kingdom (1979) *

Bromberg Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its left-bank tributary, the Brda, the strategic location of Bydgoszcz has made it an inland ...

, Austria (1980) *

Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its bank (geography), left-bank tributary, the Brda (river), Brda, the strategic location of Byd ...

, Poland (2006)

Citations

General sources

*Official German list of concentration camp
Verzeichnis der Konzentrationslager und ihrer Außenkommandos

Camp memorial Neuengamme

External links

* * * {{Authority control 1869 establishments in the North German Confederation German Navy Neuengamme concentration camp Populated coastal places in Germany (North Sea) Populated places established in 1869 Port cities and towns in Germany Port cities and towns of the North Sea Prussian Navy Towns in Lower Saxony William I, German Emperor Urban districts of Lower Saxony