Ozeaneum Stralsund presents historical diving machine

Uwe Gläser from the Historical Diving Society in the replica of the Kreftschen diving machine (c) Franz Rothbrust

International Museum Day at the German Maritime Museum Stralsund: Diving activities The German Maritime Museum Stralsund commemorates the International Museum Day on May 19, 2019 with activities around the topic of diving. The highlight is the demonstration of the replica of a historic diving machine in a dive container at the Ozeaneum. As early as 1800, a creative businessman from the Pomeranian town of Barth had already come up with the idea for a closed diving suit and "transformed the idea" into theory and later into practice. Peter Kreeft designed the first full body diving suit, which was closed and with air supply for the diver. The reason for the development of this so called "Kreftschen diving machine" was the recovery of valuable cargo from a sunken ship. After more than one and a half years of development and construction time, a replica of this historic diving suit has been built in cooperation with the Historischer Tauchergesellschaft. " The demonstration of the replica of the first closed and air-supplied diving machine shows the beginnings of diving. It was a long way from then to today's high-tech diving, but the basic principles are still the same. As an underwater archaeologist, I am fascinated by the courage and pioneering spirit of our ancestors ", explains Dr. med. Thomas Förster, Curator of Maritime Cultural Heritage at the German Maritime Museum. It's really fascinating to experience the beginnings of diving. For this we have spared no effort and even researched in English and Scandinavian archives, " said Franz Rothbrust of the Historical Diving Society. The action day takes place on Sunday, 19 May 2019 from 11:00 - 16:00 o'clock at the Ozeaneum and is free of charge. For the younger guests, the diving marionette Jaques of the German Maritime Museum is there and the diving club Stralsund presents interesting facts about modern diving. If you feel like it, you can explore the exhibitions and aquariums in the Ozeaneum Stralsund. The diving machine will be exhibited from summer on in the Nautineum, the site of the Deutsches Meeresmuseum on Stralsund Dänholm. More Information: www.deutsches-meeresmuseum.de.

Historical illustration of the Kreeftschen diving machine around 1805, source: city archive Stralsund

Historical illustration of the Kreeftschen diving machine around 1805, source: city archive Stralsund