A 400-year-old wreck of a cargo sailing ship was discovered during survey work in the mouth of the Trave near Lübeck.
The remains of the approximately 20-meter-long wooden hull, together with the load, lie eleven meters under water and represent an important archaeological find, the city of Lübeck and its preservationists announced on Tuesday.
It is therefore the first such discovery in the western Baltic Sea region.
17th century merchant ship
The city administration and its team of archaeologists hope that the salvage and examination of the merchant ship, which according to current knowledge dates from the 17th century, will provide valuable insights into the history of Lübeck and the city's historical trade relations within the Hanseatic League.
The wreck is to be lifted from the bottom of the Trave and then preserved over a period of several years.
"The scientific knowledge of this spectacular wreck find will add a previously unknown new piece of the puzzle to the economic and commercial history of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck," said Lübeck's culture senator Monika Frank (SPD) on Tuesday at the public presentation of the discovery, the city and experts initially secret for a few months held.
The wreck was therefore located around two years ago during surveying and sounding work by the Waterways and Shipping Office in the fairway of the Trave estuary between Lübeck and the Baltic Sea.
But it wasn't until August 2021 that divers examined the area more closely, uncovering evidence of a historic wreck.
More detailed investigations followed.
Parts of the hull of the ship, which is a typical Galliot or Fleute type cargo ship from the time of the Hanseatic League, are still preserved after a long time under water.
According to experts, the find is particularly important because of the cargo: more than 150 barrels have been spotted in and next to the wreck so far.
According to initial tests, at least some of it contains unslaked lime, a raw material in the building materials trade.