Fishing, cargo and Baltic seamanship
Heiligenhafen’s harbour has roots in the thirteenth century. It served fishing and cargo movements along the Baltic coast and to nearby Fehmarn. Silting sometimes forced larger ships to remain outside while smaller vessels carried their goods into the harbour.
Nineteenth-century improvements enlarged the harbour and deepened its approach. The southern mole was developed between 1809 and 1834, the northern mole followed in 1838, and a western mole was added in 1870.
The town museum preserves this seafaring heritage through ship portraits and models, including vessels built at the local Tornoe yard. Its displays also remember Heiligenhafen captain Hinrich Nissen, who commanded the five-masted sailing ship Preußen. The photograph shows the harbour in August 2025.