Figure 1.--The boys must have been headed to Travemünde as we see them there on the beach. Travemünde is a Baltic Sea beach resort area near Lübeck with an interesting history. It is located at the mouth of river Trave into Lübeck Bay. The caption read, "Das erstemal sahen wir das Meer". That means, "The first time we saw the sea". The boys apparent set up a camp here.

The boys must have been headed to Travemünde as we see them there on the beach. We believe that the boys set up a beach camp there. Travemünde is a Baltic Sea beach resort area near Lübeck with an interesting history. It is located at the mouth of river Trave into Lübeck Bay. Travemünde is first reported in history as a strong point build by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony (12th century). He was guarding the mouth of the Trave. The Danes who seized the strong point then further fortified it. It was recognized as a town (1317). The free city of Lübeck, one of the Hanseatic League cities, acquired it (1329). The fortifications were demolished during the Napoleonic Wars (1807). Travemünde began to become popular as a sea resort town (early 19th century). It also became important as Germany's major Baltic Sea ferry port at the Baltic Sea with connectins to Sweden, Finland, and Estonia. (Connections to Norway were with North Sea ports.) The lighthouse (1539) is the oldest German lighthouse along the Baltic coast. There are popular sailong nd beach events stahed at Travemünde. The resort was apparently popular with Thomas Mann. Travemünder is the 19th century seaside resort featured in his classic novel Buddenbrooks. After World War II Travemünde found itself on the border between West and East Germany. A German reader has provided an interesting modern history of Travemünde. "The eastern bank of the Trave river was only for about 800 m part of West Germany. Then came the East German border with all the surveillance which they installed. But what to do in the water? The part of the bank belonging to West-Germany was a well visited bathing beach, adults and children were swimming in the water of the Baltic sea--probably close to wear the HJ boys are pictured here. Of course the vactioners did not "respect" the non-visible "Eastern water". East German patrol boats often approached and arrested the swimmers. You can imagine what happened? The Western people returned some days later after being forced to "visit" East German jails on their holidays. History, we are glad that it is now really history."