Moritzburg guest books: Illustrations bear witness to German history in the Greifswald Bodden

Text by Töns Föste

The small village of Moritzdorf is located opposite the Baabe bulwark. It was founded in 1841 by Prince Wilhelm Malte zu Putbus. Located directly on the Baaber Bek, the connection between Lake Sellin and the Greifswald Bodden, it was home to fishermen, wheelwrights and boat builders, as well as other craftsmen such as stonemasons, shoemakers and tailors. From 1887, there were plans to bridge the Bek, but these were not realised. The Baaber Bollwerk, which belonged to Baabe, was then built on the east side of the Baaber Bek. In 1891, permission was granted to operate a rowing ferry, which has been crossing the narrow arm of water ever since. Today, the ferry, which is operated by a rowing boat, is often referred to as the smallest ferry in Germany and is a tourist attraction.

At the end of the 19th century, when sailing ships had their heyday on Rügen, several seafarers lived in Moritzdorf. There are also reports of two fishmongers. Wilhelmshöhe, a restaurant with a viewing tower named after Wilhelm Möller, who built the restaurant, was built on the hill above Moritzdorf in 1901. The building served as a studio for the painter Karl Weise until 1920.

Linda Förster finally took over the house in 1920. She furnished it with souvenirs from her father, so that the restaurant also had something of a museum feel to it. She owned it until 1977 and the name Moritzburg dates from this time. The restaurant was known far beyond the Greifswald Bodden as a meeting place for sailors. Its sailing parties became almost famous. Even if the climb up the hill was sometimes quite arduous, the descent at a late hour was no less so.

The Moritzburg guest books are well known among insiders. They have been available since 1933 and date back to 2004, and many sailors from near and far have left their "stamps" in them, with hearty comments and imaginative drawings. Hardly anyone can resist a smile when the worn pages glide through their fingers. This treasure indeed documents a piece of sailing history in the Greifswalder Bodden area.

The insight into the Moritzburg guest books has been published in the current issue of YACHT classic, which has been on sale since 21 May (available here). YACHT subscribers get the magazine delivered to their door for free. You can also read the portrait of shipyard founder Henry Rasmussen, the history of the "Nordwest" and look back on Classic Week 2024 in photos by Nico Krauss.