Easter film auctioned: Lonely Baltic Sea island goes to Austrian entrepreneur for 60,000 euros

Anyone who has always wanted to moor up on their own island in the Baltic Sea recently had the opportunity to do so: The former Ostervilm military platform was put up for auction. But now it's too late: on 4 June 2026, the bid for the artificial island was accepted at 60,000 euros by Oliver Pesendorfer, head of the Austrian company McCube, which specialises in modular prefabricated houses.

His vision sounds romantic: "In the first instance, he wants to create a small event island for weddings", as he explained after the auction. He could also imagine cultural events.

The plan: weddings between cormorants and rust

Oliver Pesendorfer is no stranger to unconventional construction projects. His company McCube develops modular prefabricated houses that can be erected and occupied within a day. The idea of placing such modules on the dilapidated platform could make perfect technical sense - if the necessary licences are granted.

This is because its location in the South-East Rügen Biosphere Reserve, which is designated as an FFH area and EU bird sanctuary, places strict limits on ideas for its future use. Cormorants have covered the structure with a thick layer of guano and use it as a favourite resting place. During the breeding season from February to July, stricter nature conservation regulations could apply. Obtaining a licence for a wedding venue with regular boat traffic in the bird sanctuary could be a challenge.

Incidentally, only the building changes hands with the purchase, not the surrounding 710 square metres of water. These are leased from the Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA) in Stralsund. The annual lease fee is just 75 euros.

The invoice: purchase price plus X

The comparatively low costs of acquiring the island and the annual lease are likely to be followed by much higher renovation costs: The platform stands on around 600 oak piles that have been exposed to the elements for over 70 years. Crumbling concrete, rusted steel structures and destroyed windows characterise its condition. There is virtually no infrastructure, electricity, water, sewage - everything has to be reinstalled and the materials brought in by boat. With wind and waves in the Bodden, every screw can become a luxury item.

History of failure: from casino to artists' colony

The platform has a remarkable track record: all previous utilisation plans have failed. After reunification, more or less reputable interested parties wanted to build a casino, a holiday and leisure facility, an adventure base for anglers, a restaurant for water sports enthusiasts, a test station for wind turbines or even a brothel. The latter would undoubtedly have caused a stir - an amusement centre on stilts in the biosphere reserve, with seagulls as guests.

In 2001, mechanical engineer Peer Wenmakers from Bergen and Düsseldorf architect and set designer Gerhard Benz bought the platform for DM 10,001 from the Federal Property Office. They wanted to establish a cultural and creative centre for artists, a "sanatorium for the mind". Huge amounts of bird droppings were removed and a caravan was hoisted onto the plateau as makeshift accommodation. However, this project also failed due to the enormous costs and logistical hurdles.

On the island - next to the aforementioned caravan - there is still a free-standing sculpture by the architect, a ceramic bell weighing around 1.3 tonnes. It sits enthroned on the dilapidated platform like a stone memorial to failed dreams and is now a popular photo motif for drone pilots and sea kayakers - but is not included in the purchase price.

From the People's Navy to the Lost Place

The platform has been a well-known landmark for sailors in the Greifswald Bodden for decades. The facility was originally built around 1954 for the National People's Army of the GDR. The magnetic fields of ships were measured and reduced via cable loops on the seabed in order to protect them from magnetic mines and torpedoes with magnetic detonators. The platform consisted of a residential building and an engine house. There were usually three soldiers at the station, each on duty for one or two weeks. Everything they needed came by ship. A lonely post in the middle of the Bodden, surrounded by water, seagulls and military secrets.

After reunification, the German Navy had no use for the NVA facility - the station was left to the wind, weather, cormorants and looters.

Over the years, the platform developed an astonishing media presence. Numerous reports and photo series document the creeping decay. In blogs and on YouTube, urban explorers report on secret visits, while drone videos show the rusty steel girders from a bird's eye view. The platform has long since become a cult site - a symbol of GDR military technology, failed dreams of change and the power of nature.

Also interesting:

• Greifswald Bodden: Sailing trip through the diverse waters off Rügen's south coast. - The sea area between Rügen, Usedom and the mainland offers sheltered waters for relaxed sailing, but also harbours navigational challenges.
• Around Rügen: 14 harbours and anchorages for your cruise - Germany's largest island circumnavigated: The most beautiful destinations in the Bodden, on the outer coast and in the Hanseatic cities
• Baltic Sea harbours 2026: Sailors can still find free berths here - The berth situation on the Baltic Sea remains tense - our overview shows where berths are still available