Currently, Poland and an area of Russia surround the Bay - but prior to the end of World War II, it was primarily German territory (East Prussia/Pomerania).

Berlin is one of Europe's younger cities, with its roots in the 12th century as two settlements developed on either side of the river Spree (Berlin and Cölln).  The two towns unified under the name Berlin in 1709.  It became capital of the German Empire in 1871.

After David Frankfurter left Germany in October 1933, he settled in Bern to continue his studies in medicine at Bern University, but continued to become overwhelmed by a desire to take action against the Nazi menace.  On January 31st 1936, he left his boarding house in Bern - never to return.  Five days later, he shot Wilhelm Gustloff in Davos.

Many survivors of the Wilhelm Gustloff disaster who had made it back to shore and recovered from their ordeal ended up in Copenhagen via other escape boats and vessels.

Tensions between the Poles and Germans over the city served as a pretext for Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939. 

Davos is known as a popular winter sports town.  However, it gained widespread recognition for its climate - derived from being tucked away in one of the highest valleys in Europe.  Doctors deemed it beneficial to patients with lung disease.  Wilhelm Gustloff suffered from tuberculosis and was sent to Davos in 1914 on doctor's orders.

During the years after World War I, it remained a part of Germany - separated only by the Danzig corridor (officially ceded to Poland after Germany's defeat).  It remained German until 1945 when the Soviets avenged the brutal invasion of their Motherland.  East Prussians, in a panic to escape from torture and death, streamed into Danzig ports (including Gotenhafen/Gdynia acquired by 1939 forced annexation) to board western-bound vessels toward mainland Germany.

Following World War II, East Prussia was formally absorbed into Poland and Russia.  Many East Prussians who fled the Red Army attempted to return after the war - only to have all of their possessions confiscated and be ultimately expelled.

During the KdF cruises, participants were never allowed to disembark in Norway, only to view it from the decks of the ships.

If the Gustloff had avoided detection by the Allies on its fateful night, Flensburg would have been its second stop and final destination of the journey.  Originally, the plan called for military personnel to be dropped off in Kiel, and for the Gustloff to carry on to Flensburg to disembark all refugees.

On another interesting note, Admiral Karl Dönitz (who ordered the evacuation that included the Gustloff) fled to and was captured by the Allies in Flensburg after the end of the war.

Frisches Haff is also known today as the Vistula Lagoon.

After annexation in 1939, the Nazis continued to build upon the infrastructure in Gotenhafen - turning it into a major naval base and eventually home to the Wilhelm Gustloff for over 4 years.

Today, Gdynia remains an important seaport in the Bay of Gdansk, with a population of over one million people in its greater metropolitan area.

Between August 1936 and March 1938, the Wilhelm Gustloff was built at the Blohm & Voss shipyards in Hamburg.

Initially, the crew on the conning tower of Soviet submarine S-13 mistakenly believed they spotted lighthouses from this peninsula.  Unfortunately for the former KdF cruise ship, they soon confirmed that these were actually the Gustloff's running lights.

Kiel would have been the Wilhelm Gustloff's first destination point if it had been able to complete its journey on January 30, 1945.  It was to disembark all military personnel here, and then continue to Flensburg to unload the thousands of refugees crammed into the ship.

Also, during its run as a hospital ship, the Gustloff returned wounded soldiers to Kiel from Oslo during the Norwegian campaign in 1940 and had defective mine detection equipment repaired in the naval base.

Founded by Peter the Great in 1703, it is Russia's second largest city and its most important Baltic Sea port.  Between December 1941 and January 1944, it was under siege by the German Wehrmacht but never capitulated despite horrific suffering.  For his part in protecting the city, Marinesko received one of the many "Defense of Leningrad" medals awarded to its heroic citizens.

A favourite stop for cruise ships of the KdF during the pre-WWII years, Madeira was the Wilhelm Gustloff's first "southern" exotic destination - and included on its "official" maiden voyage.

For the ships of the KdF during the 1930's including the Wilhelm Gustloff, it served as winter home - primarily for trips around the "boot" of Italy.

In late January 1945, Captain Alexander Marinesko of the S-13 was patrolling just off the coast of Memel and supporting the Red Army's advance into the town.  The Soviets were clearly in control of the area and opportunities were minimal.  Therefore, early in the morning of January 30th, he decided to break off and head toward the Danzig without telling his superiors.  He assumed that he would find more opportunities.  Hours later, his assumptions proved correct when he began tracking the Wilhelm Gustloff.  Soon he would have the biggest score in history by any submarine.

By using Nemmersdorf as a propaganda tool, the Nazis hoped to strengthen the resolve of the German fighting forces and demonstrate the danger of Bolshevism to the rest of the world.  The only real impact the newsreels had was to intensify panic and to increase the stream of refugees toward ports in the Danzig area.

Today Nemmersdorf is known as Mayakovskoye in Russian.

The North Sea was cruised by the Wilhelm Gustloff during 1938/39 peacetime cruises (during warmer months - particularly to the Norwegian Fjords) and as a hospital ship in 1940 to support the campaign in Norway.

During pre-WWII years, it was a popular stop for KdF ships like the Wilhelm Gustloff.

During its run as a hospital ship, the Gustloff returned wounded soldiers to Swinemünde from Oslo during the Norwegian campaign in 1940.  Prior to the war, some of the Gustloff's peacetime cruises began or connected in this seafaring town.

Additionally, minesweeper M-387 (AKA TS 2) returned 98 survivors from the Gustloff to Swinemünde on the night of the disaster.

On April 10, 1938, the Wilhelm Gustloff dropped anchor near the Tilbury docks east of London, staying over three miles offshore to remain in international waters.  With the question of Austria's annexation into the Third Reich, the ship acted as a floating polling station for German and Austrian citizens living in England .  Eligible voters were ferried between the Tilbury docks and the Gustloff.

This is the notorious site of Captain Alexander Marinesko's disappearance after New Year's on December 31, 1944.  He vanished into a haze of alcohol and brothels and could only be located one day after his submarine S-13 and crew were supposed to leave port on January 2, 1945.

Between 1936 and 1939, Spain was in the grips of a complex civil war.  Nazi Germany provided support to fascist dictator Francisco Franco who was ultimately victorious.  Approximately 20,000 Germans served in Spain as part of the infamous Condor Legion.

After the civil war officially ended, in late May 1939 the Wilhelm Gustloff was diverted from its cruise duties to the port of Vigo.  Along with a convoy of German ships, the Gustloff picked up over 1,400 Condor Legion troops and returned them home to a triumphant welcome in Hamburg.