|
WELCOME:
 On
a bitter cold night in late January 1945 on the seas of
the Baltic, the deadliest maritime disaster in history occurred. Yet
far too many have never heard about the sinking of the
Wilhelm Gustloff.
Unbelievably,
the loss of life was equal to more than six sinkings of
the Titanic.
It is arguably the greatest unknown single
disaster in modern history.
Furthermore, the true story surrounding the
Gustloff is not only tragic but absolutely incredible – filled
with a wide spectrum of human
drama – during one of the
most terrifying periods in history: World War II.
This
non-political website is dedicated to the
historical research and
education regarding this tragic event.
My goal is make this the most definitive, accurate, and
organized web resource available on the Wilhelm
Gustloff. Please consider it “continual
work-in-progress”, with an emphasis on on-going
additions and improvement.
I hope that much of the evolution will come from
people like you – who express an interest in or
perhaps even a direct connection to these events. You are encouraged to offer feedback, clarify
details, make suggestions, or help
out in some of the many ways possible.
|
The
Titanic was a testimony of the hubris of a civilization
that worshipped technology and thought it could
conquer nature. The Gustloff, on the other hand, was
the symbol of the German hubris, the dream of a
greater German empire that ended in a nightmare. It
was Adolf Hitler's Titanic.
Der
Spiegel February 4, 2002 |
My interest in the
Gustloff began late one night
while stumbling upon a TV program dedicated to the
subject.
I could not believe it possible that I’d
never heard about an event of this scale.
I was determined to find out more and begin a
journey of discovery, learning, and remembrance.
I
hope you’ll join me…
David
F. Krawczyk
webmaster wilhelmgustloff.com
E-mail
me with any questions or comments. Find out more
about me. |
