When visiting Kiel, Germany - QE2 Propeller

[Michael Gallagher]

If you are ever in Kiel you may want to go and see something unusual in a public garden area very close to where the cruise ships berth and the train station - one of the propellers removed from QE2 during the re-engining.

[cunardqueen]

How on earth did it get there..?

[Cunarder Man]

Amazing! Never heard of or seen that!

[Twynkle]

Thank you, Michael!
How good it is to find and see something very significant belonging to QE2 in a 'far-away-place'!
Just wondering(!) whether there are may other 'bits and pieces' which have been placed either officially,
or by 'accident' around the world... did something like this happen often outside the UK?,
Did it take a great deal of negotiation / translation - also, did the host city request it - pay for it's transport, etc...?
Wonder - is there a list of special 'placements', plaques etc...

So sorry for so many questions - and that's before we've even started  on the Captains' presentations on Maiden Calls, and Gifts etc...
(Will never forget seeing Three 6' Tuna being hoicked from the native long boat across onto QM2's pontoons at Pitcairn Is!)

Very best wishes,
Rosie

[Brandon Sterkel]

Very interesting to know that a QE2 propeller is in Kiel.

[Rob Lightbody]

If you are ever in Kiel you may want to go and see something unusual in a public garden area very close to where the cruise ships berth and the train station - one of the propellers removed from QE2 during the re-engining.

Wow, news to me!

Is there a plaque to tell people what ship it's from?

[Michael Gallagher]

Last year I saw this article in a German magazine produced by Cunard (Cunard Queens) and asked a colleague to translate it for me. It tells about how Bernhard Berni Schweda saved it at the time and how it now lay on the east bank of the river behind a high rise building and had done since the 1990s. No signs point the way and no panel advises what it is.

I forgot about it to be honest.

Then in March this year I was disembarking Astor in Kiel and making my way to the train station when I saw this propeller and thought it looked good so took two pictures. I didn't even go and investigate it or touch it.

Then I came across the German article again this week and suddenly put 2 and 2 together and realised I had passed a propeller from QE2 and hadn't realised it.

The shame...

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Last year I saw this article in a German magazine produced by Cunard (Cunard Queens) and asked a colleague to translate it for me. It tells about how Bernhard Berni Schweda saved it at the time and how it now lay on the east bank of the river behind a high rise building and had done since the 1990s. No signs point the way and no panel advises what it is.

Would it not be a good idea for us to draw the attention of the local authorities to it, draw a parallel with the QE2 Mile in Southampton and ask them to put up a plaque so that passers-by can know what the propeller is and how it came to be there?

[Rob Lightbody]

Would it not be a good idea for us to draw the attention of the local authorities to it, draw a parallel with the QE2 Mile in Southampton and ask them to put up a plaque so that passers-by can know what the propeller is and how it came to be there?

That sounds like a lovely QE2 Story idea.

We could potentially fund raise for a plaque?

There are a few google results for QE2 propellor Kiel, with a few more photos, but I can't find it on Google maps.  Michael, can you pinpoint it for us please?

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Last year I saw this article in a German magazine produced by Cunard (Cunard Queens)...

Michael, would you still have the article (in German) or its translation?

[Michael Gallagher]

I included it in the above post and attach the PDF again here:

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

I included it in the above post and attach the PDF again here:

Thank you, Michael. Would it be possible to know the precise source (name of the publication and its date)?

According to this article, the propeller was donated to the city of Kiel, so the authority to address would be the Mayor's Office. For this purpose, it would be good to be able to cite the publication in full if possible.

[Twynkle]

Rob

Just tried posting an image of a good map!
This is the link - I don't think it'll arrive as an image
https://map.openseamap.org/?zoom=14&mlat=54.3188261952895&mlon=10.1385140419006&mtext=cruise location &layers=BFTFFFTFFTT0TFT&lat=54.3188261952895&lon=10.1385140419006

And - here's a link to the Satellite version of the Google Map - cars are easily visible, and there are cafes, gardens etc - nothing big, round and shiny so far...
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.3151578,10.1453492,76m/data=!3m1!1e3

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

The article says very clearly where it is :

Seit den 90er Jahren liegt sie jetzt am Ostufer hinter dem Hochhaus am Germania-Hafen, direkt an der Wasserkante.

Translated : Since the 1990s, it is situated on the Eastern shoreline, behind the skyscraper on the Germania Port, right at the waterfront.

This should make it easy to find, once you are in Kiel.

[Rob Lightbody]

The article says very clearly where it is :

Translated : Since the 1990s, it is situated on the Eastern shoreline, behind the skyscraper on the Germania Port, right at the waterfront.

This should make it easy to find, once you are in Kiel.

It should be possible to find it on Google Maps Satellite view, unless its actually under a tree... which bit is Germania port though?

[Rob Lightbody]

Further internet links relating to QE2's propeller in Kiel.

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2680241

http://kiel-wasser.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/queen-elizabeth-2-reif-fur-den-schrott.html

[Michael Gallagher]

I can actually see the propeller on Rosie's second link. If you have a look at the gathering of coaches not far from the Terminal you can see the prop on the other side of the trees

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

http://kiel-wasser.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/queen-elizabeth-2-reif-fur-den-schrott.html

This article says that it is situated near the Hörnbrücke (bridge) at the coast of the Förde (inlet of the sea).

This picture from Google Maps shows all the places we have talked about, even the buses and the trees, with the propeller.

[Twynkle]

I can actually see the propeller on Rosie's second link. If you have a look at the gathering of coaches not far from the Terminal you can see the prop on the other side of the trees

Brilliant - Thank You!
A plaque is absolutely essential and if as Rob suggests, we can raise enough for one - and get it made, then:
how about this being an ideal place for the Next QE2 Story meet up? 
So'ton - Ferry by "Fred" O over to Keil, and a return trip along the Canal mightn't be such a bad idea, might it?
We could also use the opportunity to drink to the Last Decade......

Maybe we could find out if QE2's current owners might like to donate other precious chunks of QE2 that must surely have become redundant too...
The question would then be - apart from the QE2 Mile, where else could we place them?!

In a way, it's sad that the propeller may be the only chunk, apart from the Bell, Builders Plate, Bust of The Queen, the Standard, The Asprey Model - which have kept on keeping on...


Thank you again, Michael
We couldn't do this without you!
Rosie

[Rob Lightbody]

This article says that it is situated near the Hörnbrücke (bridge) at the coast of the Förde (inlet of the sea).

This picture from Google Maps shows all the places we have talked about, even the buses and the trees, with the propeller.

I see it! Finally! I spent ages looking today... I'd love to see it sometime, and Kiel looks lovely too.