Grömitz to Neustadt in Holstein, 17Km
A pleasant start to the day on the Baltic Costa. It was dry, the clouds looked more like they’d been washed with a premium soap powder and the sun made an occasional appearance. Today’s objective was a modest walk to Neustadt followed by the 550 bus back home. The hotel in Grömitz required a two night stay and I wasn’t complaining after seeing the breakfast buffet. There was something to please every type of German and I could have assembled a full English breakfast if I’d wanted.
I filled my water bladder and emptied my backpack apart from the rain gear and set off. Once clear of the resort the main interest lay in the barley fields. The landscape is unrelentingly flat thanks to the last ice age when massive glaciers mercilessly levelled everything in their path. An occasional hamlet appeared. In one house, two huge and ferocious dogs leapt at the fence, possibly trying to tell me their master was away and they hadn’t been fed for days but I wasn’t going to be their salvation.
As I approached Neustadt, Jakobsweg diverted me to a cemetery which had a small area for some of the many Jews who died here at the end of WW2, specifically on 3 May 1945 in the worst maritime disaster of the war. The retreating Nazis had loaded concentration camp prisoners onto two cargo ships, “Cap Arcona” and “Thielbek”, anchored off Neustadt. The British Army reached Lübeck on 2 May and were told that 7000 to 8000 prisoners were being held in the most appalling conditions on the two ships. On 3 May, the Nazis in Neustadt were still trying to load hundreds more prisoners onto the ships but they were completely full so these people were machine gunned on the beach. That’s when RAF Typhoon fighter bombers arrived and attacked the ships, mistaking them for military targets. The British Army reached Neustadt in the afternoon to witness the ships ablaze. Some 7000 people died. A few bodies were later taken from the mass graves on the beach and buried in the cemetery as a memorial to the disaster.
Pilgrimage 
Hi Tim, enjoying your daily reviews and learning about a part of the world I am not at all familiar with. The story from the last days of the war is new to me and so sad – madness to the very end. Best wishes Nick Dunne
Thank you Nick. I remember that disaster from the old Thames TV World at War series. It’s good that the memories of these terrible events are preserved for future generations
Kia Ora, Tim. The story of the WW2 disaster has sickened me. It was news to me. It’s fantastic that there is a memorial to it to remind us of man’s inhumanity. It brought to mind the saddest scene I saw on the VF, crossing northern France – a German cemetery covered in weeds, hidden under trees, uncared for, unloved, and nearby an immaculately cared for Commonwealth war cemetery. I hope the rest of your walk is beautiful. Kia kaha, Vicky
In addition to the cemetery there are a couple of memorial sites and a small museum dedicated to disaster. And if I understand it correctly, a new museum is being built. Also there is an archive building. There was an Inquiry afterwards and there is much information and speculation online.
I remember a German WW1 cemetery on the VF and wrote about it. Very different to the Commonwealth cemeteries but I found it peaceful. There were trees, the grass was cut and the simple crosses each had several names
What a horrific tragedy. Thank you for sharing tho.
This is my 3rd go at leaving a comment (hope the others aren’t there, but if they are I’m sorry). Your photo & description and Vicky’s comments remind me of our visits to Commonwealth cemeteries in northern France & Cassino. You’d think we’d have learned better ways to resolve conflicts by now … my question is, how much does the VF overlap with the variously named Western Front Way and/or Path of Peace? Thanks Tim, Philippa T.
I think there is some overlap. There’s a good book on the Western Front Way the path of peace by Anthony Seldon who did much of the work to establish it
Thank you Tim; yes, I’ve got Anthony Seldon’s book which is excellent. Don’t know if it mentions the German cemetery you saw on the Via Francigena? Will check it out!