Ever wondered why this island in the Trave River is called Teerhofinsel? I’ll tell you the story. The Teerhofinsel, sometimes called Teerhofsinsel, has a fascinating past. Locals even nicknamed it Cameroon in the late 19th century.
This island wasn’t always here. It emerged in 1882 during the second Trave River correction. A channel was cut. This significantly shortened the route from the Bay of Lübeck to the city’s harbor. Originally, it was part of the St. Gertrud district. But since then, the Teerhofinsel belongs to St. Lorenz Nord.
The name Teerhofinsel comes from the Lübeck Teerhof. That translates to tar yard. This tar yard was once located here. Tar was a vital trade commodity. It was mainly imported from Scandinavia. Tar is highly flammable. So, the Teerhof was built outside of Lübeck for safety.
During the age of sailing ships, tar was essential. Sailors used it to protect ropes from rot. They also sealed the seams between ship planks with tar. This made ships watertight. Tar was extremely important for ship safety. The city council controlled tarring in Lübeck at the Teerhof. This ensured high standards.
The first Teerhof was established around 1400. It was on the northern Wallhalbinsel. After tarring, workers hung the ropes to dry in the Dröge. In 1845, due to concerns after the great Hamburg fire, the Teerhof moved. It was moved further down the Trave River to the north. Finally, in 1883, it was moved to Teerhofinsel.
By 1890, the Teerhofinsel was a busy place. It had storage sheds for tar. There was also a building for petroleum. A solid building stored gunpowder. An underground space was used for dynamite. There was even a shed for fireworks.
Additionally, the Teerhofinsel included an administration building. There were also apartments for the Teerwraker. These were the tar inspectors. There were homes for the workers too. The Deutsch-Russische Naphta-Import-Gesellschaft also had facilities on the island. These included tanks, sheds, offices and worker housing.
Later, the Teerhofinsel became a military restricted area. From 1971 to 1993, pioneers from the nearby Trave-Kaserne used it as a training ground. It served as a water training area too. Both the Bundeswehr and the Bundesgrenzschutz trained here.
Today, the Teerhofinsel is different. The northern side arm and the southern Petroleumhafen feature yacht harbors. You can also find a boat builder here. For a while, there were plans to expand Lübeck’s harbor. The Teerhofinsel was considered as a site. The idea was to connect the Nordlandkai with new areas by filling the Trave’s side arm. But, these plans were dropped. Lower freight rates made the expansion less attractive.
So, the next time you see the Teerhofinsel remember its fiery past. From a place of naval importance to military exercises it has quite the story.