Albums & Photographs of the Wilhelm Gustloff - Page 3
Port of Hamburg Souvenir Photos
Featuring 24 images of Hamburg, Germany including 3 of the Wilhelm Gustloff and Robert Ley.

Wilhelm Gustloff Norwegian Cruise Photo Album - Standard Album
Voyage #12 - August 14th, 1938 - August 20th, 1938

Souvenir Photos:
60, Voyage Photos: 14 = Total 74 + 7 Speisekarten



Wilhelm Gustloff Norwegian Cruise Photo Album - Small Souvenir Album
Voyage #43: July 8th, 1939 - July 14th, 1939
Souvenir Photos: 36

Owner: Else Schubert

Includes standard Wilhelm Gustloff souvenir photos and Norwegian Fjord souvenir photos.
Wilhelm Gustloff Photography Negatives from Hamburg Passenger
Two heavy paper containers which hold negatives from Hamburg's docks.
Container #1: 8 negatives of the Wilhelm Gustloff sailing out to sea.
Container #2: 29 negatives of various ships around Kiel
including Hitler's yacht 'Aviso Grille' and military vessels. (Below.)

Negatives and reproduction images are shown at right from container #1.


Wilhelm Gustloff Norwegian Cruise Photo Album - Small Souvenir Album
No Date
Souvenir Photos: 35

Wilhelm Gustloff Accomodation Liner & U-708 Training Photo Album - Medium Souvenir Album
Gotenhafen during 1941 to 1945
Souvenir Photos: 17 - Accomodation Liner / Training Photos: 96 = Total 113

Listed under Accommodation Ship page.

Wilhelm Gustloff Norwegian Cruise Photo Album - Medium Souvenir Album
Voyage #13: August 21st, 1938 - August 27th, 1938
Souvenir Photos: 69, Voyage Photos: 10, Other Photos: 80 = Total: 159
Also includes 6 Speisekarten, Norwegian Fjord map, & current newspaper articles


     This album has the standard souvenir photos of the trip, as well as some with the group of passengers on various places on deck. Three of the postcards were posted onboard the Gustloff during the voyage.
     After the trip, the album jumps around from Bad Neuenahr in 1943, to Brodenbach in 1936, and Garmisch-PartenRirchen in 1941. There are several photos of the German figure skater Lydia Veicht skating in the Olympic Winter Games of 1936 held in the Bavarian alpine town of Garmisch. Other photos include ice hockey, outdoor skating, and skiing. The last few photos are of military members during World War II. Album includes some newspaper clippings related to the Gustloff and all menus for this voyage. (Under the Speisekarten page.)
     There are also 7 larger press photos of some unknown German celebration all dated June 27th, 1943. "Moselland-Bilderdienst. Herbert Ahrens. Presse-Illustrationen Amtl. Bildberichterstattung. Koblenz-Trier-Luxemburg."





Wilhelm Gustloff Italian Cruise Photo Album - Leather Album
Voyage #28: February 14th, 1939 - February 25th, 1939.
Souvenir Photos: 12, Voyage Photos: 58 = Total: 70
Also includes voyage paperwork and menu for February 20th.





Wilhelm Gustloff Norwegian Fjords Photo Album - Standard Album
Voyage #28 - February 14th, 1939 - February 25th, 1939
Souvenir Photos: 73, Voyage Photos: 47 = Total 120
Also included: Travel booklet, currency conversion slip, and other paperwork.





     This album (along with several other items acquired including menus, tickets, and travel pamphlets) comes from a larger family collection originating in Lübeck & Köenigsberg, Germany. I was able to obtain some of these items through the next of kin currently living in Regensburg.
Family History:
     The gentleman's uncle worked for the KdF and had many items from working on board the ships including the Wilhelm Gustloff, Oceana, Robert Ley, Stuttgart, and Sierra Cordoba. There was a time when the grandmother's brother served as the medic on board the Wilhelm Gustloff in 1939, and the family would often sail on her.
     This photo album is from the grandmother and her sisters traveling oboard the Gustloff to Italy. There are detailed accounts from each day aboard this voyage (Translated below) and the majority of photos are souvenir. (Only 6 actually taken onboard the ship.)
     Below the translations are additional photos of the Wilhelm Gustloff from a voyage to the Norwegian Fjords in 1939. These photos were taken during the grandmother's honeymoon trip.

Family History Continued:
     When the daughter of his 'grandaunt' was 5 years old, the family fled Danzig to Gotehnafen seeking refuge on the Gustloff. Both the grandaunt and uncle died in the Baltic Sea, and the aunt was saved by a German soldier named Willy Fritsch. (I was not told if they perished on the Gustloff or not, or whether it is known.)
     Currently in the family possession is a Kriegsmarine towel given to the aunt in Gotenhafen to keep her hands warm while waiting to flee on board a ship.
Inside Cover Page:
Journey with the Wilhelm Gustloff
Trip around Italy from February 14th to February 26th 1939.
K.D.F. Ship "Wilhelm Gustloff"
Launched: May 5th, 1939
Placed in service: April 11th, 1939
Length: 208.5 meters
Width: 25 meters
Height from the keel to the masthead: 53 meters
Draught: 7 meters
Registered Gross Tons: 25,000
Weight of the vessel: 20,000 tons
Speed knots: 15.5 (29 km)
An anchor weighs: 7,000 kg.
Anchor chain: 300 m length, weight: 101,000 kg.
A link of the anchor chain weighs 60 pounds.
4 Crude oil motors: 30,000 liters of oil.
8,000 candlepower at 40 watts.
400 crewmen, 1,400 tourists.
22 lifeboats at 80 people each.
1,080 Sq. meters on the Sun Deck.



Wilhelm Gustloff Norwegian Fjords Photo Album - No Cover
1939 - Voyage Number Unknown, Honeymoon Voyage from above.




Wilhelm Gustloff Italian Cruise Photo Album - Small Souvenir Album
Voyage #25 - January 10th, 1939 - January 20th, 1939
Souvenir Photos = 38
Wilhelm Gustloff Italian Cruise Photo Album - Standard Album
Voyage #19 - October 11th, 1938 to November 1st, 1938
Voyage Photos: 147







Wilhelm Gustloff Norwegian Fjords Photo Album - Early Style Souvenir Album
Voyage #17 - September 18th, 1938 - September 23rd, 1938.
Souvenir Photos: 14, Voyage Photos: 24 - Total 38





If anyone can identify any additional ships or port, please contact me through the email link on the Introduction page.

- Photos above include the Aviso Grille - sometimes called Hitler's Yacht, though not an official designation.
These last negatives are from Kiel Harbor.
- The first two images are of the submarine memorial in Laboe.  
- The following three are of the German light cruiser Konigsberg.
Second Row:
- Second photo from the left: #32: destroyer Z15 - Erich Steinbrinck.
- Second and third from the right is the light cruiser Konigsberg again.
- Bottom row, hull number 11 is the destroyer Z4 - Richard Beitzen.
Featuring 'Hitler's Yacht' the Aviso Grille
Additional photo and artifacts under the KdF / Aviso Grille page.

There are totals consumed: 
Daily consumption:
25 Zentner (Hundredweight) Meat. (4 Oxen and 8 Pigs.)
18 Ztr. Fish
40 Ztr. Potatoes
200-500 pounds of cauliflower
5,500 buns (2,000)
300 kg. Rye bread
40 kg. White bread
700 liters of coffee
400 lb. butter
2,100 m of cake
200,000 liters of water
25 Zentner of laundry
Value of Laundry / Linen - 1/2 Million Mk.