History of the fishery
- Beach boat "Erika" - a typical fishery boat from the island Rügen. (© J.-M. Schlorke)
Since many millennia - already since the Stone Age - the human is fishing in the sea; in the beginning of course only near the coast. For this he used simple catching devices: harpoons, fishhooks, fish traps ... The first fishing boats were probably similar to the exposed log boat.
The fishery in the ancient world is displayed as well as the circumstances of the fishery in the middle ages, during the Hanseatic era. In those days a significant fishery of herrings was especially developed at the coasts of Rügen. North German towns built up their catching and trading places, so called "Vitten". Town names such as Vitt near to Arkona or Vitte on Hiddensee derive from that time. Later the focus of the herring fishery was shifted to South Sweden. The model of a "Heringsboise" shows the bellied form of the in that time common, more than 20 meter long ships, which were able to lay out over 1 000 meter long drift nets.
Other showcases display catching devices, fishery equipment and documents from the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. It becomes clear how miserable the life of the local fishermen often was. The models of traditional boat types (The originals can be seen in the NAUTINEUM on the island Dänholm) from the Pomeranian and Mecklenburgian coast document the long fishing tradition in this region. The beach boat "Erika" BREG 13 from Breege on the island Rügen is shown as original in full sail. Such working boats were serving the fishery off the outer coast. The boat engines remind of the beginning motorization of the vehicles of the coastal fishing industry at the beginning of the 20th century.
- The "Zeesen"-fishery is a typical traditional catching method of the Western Pomeranian coastal fishermen. (© J.-M. Schlorke)
Besides the traditional coastal fishery the deep-sea fishery was fast developed throughout the 19th century. The model of the steamboat "Steinbutt" symbolizes this new stage of fishery, which came along with the rapidly developing fish processing industry.
Other showcases are dedicated to the traditional methods of the coastal fishery in Western-Pomerania, which are nowadays still used in some areas. The exhibits come mainly from the islands Rügen and Usedom, as well as from Fischland and Darß and are contemporary witnesses of the Western-Pomeranian coastal fishery before 1945.
Still nowadays the fish trap fishery has a big importance. The model of a so called "Aussenstrandreuse"-fish trap shows how the fish caught in the net. So called "Kummreusen" can be seen throughout the herring season in spring on many areas of the Western-Pomeranian coast. The usage of such a big catching device needs the power and capital of several fishermen. Therefore the fishing cooperatives have a long tradition throughout many centuries. The fishermen were frequently improving their income by conducting small agriculture - a model in the exhibition is displaying the homestead of such a "fisherman-farmer"?.
Beach Seine Fishery and „Zeesen“-fishery is not much used nowadays anymore. But the elegant, seaworthy working boats of the "Zeesen-fishermen - the so called "Zeesen"-boats - can still be seen today. They are sailed as sport boats with brown sails. Stralsund was a center of the "Zeesen"-fishery. The model of the "Zeesen"-boat STR 9 of the German Oceanographic Museum (two models can be seen in the exhibition) is a faithful reconstruction of a boat from the year 1870 and an important exhibit in the boat hall in the NAUTINEUM.
Gillnet fishery and angling fishery are also conducted nowadays. The catching devices were previously made out of cotton. But the displayed gillnet in the exhibition is made from synthetic fibers, which have replaced cotton long ago. The ice fishery was using different net methods and devices. Today gillnet and beater board (sonic attraction) fishery is still conducted.
