The Gneisenau shipwreck remembered 125 years on in Malaga

The sinking of the Gneisenau - which happened 125 years ago in Malaga - is not only still present in the collective memory, but also woven into the fabric of the city. In fact, Malaga's coat of arms bears the title of "Muy Hospitalaria" (very hospitable), among others, due to how local residents responded to the scene. Locals watched in horror on the morning of 16 December 1900 as the German military ship was destroyed, just off the Levante quay. The heavy gale that raged that Sunday morning left the crew with no options. Forty-one of them died in the disaster.

The events planned to mark the anniversary this week sought to remember all of the shipwreck survivors and of the Malaga citizens who helped them. There are also the symbolic celebrations that have been organised by the German residents who haven't forgotten that support and more than a century later, are represented by the German Consulate in Malaga and the German Economic Forum in Andalucía.

Last month, together with the city council and the port, a series of four lectures was organised, ending with Tuesday's events. The most moving of these was the wreath in the English Cemetery made for the victims of the shipwreck. The memorial service to the 41 men who died - including the captain and some officers - took place at the foot of the mausoleum, which is still standing thanks to an extraordinary contribution made by the German Consulate in 2022. The ceremony was presided over by the German consul in the city, Franko Stritt Grohe, and the military attaché belonging to the embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Madrid, Colonel Markus Bungert; and with a large portion of the descendants of the families who helped the survivors.

The tribute to the victims in the English cemetery, which opened its doors around 1831 to provide a dignified burial site for non-Catholics, was Tuesday's main event. Firstly, because of what it represents, but also because this monument has been visited on numerous occasions in the 21st century by German crews anchored in Malaga and who took the opportunity to pay their respects to the dead.

The Paseo de Levante was another meeting point for Tuesday's agenda, with a commemoration ceremony right where the shipwreck took place and a concert by the German Navy Band Kiel. At four o'clock in the afternoon, the band also gave a joint performance with the Cruz de Humilladero Band in the Patio de los Naranjos, as a prelude to the religious service which then followed at 6pm in the Cathedral.