Gedser Station

Facts

Germans invade Gedser Station

The railway arrived in Gedser in 1886. The station was designed by Henrik Glahn and still stands on the eastern jetty. In 1903, two berths were built for the railway ferries on the west side of the harbour. A new station was built between the ferry berths. It was designed by DSB's chief architect Heinrich Wenck, who is famous for designing Copenhagen Central Station. Gedser station has both towers and gun slits. From the south gable, two covered platforms flanked the tracks. A railway warehouse stands on the land side of the platform hall. It was also designed by Henrik Glahn and was built in 1886. The warehouse was listed in 2002 as a typical railway warehouse". Gedser no longer has rail traffic. "

Public place

Selected entry

Panzer train misses the boat

Story written by Poul Thestrup

Time / Periode 1903 1940

0 comments 0 recommendations

On 9 April 1940 at 4:15 am, the German ferry The Mecklenburg" slid quietly into one of the two ferry berths at Gedser Station with a goods wagon at its bow. The rest of the ferry was overflowing with German soldiers and motor vehicles hidden under tarpaulins. Moments later, another German ferry "The Schwerin" followed in its wake and manoeuvred into the other berth. Out jumped the Germans and immediately cut Gedser Station's telephone and telegraph lines. Then the race was on as motor vehicles took off at top speed towards the Storstrøm Bridge to capture it. The original plan involved a panzer armoured train, but that had been left back in Warnemünde. The train was to have secured the Storstrøm Bridge against British air raids. On the day, though, the Germans changed their minds and focused on getting as many motor vehicles onboard as possible. They could transport large numbers of soldiers to the bridge quicker. "