What basically sounds simple has completed a complex preliminary process: the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the German Armed Forces and the Auto-Technik-Museum eV decided on a loan contract registered association(“Technology Museum”) in Sinsheim, Baden-Württemberg, in February 2023, the exhibition of the former U17 submarine, “ex U17” for short.

In addition to extensive demilitarization, a long list of hazardous materials had to be removed before the submarine could begin its journey across the North Sea and the Rhine to Speyer and later to Sinsheim.

The majority of the submarines of the submarine class 206 and later 206A were sold due to the great demand for the high-quality steel content.

The submarine class 206 was partially upgraded to class 206A and belonged to the German Navy with a total of 18 boats between 1973 and 2010. The ex-U17 submarine also belonged to the original 206 class and was converted to the 206A class standard from September 1989 to May 1991.

For example, the submarines U15, U16 and U18 were over the VEBEGCollecting society for goods belonging to the crew GmbHLimited liability companysold for exploitation. A smaller part of the submarine class was sold to other nations for further use. The boats U23 and U24 have been taken over by the Colombian armed forces, where they are helping to combat cocaine smuggling and contain oil spills.