A German fisherman pulled a bottle out of the Baltic Sea and found that it contained a postcard. The fisherman turned the rare historical find in to the International Maritime Museum in Hamburg, Germany. Researchers were able to determine that the postcard was placed in the bottle in 1913 by then 20-year-old Richard Platz and thrown into the sea by Platz while on a nature hike. Although the writing has been rendered mostly illegible by age and water damage, researchers were able to determine Platz identity without a doubt.
Significance of the Find
Upon determining the identity of the sender, the museum set out to find any living relatives of Platz. The museum was able to track down Angela Erdmann, who is Platz granddaughter. 62-year-old Erdmann says that she never met Platz, but she was so moved by holding the bottle and being connected to that piece of her history and her grandfather that tears rolled down her cheeks. Platz was Erdmann’s mother’s father. He died in 1946 at the age of 54. While Erdmann never met Platz, she was touched by the find and decided to begin researching in order to find out more about her grandfather.
The bottle was found not far from where it was originally discarded, which is significant, as battles have taken place in the area. The message will be on display at the International Maritime Museum until May, at which time it will be removed so that experts can attempt to decipher the message in its entirety.