The naval monument initially commemorated the German marines killed in World War I. The memorial came out of World War II unscathed. However, in 1946, the Allied Control Council launched a plan to blow up all Nazi museums and monuments. Since this monument did not glorify the war, it escaped being torn down.
Peaceful navigation
The German Naval Association was given the naval memorial in 1954 and placed different emphases on it. Today, the Laboe Naval Memorial is a memorial to all those left at sea and a symbol of peaceful navigation at sea.