Ernst Thälmann Island (Spanish: Cayo Ernesto Thaelmann or Cayo Blanco del Sur; German: Ernst-Thälmann-Insel or Südliche weiße Insel) is a 15 km (9.3 mi) long and 500 m (1,600 ft) wide island in the Gulf of Cazones. In the 1970s, Cuba promised to donate an island in its archipelago to East Germany, and subsequently renamed Cayo Blanco del Sur after German communist politician Ernst Thälmann. Because the island was not mentioned in later documents incorporating East Germany into reunified Germany, various parties have argued that it remains a territory of the defunct nation, but Cuba has rejected this argument and claims jurisdiction over it.[1]
.svg)  Ernst Thälmann Island | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Gulf of Cazones |
| Coordinates | 22°02′00″N 81°24′00″W / 22.03333°N 81.4°W |
| Area | 7.0 km2 (2.7 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Province | Matanzas Province |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
History
edit1970s
edit
During a 1970s state visit to East Germany, Cuban prime minister Fidel Castro promised that his country would donate an island to its communist ally. As part of a state visit in June 1972 by East-German general secretary Erich Honecker, Castro renamed Cayo Blanco del Sur (English: Southern White Key) in honour of German communist politician and activist Ernst Thälmann.[2] According to an article in Neues Deutschland, he also announced that one of its beaches had been renamed to Playa República Democrática Alemana (English: German Democratic Republic Beach, German: DDR-Strand).[2] East Germany's state television newscast Aktuelle Kamera reported on the ceremony and the unveiling of the bust of Thälmann in August 1972 in the presence of the East-German ambassador, East-German delegates, and Cuban representatives.[3]
In March 1975, the East-German government sent singer Frank Schöbel to Cuba to make music videos. Film footage of the island was also shot, which was later included in a documentary emphasizing the island as a symbol of East-German–Cuban friendship.[4]
1990s
editIn 1990, a series of international events led the government of East Germany to dissolve, with its territory added the federal republic of West Germany, incorporating as unified Germany. However, the reunification treaty made no reference to Ernst Thälmann Island as one of the territories joining the combined nation, leading to arguments about its status.[5] Neither of the German states controlled the island during or after the reunification.[1]
The U.S.-based micronation of Molossia had declared a state of war against East Germany in 1983, and after the reunification of Germany its founder has claimed that the island remains a vestigial part of that nation, allowing his passive "war" to continue.[6]
In 1998, the island was severely hit by Hurricane Mitch, knocking over the bust of Thälmann.[1][5]
2000s
editA German online newspaper sought to visit the island in 2001, on the premise that it was German territory, but they were rebuffed. According to the Cuban embassy in Germany the renaming had been a "symbolic act", and the German Foreign Office concurred that it was "not a gift, but a change of name", and the island was never actually transferred from Cuba.[6]
In media
editThe film Ernesto's Island (2022), starring Max Riemelt, tells the story of an East Berliner who travels to Cuba to fulfill his late mother's wish to scatter her ashes on the Cayo Ernesto Thälmann.
See also
edit- Canarreos Archipelago, near the island
References
edit- ^ a b c "Castro's Caribbean island gift to East Germany". DW. 2016-11-27. Archived from the original on Oct 10, 2018. Retrieved 2019-09-16.
- ^ a b "Die Insel, die Ernst Thälmann's Namen trägt" (PDF). Neues Deutschland (in German). 20 June 1972. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
- ^ Robinson, Matt (2021-04-06). "The Last Piece Of East Germany - Ernst Thälmann Island". Berlin Experiences. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
- ^ Gebauer, Matthias (14 February 2001). "Schenkte Castro den Deutschen eine Karibikinsel?" [Did Castro give a Caribbean island to the Germans?]. Spiegel Online (in German). Retrieved 31 January 2014.
- ^ a b "6 uninhabited and mysterious islands with bizarre pasts". The Daily Star. Oct 22, 2015. Archived from the original on Dec 4, 2022.
- ^ a b "Is an Island Off Cuba the Last Surviving Piece of East Germany?". Mental Floss. 2021-09-12. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
External links
edit- Spiegel Online: "Ernst-Thälmann-Insel – DDR unter Palmen" (in German)