The Baltic Sea has a history of being a place of trouble dating back to the eighth century. For hundreds of years, people died in the sea because of the pirates who terrorised the coast and conflicts between countries competing for power in the region. During the Second Northern War, on November 8, 1658, the naval “Battle of the Sound” took place. The Dutch fleet was sent to stop Sweden from taking over both sides of the Sound (Øresund) and controlling access to the Baltic Sea as well as its trade. In the battle, the Swedes lost five ships and 439 men.

The sea connected many countries and was important for trade. The North Sea fleets in eastern England and the Netherlands needed Baltic timber, tar, flax, and hemp. Unfortunately, many deaths occurred there during wars.

In the Crimean War, the British and French attacked the Russian fortresses in the Baltic Sea. Later, Germany took control of the southern coast of the sea after unification in 1871. During World War I, the Baltic Sea was also a battleground.

When the Nazi party came to power, Germany occupied the Baltic states. In 1945, during World War II, the Baltic Sea became a mass grave for soldiers and refugees.

The sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff is still the worst sea disaster ever. It was a German military transport ship that was sunk by the Soviet submarine on January 30, 1945, in the Baltic Sea. The ship was taking people from Gotenhafen (Gdynia) to safety as the Red Army advanced. One estimate says that 9,400 people died. The sinking of the Goya was one of the worst sea disasters of the war and one of the worst in history. Out of about 6,700 passengers and crew, only 183 people survived. During the war, the prison ship Cap Arcona also went down. It led to the deaths of more than 6,000 concentration camp prisoners on May 3, 1945. Both the German passenger ship “Cap Arcona” and the German cargo ship “Thielbek” were sunk by British bombers. They thought that the ships were carrying German troops.

A plaque on the “Wind Mother” monument honours the pilots and crew of a US plane that was shot down by the USSR military on April 8, 1950.

In winter, there can be bad storms in the Baltic Sea that can sink ships. On September 28, 1994, a cruise ferry “Estonia” sank claiming 852 lives. It was one of the worst accidents at sea in the 20th century.

The Baltic Sea is very important for the countries that border it. People love the sea and everything it offers, even though it can be dangerous and has a history of violence. The “Wind Mother” monument reminds us of the powerful natural forces that are always present in the Baltic Sea region.