Goeben Collection

S. M. S. Goeben
The German Imperial Navy battlecruiser SMS Goeben, launched in 1911. Shortly after the outbreak of World War One, along with the Breslau it reached Constantinople

German Navy in Turkey WWI
The Goeben and the Breslau anchored some 8 miles from Istanbul, in Stania Bay in the Bosporus where they would be much safer during World War I

'La Guerre de Course; Un hangar militaire detruit a Philippeville, 1914. Creator: Unknown
'La Guerre de Course; Un hangar militaire detruit a Philippeville, 1914. From "L'Album de la Guerre 1914-1919: Volume I". [L'Illustration, Paris, 1926]

The Ex-German Battleship Goeben being guarded by the Sirdas and Sparrowhawk (Destroyers) before being handed over to the Turks again as proposed in the Near East Treaty

Generals in the German Army (engraving)
2773851 Generals in the German Army (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Generals in the German Army)

German Battlecruiser Goeben renamed Sultan Selim I
WW1 - Bosphorus, Istanbul, Turkey - The German Battlecruiser Goeben renamed Sultan Selim I - passing the Allied fleet for internment after capture/surrender. Date: 1916

Turkish battlecruiser, Yavuz Sultan Selim, formerly the German ship SMS Goeben, transferred to Turkey in 1914. Date: circa 1920

Karl Friedrich Steinmetz
KARL FRIEDRICH von STEINMETZ Prussian military commander, with colleagues general von Jastrow and general von Goeben. Date: 1796 - 1877

German bombardment of Algerian port, WW1
German bombardment of an Algerian port, North Africa, 4 August 1914, during the First World War -- a photograph with artists additions

HMS Gloucester in Great War Deeds, WW1
HMS Gloucester of the British Royal Navy single-handedly fighting two German ships, the Goeben and the Breslau. Reproduction of a painting by Norman Wilkinson in Great War Deeds

Turkish Floating dock in the Bosphorus, the former home of the SMS Goeben (which became the flagship of the Ottoman Navy as Yavuz Sultan Selim, usually shortened to Yavuz) during World War One

The Goeben - Ottoman Navy Flagship - imprisoned off Buyukada
The SMS Goeben (which became the flagship of the Ottoman Navy as Yavuz Sultan Selim, usually shortened to Yavuz) - imprisoned off Buyukada (Princes Islands (Isles) - Prinkipo). Date: 1923

German battleship SMS Goeben in Turkey, WW1
Painting by Philip Connard (completed 1919) entitled The Surrender of the Goeben, showing the German battleship SMS Goeben flying a white flag in Constantinople harbour

Kaiser Wilhelm on Ottoman Battle Cruiser
The German Emperor Wilhelm II (centre) and German militaries inspecting Ottoman troops on board of the battle cruiser " Javus Sultan Selim", the former SMS " Goeben"

German cruisers WWI
German Cruisers Goeben and Breslau in front of the Dardanelles during World War I

Goeben Warship
Powerful German battle-cruiser which easily outruns her British pursuers and escapes to Istanbul, where she is transferred to the Turkish navy as Yavuz Sultan Selim

Goeben Photo
Admiral Souchons Goeben is one of the most powerful warships of its day, manned by over 1000 men and capable of firing at targets up to 233 km away : top speed 28 knots

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"Goeben: A Symbol of Power and Transformation in the Turbulent Waters of WWI" S. M. S. Goeben, a formidable German battlecruiser, played a pivotal role during World War I as part of the German Navy stationed in Turkey. Commanded by Karl Friedrich Steinmetz, this vessel became infamous for its daring exploits and strategic maneuvers. During the Great War, HMS Gloucester valiantly confronted Goeben's might in an epic clash that showcased both ships' prowess. However, it was ultimately the Turkish battlecruiser Yavuz Sultan Selim (formerly known as Goeben) that emerged victorious from these tumultuous waters. In 1923, after being handed over to the Turks again under the Near East Treaty proposal, Goeben found itself guarded by destroyers Sirdas and Sparrowhawk off Buyukada (Prinkipo), Istanbul. This momentous event marked a turning point as it symbolized Germany's changing alliances and Turkey's growing naval strength. Even generals in the German Army recognized Goeben's significance; their engravings immortalize this mighty warship forever etched into history. Renamed Sultan Selim I by its new owners, this ex-German battleship underwent further transformations while docked at a Turkish floating dock on the Bosphorus. It stood proudly as Ottoman Navy flagship but also served time imprisoned off Buyukada—an ironic twist for such a powerful vessel. Notorious for its involvement in various conflicts across different shores, including bombarding Algerian ports during WWI, SMS Goeben left an indelible mark on global military history. Its presence within Turkish waters added complexity to an already intricate geopolitical landscape during those turbulent times. Today we remember "Goeben, " not just as a ship but as a symbol—a testament to power dynamics shifting amidst war-torn seas—and how one vessel can embody the transformative forces that shape our world.