Ernst Thälmann Island facts for kids
 Ernst Thälmann Island
Location in Cuba
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| 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 | Uninhabited |
The Ernst Thälmann Island is a small island in the Gulf of Cazones. It is about 15 km (9.3 mi) long and 500 m (1,600 ft) wide. This island is named after Ernst Thälmann, who was a German communist politician.
The island is also known by its Spanish names, Spanish: Cayo Ernesto Thaelmann or Cayo Blanco del Sur. In German, it is called German: Ernst-Thälmann-Insel or Südliche weiße Insel.
In the 1970s, Fidel Castro, who was the leader of Cuba, visited the German Democratic Republic (GDR). The GDR was a country in Europe, also known as East Germany, that no longer exists today. During his visit, Castro promised to give an island to the East German government. So, the island then known as Cayo Blanco del Sur was renamed Ernst Thälmann Island. This happened in a special ceremony when Erich Honecker, the East German leader, visited Cuba.
However, after Germany became one country again (this is called the reunification of Germany), a German newspaper tried to visit the island. They were told that the island had only been "symbolically" given away. This means it was a friendly gesture, but the island was never officially owned by East Germany.
Island's Story
The 1970s Gift
Before 1972, the island was known as Spanish: Cayo Blanco del Sur, which means "Southern White Key" in English. In June 1972, during a visit by East German leader Erich Honecker, Cuban leader Fidel Castro decided to rename the island. He did this to honor Ernst Thälmann, a German politician and activist who believed in communism.
A German newspaper called Neues Deutschland reported on June 20, 1972, that Castro announced the island's new name. He also said that one of its beaches would be called Spanish: Playa República Democrática Alemana. This means "German Democratic Republic Beach" or "DDR-Strand" in German.
East Germany's main TV news show, Aktuelle Kamera, showed the renaming ceremony. This event happened on August 18, 1972. The East German ambassador, some delegates from East Germany, and about 100 Cuban representatives were there. During the ceremony, a statue of Thälmann's head and shoulders, called a bust, was also revealed.
In March 1975, the East German government sent a singer named Frank Schöbel to Cuba. He went there to film music videos. Some parts of these videos were shot on Ernst Thälmann Island. Later, this footage was used in a documentary. The documentary showed the island as a symbol of the friendship between East Germany and Cuba.
More Recent Events
In 1998, a very strong storm called Hurricane Mitch hit the island hard. The storm was so powerful that it knocked over the bust (statue) of Ernst Thälmann.
Both the Cuban embassy in Germany and the German Foreign Office have said that the renaming of the island was just a "symbolic act." This means it was a friendly gesture, but the island was never actually given to Germany. Neither East Germany nor the united Germany ever owned the island.
A film called Ernesto's Island was made in 2022. It stars Max Riemelt. The movie tells the story of a man from East Berlin who travels to Cuba. He goes there to spread his late mother's ashes on Cayo Ernesto Thälmann, as she wished.
See also
In Spanish: Cayo Ernest Thaelmann para niños
- Canarreos Archipelago, a group of islands near Ernst Thälmann Island.
