Volksmarine

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People's Navy Volksmarine
Insignia of the Volksmarine
Active	1 March 1956 – 2 October 1990
Country	East Germany
Branch	Ministry of National Defence
Type	Navy
Role	Coastal defence
Size	27,000
Part of	Nationale Volksarmee
Headquarters	Rostock
March	Präsentiermarsch der Volksmarine
Engagements	Cold War
Decorations	See article
Commanders
Commanders	See list Felix Scheffler, (1956) Waldemar Verner, (1957–1959) Wilhelm Ehm, (1959–1961),(1963–1987) Heinz Neukirchen, (1961–1963) Theodor Hoffmann, (1987–1989) Hendrik Born (1989–1990)
Insignia
Naval ensign (warships) (1960–1990)
Naval ensign (auxiliary ships) (1960-1990)
Naval jack (1960–1990)[1]

The Volksmarine (VM, German pronunciation: [ˈfɔlksmaˌʁiːne]; English: People's Navy) was the naval force of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990. The Volksmarine was one of the service branches of the National People's Army and primarily performed a coastal defence role along the GDR's Baltic Sea coastline and territorial waters.

Disbanded one day before the official reunification of Germany, the Volksmarine served as the naval arm of the East German state for 34 years. Rostock, former home port and headquarters of the Volksmarine, houses Navy Command for the post-reunification Deutsche Marine.