The deadliest island in Germany: Danger to life on Riems!

The deadliest island in Germany: Danger to life on Riems!

There is an island in Germany that is considered the most dangerous - and a visit could end in death! The island of Riems, north of Greifswald in the Baltic Sea, is a place that no one is allowed to enter without permission. Surrounded by high fences, barbed wire and strict security controls, the island is monitored by radar systems and cameras. This isn't just research; These are high-security laboratories that deal with dangerous pathogens.

The Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), the Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, is located on Riems. Research is carried out here on diseases that can endanger both animals and people, including Ebola, rabies and swine fever. Safety level S4, the highest in Germany, is necessary because there are no vaccines or treatments against some of these pathogens. The FLI warns: “These pathogens are life-threatening for people.” The safety precautions are extreme: the laboratories and animal stable complexes are under constant pressure and the wastewater in the building is heated to over 100 degrees before it reaches the sewage treatment plant.

Unique in Europe – the deadliest island

The island of Riems is unique not only in Germany, but also in Europe. There are only two other places in the world where similar research on dangerous viruses involving large animals is being carried out: Canada and Australia. The strict security measures and life-threatening risks make visiting this island an extremely dangerous undertaking. If you think you can just stop by, you're very much mistaken - access here is strictly forbidden!