The motor ship Oldenburg was built in 1958 by the Roland shipyard in Bremen under construction number 872. The keel was laid in January 1958, launched on March 29, 1958. On August 6, 1958, the ship was handed over to the Wangerooge shipping service of the German Federal Railroad . From 1958 to 1982 it operated as a ferry on the Harlesiel-Wangerooge route. After being sold to the Warrings shipping company , it was used for butter journeys between Leer and Wilhelmshaven .
In 1985 the ship was sold to the Landmark Trust in Great Britain and overhauled. Today it serves as a ferry between the island of Lundy , Bideford (Devon) and Ilfracombe under the same name . The inhabitants of the island feel connected to the Oldenburg today and have dedicated a series of their island postage stamps to the 50th birthday of the ship.