The Elbe 3 lightship was built in 1888 as the Weser lightship at Johann Lange's shipyard in Vegesack. The first operation was on the Weser position from 1889. In 1936 the ship received a four-stroke marine diesel engine. The ship therefore has a chimney in place of the middle mast. From 1954 to 1955 and 1956 to 1966 the ship served at position Bremen, and from 1966 to 1977 at position Elbe 3. Elbe 3 was a lightship position northwest of Cuxhaven and northeast of Neuwerk in one of the main shipping routes of the German Bight. The beacon consisted of three electrically operated individual beacons. It was decommissioned on May 23, 1977 in Cuxhaven.
The ship has been moored as a museum ship in the Oevelgönne museum harbor in Hamburg since 1979 and is maintained there in operational condition by a volunteer crew from the association. Guest trips are undertaken in summer. The ship is considered the oldest operational lightship in the world.