The commissioning ceremony took place at Eckernförde in the presence of the Deputy Inspector of the Navy and Commander of the Fleet and Support Staff, Vice-Admiral Rainer Brinkmann, the Minister of the Interior and Federal Affairs of the State of Schleswig-Holstein, Stefan Studt, the head of the Schleswig-Holstein State Chancellery Thomas Losse-Müller, and the commander of Einsatzflottille 1 Jan Christian Kaack. U-36's first commander on commissioning was Korvettenkapitän Christoph Ploß.[6]