Rostock was even a major shipyard town before the Berlin Wall came down. Back then,some 24 thousand people were employed in what was known as the Shipbuilding Combine. But after reunification,there were mass layoffs.Today,there are only a few thousand workers left. The firms that have survived are the ones that specialized. The traditional Neptun Werft shipyard,for example,is now building boats for river cruises,and business is booming. A report by Christian Jaburg