A city that describes itself as the "gateway to the world", which has achieved fame and fortune through trade on all the seas since the Hanseatic League, must also have a floating monument - some enthusiasts on the Elbe were convinced of this in the 1970s and founded the Windjammer für Hamburg association.
A few years later, they found what they were looking for - even though their object of desire had only sailed for a Hamburg shipping company for four years during its long and chequered history. It had initially been built and sailed under the flag of Rickmers Reederei. And it came from Hamburg's great rival on the Weser: Bremerhaven.
Early years of the "Rickmer Rickmers"
Originally a full-rigged ship with square sails on all masts, the "Rickmer Rickmers" lost her cross mast in a hurricane in the Indian Ocean as early as 1904, was quickly re-rigged as a barque in Cape Town for cost reasons and was given a mizzen mast aft instead.
The Hamburg shipping company Krabbenhöft acquired the ship in 1912 and renamed it "Max". For the next two years, it was used to transport coal from Wales to Chile and saltpetre from Chile to Europe. At the beginning of the First World War, the ship anchored off the neutral Azores in 1914. Two years later, however, it was confiscated by the Portuguese armed forces and transported war goods to Great Britain.
"Sagres": as a training ship for Portugal
After a conversion in 1924, the barque served as a sail training ship for the Portuguese navy under the name "Sagres", equipped with two auxiliary diesel engines from 1930. The sails were now emblazoned with the cross of the Order of Christ, typical of Portuguese sailing ships. In 1958, it won the Tall Ships' Race from Brest to Las Palmas on Gran Canaria. The commissioning of the next "Sagres" in 1962, a sister ship of the "Gorch Fock" originally built in 1938 for the German navy, marked the end of the ship's service. She was then used as a depot ship, moored at a naval pier near Lisbon.
A windjammer for Hamburg
The windjammer then fell into disrepair until the Hamburg association became aware of it in 1978 and finally brought it to the Elbe in 1983 - not for nothing, but in exchange for another ship, a schooner yacht, which was much smaller but seaworthy. She had previously been acquired with the help of numerous donors and also still sails under the Portuguese flag. The "Rickmer Rickmers", restored to its historic appearance around 1910, has since been an eye-catcher and visitor magnet at Hamburg's jetties, her bowsprit pointing out to sea.
Technical data of the "Rickmer Rickmers" (1896)
- Bark (from 1904), cargo sailing ship
- Shipyard: Rickmers Werft, Geestemünde
- Hull material: steel
- Length (overall): 97.0 m
- Height (main mast): 54.0 m
- Sail area: 2,600 m2
- Speed (sail): 14 kn
- Berth: Landungsbrücken, Hamburg
Information for visitors
The 800 square metres of the exhibition deck are divided into four areas: Construction of the ship, cargo shipping under sail, use as a training ship and current use as a museum ship. The crew and officers' quarters provide an insight into the sometimes harsh life of a sailor. There are changing art exhibitions in the gallery under the Elbe and classic Hanseatic dishes in the on-board restaurant. Special activities: escape room, karaoke bar and shroud climbing up to a height of 35 metres.
Opening hours: Daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Prices: Between 4 and 7 euros, family ticket: 18 euros, group tours on request: 75 euros plus admission. Tel: 040/3195959. internet: rickmer-rickmers. de
Travelling by boat: Hamburg's floating landmark is ten minutes from the city centre. City sports harbour which seats 120 guests. Tel: 040/364297
