Ship Dar Pomorza

Medals available in the museum shop!

The “Dar Pomorza”, nicknamed the “White Frigate”, has been associated with Gdynia since 1929. Built in 1909 at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg as a training ship for the German merchant navy, it was launched on September 18, 1909 as “Prinzess Eitel Friedrich” and began service with its maiden voyage to Christiansand and Antwerp. After Germany’s defeat in World War I, the ship was taken over by the French and moved to Saint-Nazaire. In 1926, it was renamed “Colbert” and was intended to replace the French training ship “Richelieu”, though this plan never materialized. A year later, the frigate became the property of Baron de Foreste, who planned to convert it into an ocean-going yacht, but this idea also went unrealized.

In 1929, the ship was purchased with public donations by the Pomeranian Fleet National Committee for £7,000, to replace the aging training bark “Lwów”. The frigate was renamed “Dar Pomorza” (Gift of Pomerania) to commemorate the generosity of the Pomeranian community. In June 1930, it arrived in Gdynia for the first time, and on July 13, Bishop Stanisław Okoniewski blessed the ship and its flag.

The frigate was transferred to the National Maritime School in Gdynia, becoming the second “cradle of Polish navigators” (after the “Lwów”). During 51 years of service to the Polish Merchant Navy, “Dar Pomorza” completed 102 training voyages, sailing half a million nautical miles and training 13,384 maritime students.

On August 4, 1982, “Dar Pomorza” was formally decommissioned – the same day its successor “Dar Młodzieży” (designed and built in Gdańsk) was commissioned. On November 16, 1982, the ship was transferred to the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk.