Seatrade Insider 2/12/2008: A number of German shipping executives including Hamburg Cruise Centre director Dirk Moldenhauer and Dr Stefan Behn, member of the board of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) are supporting an idea to bring Maxim Gorkiy back to Hamburg to be used as a floating hotel and congress centre berthed on the Elbe River in the city centre.
The ship was launched in the city in 1968 as Hamburg and her godmother was Marie-Luise Kiesinger, wife of Germany's then Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger.
According to local newspaper Hamburger Abendblatt Hans Lafrenz, member of the federal state parliament of Hamburg, is also named as a supporter of the project as is a Dusseldorf-based investor, although it is unclear what the costs will be.
The newpaper quotes Dr Behn saying that 'the ship is still in brilliant shape' having retained much of its original interior from the late 1960s.
Maxim Gorkiy is also considered to be one of the symbols of Germany's Reunification: In December 1989, a few weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall - she served as a floating conference venue for the heads of state of the USSR and the US, Mikhail Gorbachev and George Bush, off Malta.
More recently the ship has gained popularity operating on charter to Bonn-based Phoenix Reisen. The long-term charter of the steam-turbine ship expired last weekend when her final voyage in Phoenix livery ended in Venice.
The ship was to have been taken into drydock this month for work including SOLAS 2010 updates, and to emerge for her maiden voyage as Marco Polo II next April for new owner, the ,new' Orient Lines. but last month the company reported the relaunch of Orient Lines has now been put off until the world financial situation improves.
Imagens /images copyright L.M.Correia collection. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia
The ship was launched in the city in 1968 as Hamburg and her godmother was Marie-Luise Kiesinger, wife of Germany's then Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger.
According to local newspaper Hamburger Abendblatt Hans Lafrenz, member of the federal state parliament of Hamburg, is also named as a supporter of the project as is a Dusseldorf-based investor, although it is unclear what the costs will be.
The newpaper quotes Dr Behn saying that 'the ship is still in brilliant shape' having retained much of its original interior from the late 1960s.
Maxim Gorkiy is also considered to be one of the symbols of Germany's Reunification: In December 1989, a few weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall - she served as a floating conference venue for the heads of state of the USSR and the US, Mikhail Gorbachev and George Bush, off Malta.
More recently the ship has gained popularity operating on charter to Bonn-based Phoenix Reisen. The long-term charter of the steam-turbine ship expired last weekend when her final voyage in Phoenix livery ended in Venice.
The ship was to have been taken into drydock this month for work including SOLAS 2010 updates, and to emerge for her maiden voyage as Marco Polo II next April for new owner, the ,new' Orient Lines. but last month the company reported the relaunch of Orient Lines has now been put off until the world financial situation improves.
Imagens /images copyright L.M.Correia collection. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia
5 comments:
How interesting to read the extract from Seatrade Insider. Like all the people
from the Ocean Liner Society who sailed on MAXIM GORKIY a few months ago, I am
really pleased that there is some prospect of her being saved by people who will
respect her lovely interiors.
Early in his career, Captain Dirk Moldenhauer served on HANSEATIC (ex-EMPRESS OF
SCOTLAND, ex-EMPRESS OF JAPAN) and later went on to found Hanseatic Cruises and
charter the present HANSEATIC before selling out to Hapag Lloyd, so he no doubt
appreciates a good ship when he sees her. Dr. Stefan Behn and his wife Petra
are great collectors of ship memorabilia and some time ago mounted a lovely
exhibition in the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce in celebration of the QE2 -
entirely from their own collection. OLS members will remember the talk Stefan
gave us about the MAXIM GORKIY in Bremerhaven before we boarded her for our
cruise.
So, if they get her, MAXIM GORKIY will be in the hands of people who will
respect her and, importantly, she will be run by people who are not only
enthusiasts but also experienced businessmen.
Here's wishing them, and her, the best of luck.
Tony Cooke.
Se há navio que merece ser preservado em Hamburgo é este magnífico MAXIM GORKIY ex-HAMBURG de 1969.
Também deviamos pensar em um dia preservar em Lisboa um navio simbólico, como por exemplo o FUNCHAL de 1961.
Se começassemos prlo cacilheiro MARVILA já seria um bom princípio...
Luís e que tal seria, não digo em Lisboa, mas colocar o Funchal na praia Formosa (Madeira) como mais um hotel? Estão previstos, tantos hotéis para aquela zona e inclusivamente um pontão de protecção (enormíssimo e que a meu ver ficará dando um impacto negativo a nível visual) para transformarem a praia em areia, porque não aproveitar esse pontão e colocar lá o Funchal e assim explorar ainda mais o negócio em que querem tornar a zona? Assim minimizavam o impacto visual, acho que até nem se ia notar pelo pontão com um navio hotel lá!
Eu acho que seria o melhor lugar para o Funchal ficar, seria na cidade com o seu nome e numa zona nobre em termos de hotelaria. Contudo se ficasse por Lisboa, ficaria contente, só não quero é que vá parar onde todos nós sabemos...Podiamos começar a lutar por isso, que tal?
Na Madeira não há interesse em conservar navios para hotéis, restaurantes, museus, etc. Tantos navios históricos navegaram pelo arquipélago e nenhum foi conservado. Desde os navios que faziam as viagens de cabotagem, aos famosos Madeirenses e Funchalenses, passando pelos rebocadores Cabo Girão e Ponta do Garajau. Nenhum foi conservado, e todos fazem parte da historia marítima da Madeira! Não acredito que o Funchal possa ser preservado na cidade que lhe deu o nome. Espero estar enganado!
Acho que tens razão, Mar da Palha... e o problema é que essa atitude não é exclusiva d Madeira. No Continente é o mesmo problema. E aqui há espaço para preservar, não há é sensibilidade e vontade.
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