Gorch Fock (1)

built in 1933 for the German navy to replace the overturned "Niobe", first name was the "Gorch Fock", lauched on 3.5.1933, commissioned on 27.6.1933.

her sister ship is the Romanian "Mircea", the "Eagle" ex-"Horst Wessel" (1936), "Sagres II" ex-"Albert Leo Schlageter" (1938) and "Gorch Fock II" (1958) are very similar to these, but have a longer hull.

used as a training ship up to and during World War II and scuttled off Stralsund/GER in 1945.

salvaged by the Russians on 16. Sept. 1947, after her reconstruction in Wismar/GER between 23. Sept. 1948 and 15. June 1950 she sailed as a Soviet Union training ship under the name "Tovarishch" (engl. comrade).

participated in several races, e.g. the Sail Gdynia 1974, the Sail New York 1976 and the Sail Bremerhaven 1990 or Hanse Sail Rostock 1994.

since 1992 she sailed under the Ukrainian flag.

she was arresetd in Newcastle/GBR in 1995 waiting to undergo a general overhaul, the costs of this overhaul should be paid by English fans and the promoters of the "Tall-Ship Friends Germany" association, towed to Middlesborough/GBR in 1997.

in September 1999 towed to Wilhelmshaven/GER, looked for donators, begin of an overhaul but too less funds stop the work.

brought to Stralsund in autumn 2003, purchased by the new founded "Tall Ship Friends" e.V. association, on 29. Nov. 2003 renamed the "Gorch Fock" again, open to the public she looks for donators.

continuing smaller repairs, conversion to a museum ship and event location in the harbour of Stralsund.

in the fall of 2022 commitment of 13.5 million euros from the German federal government from the funding program "KulturInvest" for the fundamental renovation and the conversion to a barrier-free museum ship, but bound to the takeover of the ship by the city of Stralsund; after the citizenship of Stralsund rejected the takeover in January 2023, the future of the ship is uncertain, because the floatability is endangered and the safety of the rigging is not given.

in February 2023 taken over by the city of Stralsund, GER.

overhaul in the shipyard of Stralsund, repairs of the hull and rigging until May 2024, moved to the berth in the Stralsund city harbour then, begin of interior work in winter 2024/25.