Shipping - Rescued paddle steamer: soon to open as a museum
After years of tug-of-war over its future and extensive renovation, the historic paddle steamer "Mainz" on the banks of the Neckar in Mannheim will soon be open to the public again. It will be open to the public from spring next year, according to Christian Kühnle from the Mannheim Museum Ship Association. Among other things, an exhibition on shipping and the port and a computer-animated program for young visitors are planned. The Mannheim Act of 1868, an international agreement regulating free navigation on the Rhine without customs duties and taxes, will also be discussed. Cultural events are also planned on the water.
The 1929 steamer was decommissioned in 1980 and refurbished as a floating museum by the Technoseum technology museum in 1986. In 2018, the end came with the expiry of the operating license for the Technoseum's largest exhibit. The association wanted to prevent the ship from being scrapped and, after lengthy negotiations, managed to preserve Germany's last paddle steamer with an original engine.
After three and a half months of repairs in a shipyard in Cologne, the "Mainz" returned to the Kurpfalzbrücke at the end of October. According to Kühnle, a total of 700,000 euros was provided by the city, state and federal government for the general refurbishment. Of this, 450,000 euros had already been used for cleaning, derusting and painting the 84-meter-long boat as well as for a new fire protection system. The City of Mannheim is providing an additional 30,000 euros annually for ongoing operations.
For Kühnle, the excursion steamer for up to 2,500 guests is a symbol of the prosperity that shipping on the Rhine and Neckar brings to the city of squares. Mannheim has the second largest inland port in Germany.
Information on the museum ship"Mainz
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- The historic paddle steamer "Mainz," currently undergoing renovation in Mannheim, will be transformed into a museum and is expected to open to the public next spring.
- Visitors to the museum ship "Mainz" can look forward to exhibits on shipping and port history, as well as interactive programs for younger audiences, discussing topics like the Mannheim Act of 1868.
- The renovation of the paddle steamer, once decommissioned in 1980 and later refurbished as a floating museum in Mannheim, has been supported by the City of Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, and the federal government, with additional investment from the city each year for ongoing operations.
- Paddle steamer "Mainz," with room for up to 2,500 guests, is seen by Christian Kühnle as a symbol of the prosperity that shipping on the Rhine and Neckar brings to Mannheim, a city with the second largest inland port in Germany.
- After its repairs in Cologne and a return to Mannheim, the paddle steamer will remain on the Neckar in Mannheim, offering cultural events on the water and showcasing the rich history of shipping in the Rhine-Neckar region, similar to the well-known museums and attractions in the city of Mannheim and neighboring Mainz on the Rhine.
Source: www.stern.de
