Pomerania Gift

The Dar Pomorza, also known as the White Frigate, is a three-masted sailing ship that was purchased in 1929 by the people of Pomerania for the Maritime School in Gdynia. Built between 1909 and 1910 at the Blohm und Voss shipyard in Hamburg, it originally served as a training ship for the German merchant navy under the name Prinzess Eitel Friedrich. After World War I, the frigate was handed over to France as part of war reparations and remained unused for several years. In 1929, after its purchase, it underwent a thorough renovation and was renamed Dar Pomorza. The frigate achieved numerous milestones, including 102 training voyages, sailing half a million nautical miles, and becoming the first Polish ship to circumnavigate the globe. Among its commanders were renowned captains, and during its service, the ship trained 13,384 cadets. When a major refurbishment was needed in the 1970s, it was decided to transform the Dar Pomorza into a museum ship—a goal accomplished thanks to the dedication of many individuals. Since 1982, the frigate has been a branch of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk, where visitors can explore its history and life at sea. In 2016, it attracted nearly 138,000 visitors. Architecturally, the Dar Pomorza impresses with its steel structure and magnificent sailing details, measuring 80.3 meters in length and 41.4 meters in height. An interesting fact is that in 1980, the Polish Post Office issued a stamp featuring the Dar Pomorza, which also bore a portrait of Captain Maciejewicz. In 2019, a 1:40 scale model of the frigate was installed on the Pomeranian Quay, and the hull underwent restoration.