Dar Pomorza

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Dar Pomorza - on the right
(on the left: Stad Amsterdam and Dar Mlodziezy).

The Dar Pomorza is a Polish sailing frigate, currently preserved in Gdynia as a museum ship.

She was laid down on 18 September 1909 as the German training ship Prinzess Eitel Friedrich. In 1919 she was seized by the French. She was supposed to be renamed Colbert and used as a training ship, but was not activated.

In 1929, still bearing the name Prinzess Eitel Friedrich, she was bought by the community of the Polish Pomerania for 7000 GBP, as the new training ship for the Polish Naval Academy in Gdynia. She was given the name Dar Pomorza, which means "the gift of Pomerania". In 1930 the ship was repaired and fitted with an auxiliary diesel engine.

During the following years, she was used as the training ship, receiving a nick-name "White Frigate". In 1934-1935 she traveled around the world. During the World War II she was interned in Stockholm, after the war she returned to Poland and was used as a training ship again.

In the 1970s she took part in several Operation Sail and Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Races, winning her first race in 1972, then seizing the 3rd place in 1972 and the 1st place and Cutty Sark Trophy in 1980. She was one of world's most popular tall ships at that time.

In September 1981 she undertook her last race. On 4 August 1982 she was decommissioned and replaced by the Dar Młodzieży as a training ship. Since 27 May 1983 she has been a museum ship in Gdynia (next to the Błyskawica).