In the "Hall of Fame" important faces from the yachting world can be seen
An alternative program for the shorter days on the water has been announced in Flensburg: A new center for yachting history will open here in time for autumn. The Robbe & Berking Yachting Heritage Center will present itself to the public for the first time on October 2nd with an open day. At the inauguration of the Robbe & Berking Classics yacht yard in spring 2009, Oliver Berking, owner of the silver manufacturer founded in 1874 and founder of the shipyard, spoke of his plans to create a historical center here - now the time has come. "Three to four exhibitions are planned per year," says initiator Berking - his goals are ambitious: "Ideally, sailors from all over the world will come to us on the Flensburg Fjord. The first exhibition aims to create the Mekkdes of classic yachting in Europe. It will be accordingly spectacular, "continues Berking.
Oliver Berking
Under the title "Royal Yachting", this first exhibition deals with the yachting passion of the European royal families from the end of the 19th century to today and presents exhibits in the new museum building on almost 1500 square meters, some of which have not yet been seen by the public. including loans from European royal families, royal yacht clubs, friendly museums and private collectors. "We have just received a silver model of the 'Britannia' that was previously in Buckingham Palace," reports Berking. Private correspondence from Kaiser Wilhelm II is also on display. In principle, even rigged yachts can now stand on the ground floor of the center. The Royal Yachting exhibition will be open until the end of January 2017.
In the gallery above the exhibition area, almost 9,000 antiquarian yachting books are made accessible to the public on 270 meters of bookshelf - including the YACHT editions from the very beginning. "We are thus presenting the largest yachting library in the world," says Berking with pride.
In addition to the changing exhibitions, permanent attractions are planned. Including the so-called "Hall Of Fame", a collection of busts of great men and women from yachting history. Johann Anker and Henry Rasmussen can already be seen at the opening. A picture of Pal Sarkozy, father of the former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and himself a sailor, is also permanently on display.
The photographer Nico Krauss and the artists of Gallery 4 present their works in the rooms adjacent to the exhibition. The pictures of the north German painters Susanne Westphal, Ines Ramm, Heinke Böhnert and Christine Aulbach can also be bought.
The museum restaurant "Ristorante Italiil Porto" has already opened and a small museum shop will be added. Two more buildings for classic yachts and office buildings for sale are to be completed by spring 2017.
The painters of Gallery 4: Susanne Westphal, Ines Ramm, Heinke Böhnert and Christine Aulbach
The Yachting Heritage Center can be found at Am Industriehafen 5, 24937 Flensburg.