Viking-Venus-Art-Catalog

EXPLORERS’ LOUNGE | DECKS 7–8
STATSRAAD LEHMKUHL
Statsraad Lehmkuhl is not only the largest square-rigged tall ship in Norway but also the oldest still in operation in the world. This three-masted steel bark was
constructed in 1914 by the J. C. Tecklenborg AG shipbuilding company in present-day Bremerhaven, Germany, with a gross tonnage of 1,516. She originally
bore the name Grossherzog Friedrich August, and with the onset of World War I, entered into service as a stationary training ship. Following Germany’s defeat,
Grossherzog Friedrich August was ceded to Great Britain in 1920. However, not long after, she was acquired by the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association and
renamed Statsraad Lehmkuhl in honor of the man who organized the purchase: Kristofer Lehmkuhl, the director of Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskap (The
Bergen Steamship Company). By 1923, she was operating as a Norwegian sail training vessel—first for the Bergen School Ship Foundation (until 1967),
then shipowner Hilmar Reksten (1968–1973) and finally the Statsraad Lehmkuhl Foundation (from 1978 onward). Since the foundation took ownership
of Statsraad Lehmkuhl, she has been chartered by the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy, schools and various other organizations for training purposes.
Today, Statsraad Lehmkuhl is able to berth up to 150 trainees, along with a maximum of 40 crew members.
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