The German steamship “Hamburg” that sank off the coast of Svolvær in northern Norway has became the focal point of a vivid conservation debate. The harbour authorities and the business community want it removed, but face strong opposition from archaeologists and divers.
The 9,000 tonne steamship sank during Operation Claymore, otherwise known as the Lofoten Raid in 1941, and rests at depths between 5 to 25 metres. In good weather, parts of the wreck are visible from the surface.
Its accessibility, and the history behind it, make the wreck a favourite spot for divers. However, business circles would like to have it removed in accordance with plans to expand the quay, as it makes both development and entry complicated. Furthermore, given the fact the ship is over 100 years old, it is automatically a protected cultural monument, adding yet another layer to the heated debate, national broadcaster NRK reported.
Ole Osland, port manager in Vågan municipality, argued that the “Hamburg” poses a risk for larger ships going in and out, and questioned its historic importance, given the fact that the vessel was not a warship, but produced fish oil.
Its accessibility, and the history behind it, make the wreck a favourite spot for divers. However, business circles would like to have it removed in accordance with plans to expand the quay, as it makes both development and entry complicated. Furthermore, given the fact the ship is over 100 years old, it is automatically a protected cultural monument, adding yet another layer to the heated debate, national broadcaster NRK reported.
Ole Osland, port manager in Vågan municipality, argued that the “Hamburg” poses a risk for larger ships going in and out, and questioned its historic importance, given the fact that the vessel was not a warship, but produced fish oil.
“I understand the importance of preserving cultural monuments, but how much cultural value is there in an old boat that produced fish?” Osland asked rhetorically.
Tor-Kristian Storvik, an archaeologist at Nordland County Municipality, argued that it is important to protect the ship, which is one of the oldest war wrecks in northern Norway.
“It is one of the few physical traces of the first Lofoten raid, or Operation Claymore. Which was one of the first coordinated operations between the Norwegians and allies,” Storvik argued.
Marine archaeologist Stephen Wickler of the Tromsø University Museum concurred the wreck has a great cultural and historical value.
“This is one of the few wrecks in Lofoten. And it's more than just a shipwreck, it's solid evidence from Operation Claymore”, Wickler mused. “The problem is that people do not know about the Hamburg. Tourists drive by every single day. Imagine if you could look at this as something other than a problem, namely a resource. A tourist attraction”.
On 4 March, 1941, about 550 British and 52 Norwegian commandos went ashore on Austvågøy in the Lofoten archipelago and attacked, among other things, plants and herring oil factories in Svolvær, Stamsund, Henningsvær and Brettesnes, as well as German and German-controlled ships, including the Hamburg. It was subsequently sunk by the Germans themselves so that the British would not get hold of it. The Germans retaliated by burning down houses, taking hostages and sending them to concentration camps.