Newsitems:

EMH respons to European Green Paper

EMH presentation in Bremen

6th EMH Congress Rotterdam great success

Undersiging MoU in London

Barcelona Charter booklet

Anders Berg Honorary President

Signing Barcelona Charter

The sixth EMH Congress in Rotterdam hosted by the Havenmuseum was a great succes. The first day started with a harbour tour and the start of the "Race of the Classics" on a hot day in April. The congress was attended by participants of 15 countries and around 30 presentations about aspects of the maritime heritage were given. Most presentations where focussed on the European Commission’s year-long consultation process on its Green Paper entitled "Towards a future Maritime Policy for the Union: A European vision for the oceans and seas". The head of this EU Maritime Task Force Mr. John Richardson concluded with the words "maritime unity in diversity" expressing the main content of these congress.

Read the opening speech of the EMH President Mr. Michael vom Baur.  Final declaration of the Rotterdam Congress.

The Barcelona Charter – European Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Traditional Ships in Operation – is now available as a booklet.

The Barcelona Charter was created by European Maritime Heritage (EMH) as a code of best practice and minimum standard for conservation and restoration of vessels to be recognized as traditional ships in operation.

The creation of the Barcelona Charter was inspired by the Venice Charter of 1964, stating the principles for the conservation and restoration of monuments and sites ashore. The text of the preamble of the Venice Charter is fully valid also for vessels of historical significance, and it says:

Imbued with a message from the past, the historic monuments of generations of people remain to the present day as living witnesses of their age-old traditions. People are becoming more and more conscious of the unity of human values and regard ancient monuments as a common heritage. The common responsibility to safeguard them for future generations is recognized. It is our duty to hand them on in the full richness of their authenticity.

The Barcelona Charter may be ordered via your local book shop. Bibliographic information:

Heidbrink, Ingo (Ed.)

The “Barcelona Charter”

Publishing House: H. M. Hauschild Bremen.

ISBN 3-89757-253-2.

Price: € 3,- in Germany (€ 3,10 in other countries) + shipping and handling.

The Barcelona Charter may also be viewed on the EMH website.

The EMH is the European non-governmental organisation for owners of traditional ships in operation. Its members consist of national and regional associations of owners of traditional ships in operation, maritime museums, and other private bodies and organisations which support the preservation of the European maritime heritage.

The EMH may be contacted through the EMH Secretary’s office:

Secretary Mr. Thedo Fruithof, Dijkweg 222, NL-1619 JC Andijk, The Netherlands.Telephone & Fax: +31 228 59 31 36. E-mail:

During the General Assembly, held in Karlskrona 31 July 2004 Arne Gotved paid tribute to the huge contribution to EMH made by Anders Berg, both as our Secretary from 1994 and more recently as President, from which position Anders had now retired. In the name of the General Assembly, Arne Gotved now invited Andere Berg to accept the position of Honorary President, adding that Jacques Chauveau, the first holder of that high office, would have been proud to see it occupied by Anders. Amid acclamation, Anders Berg accepted the office of Honorary President/President d’Honneur.   Anders Berg just after his nomination, a long time speechless before he could answer...