Returning to "Sea Day" at the National Maritime Museum: a study day and the opening of a new exhibition at the museum, dedicated to the connection between the reparations agreement and the Israeli merchant navy.
On 9/6/24 there will be a study day at the National Maritime Museum in Haifa, under the title "Blood. Money. Ships". The symposium will deal with the reparations agreement with Germany as a key growth engine of the Israeli merchant fleet. On the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of the beginning of the implementation of the agreement in the field of shipping, a new display will be opened at the museum in the renewed permanent exhibition of Israeli shipping, which will tell the story of the reparation ships. The establishment of the display was made possible thanks to a donation from Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd.
In January 1952, the winds in the young state of Israel were turbulent
On the agenda was the question of choosing to enter into negotiations with West Germany regarding a reparations agreement - a move designed to compensate the country following the absorption of about half a million Holocaust survivors, as well as to return some of the property lost to the Jewish people during the Nazi regime. After a stormy confrontation between supporters and opponents, the reparations agreement was approved by a majority of 61 votes and signed on September 10, 1952.
The reparations funds were known to be of great importance in the development of the Israeli economy, and they contributed decisively to the development of the Israeli merchant fleet. A significant part of the payment funds, about 17%, was used to order 49 new ships. Along with the purchase of the ships, there was an increase in the number of people employed in shipping and the volume of goods that arrived in Israel on Israeli ships. Fishing vessels were also purchased and additional ships were built in Israel from materials purchased with the reparations funds. The ports were also significantly streamlined and their productivity increased thanks to the purchase of cranes, cranes and a floating test rig.
The payment ships were mostly purchased by "ZIM", which was established in 1945 as Israel's national shipping company. It was renewed with 37 modern ships, which were used for cargo and passengers. The "Al-Yam" company owned by the Recanati family, which is less known to the general public, was second only to "Zim" in size. It purchased eight new and extremely large cargo ships as part of the agreement.
The company "Atid, the Mediterranean Lines", which was established in partnership between the Burchard family and the shipping company of the United Kibbutz, also purchased several ships. The new display shows models of ships that were used for cargo and passengers. It also presents historical moments in the stories of the ships, as recorded in the news logs, photographs, advertising brochures and more.
According to Adi Shelah, the curator of the National Maritime Museum:
The new display tells the stories of the ships that were purchased with the reparations money. Whether these are luxurious passenger ships for their time and superbly designed, which were new in the modest Israeli landscape, or whether these are the merchant ships, which connected young Israel to the world economy. The display also includes stories and anecdotes that accompanied those years, advertising brochures and visual images that illustrate the material culture of the time.
On the day of the study, we will discuss the many contexts concerning the "ships of reparations" - starting with the bitter debate that raged in Israel surrounding the signing of the agreement, through the manner of its implementation with an emphasis on the maritime domain, its effect on Israel-Germany relations and the economy of both countries, the part of the ships in shaping the identity of young Israel and the cultivation of national pride, up to the strategic questions concerning the importance of a national merchant fleet, especially in light of the reality that afflicts Israel today.
The symposium is being held for the third year, as part of the renewal of the tradition of celebrating the "Day of the Sea", which was customary in Israel and the Diaspora from the mid-30s to the mid-50s of the past century. The event will be held in collaboration between the National Maritime Museum and the Institute for Maritime Policy and Strategy at the Center for Blue Economy and Innovation in Haifa. The symposium is open to the general public free of charge, but advance registration on the website is required.
