One of the “blessed ships” of post-war Greek shipping
The ‘Hellas Liberty’ floating museum reminds us that the sea was the great driving force of modern Greece. The Liberty class ship was built in 1943 in the United States for the needs of the Second World War and was donated to Greece in 1947.
Liberty class ships were the ships of victory: almost 2,700 such vessels were built to transport munitions, supplies, and people over the world’s most dangerous waters. One hundred of these “blessed ships”, as they were called, were sold after the war to Greek shipowners under the guarantee of the Greek state, laying “the foundation for the post-war Greek shipping miracle”.
‘Hellas Liberty’, one of the three Liberty class ships that remain in the world, was towed to Greece in 2008 and restored with the contribution of the Ministry of Merchant Navy and the Union of Greek Shipowners. It opened to the public in 2010 as a museum dedicated to Greek merchant shipping and the sailors who travelled on these legendary ships, linking the memory of the war to the rebirth of shipping after 1945.
Once inside you can take a tour over four levels exhibiting authentic naval machinery, documents, and photographs, while you will see the engine room and crew cabins up close, preserved as they were since the war. ‘Hellas Liberty’ also serves as an educational centre, welcoming pupils, sailors, and students at maritime schools, turning the ship into a space of living history.
The museum will reopen in the Hellenic Maritime Heritage Park next to the battleship ‘Averof’, where it will be integrated into a single set of maritime monuments.
Liberty class ships were the ships of victory: almost 2,700 such vessels were built to transport munitions, supplies, and people over the world’s most dangerous waters. One hundred of these “blessed ships”, as they were called, were sold after the war to Greek shipowners under the guarantee of the Greek state, laying “the foundation for the post-war Greek shipping miracle”.
‘Hellas Liberty’, one of the three Liberty class ships that remain in the world, was towed to Greece in 2008 and restored with the contribution of the Ministry of Merchant Navy and the Union of Greek Shipowners. It opened to the public in 2010 as a museum dedicated to Greek merchant shipping and the sailors who travelled on these legendary ships, linking the memory of the war to the rebirth of shipping after 1945.
Once inside you can take a tour over four levels exhibiting authentic naval machinery, documents, and photographs, while you will see the engine room and crew cabins up close, preserved as they were since the war. ‘Hellas Liberty’ also serves as an educational centre, welcoming pupils, sailors, and students at maritime schools, turning the ship into a space of living history.
The museum will reopen in the Hellenic Maritime Heritage Park next to the battleship ‘Averof’, where it will be integrated into a single set of maritime monuments.
