There was an interesting exhibition - maybe the interested had visited the Museum in Veendam.
The sailors from the Sielharbours of the East Frisian coast came far around in the world. Regular trade contacts existed throughout the Baltic Sea region. As part of a joint exhibition with the Veenkoloniaalmuseum in Veendam, the Netherlands, this part of the shared maritime history of the German-Dutch border area is now being retraced in the Sielharbourmuseum. It is not only a history of trade relations, but also of cultural contact, which shows in getting to know a foreign country - the visitor of the exhibition should be remembered that this shipping took place at a time when most people did not even think about traveling.
But the loved ones at home also had some of these trips - for them were the souvenirs that the sailors in Riga acquired. Painted wooden bowls or spoons could be purchased at a certain market in Riga. A decorated coffee service was of course also an adornment for the home table. And a popular means of "customer loyalty" were the silver captain's spoons, which always shows an engraving of the merchant who wanted consolidating his business relationship with the captain in question.
Riga was a popular trading destination. Besides wood, cereals, bricks and flaxseed oil were transported back and forth. The captains of the Sielhabours and Moorkolonies were the truck drivers of the 19th century. One sailed over the Kattegat to the destination port. The Veenkoloniaalmuseum has many treasures in its inventory that cover these trips and there are also some in the magazine of the Deutsches Sielhafenmuseum - Captain's spoons and Riganappen. Also, there are still many astonishing privately owned items.
With the exhibition "Greetings from Riga",
which lasted until 2nd November, the German Port Authority Museum in Carolinensiel, in cooperation with the Veenkoloniaal Museum in Veendam, would like to show that much of the historical material in our region, reminiscent of the Baltic Sea shipping of the time, has been preserved.
an "unmarked" Captain´s spoon fom Pernau -the collectors know the background.
Regards
Goldstein
