“Torpedo has returned home and we are especially satisfied that it came back to the town in which it was invented, constructed, produced and sold to the market”
In the former railroad warehouse on Žabica, today occupied by the Technical Collection of the Rijeka Museum, a new museum exhibit was presented – the tail section of a Rijeka torpedo no. 146 with the engine, manufactured in 1875. The Town of Rijeka bought the torpedo from a Norwegian collector at a very favourable price of 50.000 euros and enhanced their collection with a unique torpedo specimen, which, despite being 140 years old, is extremely well preserved. Included with the torpedo is the technical manual from 1900 with schemes of torpedo parts and launch tube, containing all data on manufacture and deliveries, as Morski.hr published on July 25, 2017.
The presentation of the new exhibit item was attended by Rijeka Mayor Vojko Obersnel, director of the Directorate for the Preservation and Protection of Cultural Assets from the Culture Department of Rijeka Town Nikolina Radić Štivić, director of the Rijeka Museum Ervin Dobrović, head of the Technical Collection of Rijeka Museum Deborah Pustišek Antić and the expert advisor of Rijeka Museum Captain Goran Pernjek.
In presenting the new item, the oldest torpedo in the collection, Dubrović said it is the tail section of torpedo number 146 intended for sales, manufactured in 1875 in Rijeka. This series, with certain modifications, was sold until 1888. “It is a miraculously preserved specimen, unique and extremely valuable item for our collection, the oldest torpedo that has come home,” said Dubrović.
“Torpedo has returned home and we are especially satisfied that it came back to the town in which it was invented, constructed, produced and sold to the market,” said Mayor Obersnel, adding the collection now has an original specimen of a torpedo from the first production series. The Mayor added that although the procurement procedure of the specimen took a longer time, it turned out easier to procure a torpedo from Norway than from Split, where the torpedo no. 888 form 1879 is being kept. “But, we haven’t given up on the desire for all torpedoes to come home to Rijeka, to the Collection of Rijeka Museum, and we haven’t given up on the idea that, together with the Port Authority and Ministry, the launch ramp be reconstructed, completing the story of the torpedo as a valuable part of Rijeka’s industrial heritage,” said Obersnel. He reminded of the need to preserve great technical accomplishments, such as the invention of the torpedo which placed Rijeka to the forefront in the world, adding that the EPK project opens up the possibility for the Technical Collection of Rijeka Museum and torpedoes to be presented as a tourism attraction which grew out of the story of preserving Rijeka’s industrial heritage. “We truly have something to say and show our guests,” said Obersnel.
Translated from Morski.hr.
