Oscar Huber, Museum ship in Duisburg, Germany
The Oscar Huber is a former steam-powered tugboat moored in the harbor of Duisburg, Germany, now open to visitors as a museum ship. The vessel is 75 meters long and has several decks, including an engine room, crew quarters, and a wheelhouse.
The tug was built during the height of the Ruhr area's heavy industry to pull barges along the Rhine and its tributaries. After decades of service, the vessel was taken out of operation and preserved as a museum ship for future generations.
The Oscar Huber is part of the Museum of German Inland Navigation and gives a clear picture of what daily life looked like for a tug crew on the Rhine. The crew quarters and mess room are still laid out much as they would have been during active service.
The ship is accessible through guided tours, which are generally best booked in advance. Sturdy footwear is advisable on board, as passages between decks can be steep and narrow.
The ship was named after harbor master Oscar Huber following its retirement from service, a tribute that is easy to miss without knowing the story. Its original boilers and turbines remain on board and show just how complex it was to keep such a tug running day to day.
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