Recently, the BBC published an article titled WW1: The indestructible warship. The article refers to the Graf Goetzen. Calling her the “indestructible warship” seems to be a bit of an exaggeration. As warships go, she was not very impressive and given that she was scuttled without engaging in significant combat in 1916, she was not quite “indestructible”. Exaggeration aside, she is a fascinating ship with a wonderful history. At over 100 years old, she is believed to be the oldest passenger ferry in service.
The 234′ long passenger steamer Graf Goetzen was built in 1913 in Germany, then taken apart, packed in 5,000 crates and shipped to Africa, where the crates traveled by rail and then were carried on the backs of porters to the shores of Lake Tanganyika, where the ship was reassembled. Now named MV Liemba, the passenger ferry continues to operate along the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, providing an economic lifeline to scores of villages along the shores of the longest lake in the world.