Imperial and Royal Navy Gallerion exhibition

Gallerion Exhibition

Gallerion is a unique collection, developed over a period of 40 years, dedicated to the Imperial and Royal Navy of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and the glorious era of Pula as the main naval port of the time. It is the second largest collection in the world after the famous Military Museum in Vienna, and the first in the Adriatic, with over 30 large and 300 smaller models of old sailing ships, cruisers, heavy battleships, submarines, yachts and seaplanes.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE IMPERIAL AND ROYAL NAVY AND ITS MAIN NAVAL PORT PULA

In 1850, Emperor Franz Joseph I decided that Pula should become the main naval port of the Austrian navy and that a naval arsenal with a shipyard should be built. With the arrival of Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian (1832-1867), the brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I, as commander-in-chief of the Austrian navy from 1854 to 1864, the foundations were laid for the development of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy as a naval power. Thanks to the archduke, the navy received significant support from the imperial family and public attention.

The modern development of Pula from the mid-19th century to 1918 is inextricably linked to the rapid growth of the Imperial and Royal Navy during that period. The Naval Arsenal, officially opened in 1856 in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth, employed numerous craftsmen, workers, technical staff and engineers, which led to a rapid influx of people into the city. Pula became the seat of a large garrison, composed mainly of naval and artillery personnel, who were housed in numerous forts (such as Fort Verudela, Fort Bourguignon, etc.). The immediate defence of the city consisted of a chain of forts with 104 heavy guns, 157 light guns and a supply of 79,414 rounds of ammunition. In 1910, the city had about 16,000 military personnel.

CONSTRUCTION OF LARGE BATTLESHIPS IN THE PULA, TRIESTE/MONFALCONE AND RIJEKA SHIPYARDS

The exhibition presents the technical development of the Austro-Hungarian Navy and the construction of large battleships in the shipyards of Pula, Trieste/Monfalcone and Rijeka from the second half of the 19th century until the end of the First World War. A special place in the collection is occupied by a 3-metre-long model of the battleship "Viribus Unitis", which was sunk by two Italian naval saboteurs in Pula's harbour on 1 November 1918, just two days after the Austro-Hungarian Navy was abolished by order of Emperor Charles I.

During this period, four modern warships of the "dreadnought" type with a displacement of 20,000 tonnes ("Viribus Unitis", "Szent István", "Tegetthoff" and "Prinz Eugen") were built, making the imperial and royal war fleet the eighth naval force in the world. It is important to note that this fleet was not built for imperialist purposes, but the primary task of the navy was to defend the Monarchy's Adriatic coasts.

IMPERIAL AND ROYAL NAVY SHIPS FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Austro-Ugarska ratna flota nije služila samo u vojne svrhe, već je imala i znanstvenu ulogu. Ekspedicije austrougarske ratne mornarice intenzivirale su obuku posade i bile prisutne na gotovo svim svjetskim morima, pružajući pritom priliku za stjecanje znanstvenih spoznaja.

Nadvojvoda Ferdinand Maksimilijan, zapovjednik Ratne mornarice, poboljšao je obrazovanje časnika i posada organiziranjem redovitih prekooceanskih putovanja ratnih brodova. Admiral Wilhelm von Tegetthoff 1869. godine donio je odluku da se nakon četverogodišnjeg školovanja na riječkoj Mornaričkoj akademiji za pomorske kadete svake godine redovito organiziraju prekooceanska instrukcijska putovanja.