MS Princesse Marie Astrid to be Renamed after Renovation, Forming Part of New European Museum Schengen

On Monday 11 November 2024, Luxembourg's Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, accompanied by the Mayor and Aldermen of Schengen, travelled to Niederkassel, near Bonn, Germany, to visit the Lux-Werft shipyard where the ship "MS Princesse Marie Astrid" is currently being renovated.

On 14 June 1985, the five Member States of the European Community signed the Schengen Agreement suppressing border controls of people and goods on board the ship MS Princesse Marie-Astrid while moored at Schengen, specifically chosen as it is located on the border between Luxembourg, France and Germany. The ship was subsequently sold to Germany in 1992 and used as a recreation boat before being acquired in 2021 by the municipality of Schengen, in collaboration with the Luxembourg State.

The ship has been undergoing major renovation under the direction of Elmar Miebach-Oedekoven, Director of Lux-Werft & Schifffahrt GmbH, since May 2024. The works are due to be completed by spring 2025 and include the installation of modern electric motors and batteries to replace the diesel engines from the 1980s. This will ensure the ship conforms to environmental regulations. The ship must also be upgraded to current safety and comfort standards.

The newly renovated ship will be known as "Prinzessin Marie-Astrid Europa".

In conjunction with the renovations of the ship, the municipality of Schengen has also undertaken an overhaul of the European Museum's exhibition. A new historical concept has been developed, aimed at redefining the museum experience, while highlighting the founding principles of the Schengen Agreement, including its evolution over time, the effects of the disappearance of internal borders and the creation of new external borders. The museum's new permanent and multimedia design project will take the form of a journey through the evolution of the concept of "borders" in the world, with a focus on the Schengen Treaty and how it has influenced relations between people and nations, beyond the European level.

This new exhibition will occupy the current space of the museum as well as part of the "Prinzessin Marie-Astrid Europa", which will be moored on the Moselle, opposite the museum, at the location of the recently dismantled tourist information point. The new museum will house a completely renovated reception desk, which will serve both as a tourist information centre and as an introduction to the exhibition space.

Once completely renovated, the "Prinzessin Marie-Astrid Europa" will also accommodate a conference area, a temporary exhibition area and a lounge, as well as a new dynamic installation telling the story of the signing of the Schengen Agreement. The "Signing Room" will allow visitors to travel back in time, transporting them to the very space that welcomed the representatives of the first signatory countries of the agreement in 1985.

Minister Delles commented: "In these times, when freedom of movement and the removal of borders in Europe are being undermined, it is essential to reaffirm our commitment to the fundamental principles of the Schengen area: cooperation and unity. Today more than ever, remembrance tourism takes on its full meaning and has a key role to play in reflecting on Europe's past and future. Our country has always supported the European Union with passion and embodies, through its multiculturalism, the fundamental values of the EU. It is important to me to preserve these values of openness and exchange. The project to revalue the ship 'Prinzessin Marie-Astrid Europa' combined with the redesign of the concept of the European Museum in Schengen are perfectly in line with this approach". 

The Mayor of Schengen, Michel Gloden, added: "The project to revalue the ship 'Prinzessin Marie-Astrid Europa' embodies the vision of a Europe united in diversity and cooperation even in times when global uncertainties put these principles to the test. It is more essential than ever to reaffirm our commitment to the Schengen Area and the values of solidarity, freedom and mutual respect. These values have enabled Europe to overcome many challenges and must continue to guide our path". 

The official inauguration of the "Prinzessin Marie-Astrid Europa" is scheduled for 14 June 2025, on the occasion of the festivities that will be organised to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Schengen Agreement.