RIESA and its history

The RIESA – the centrepiece of the museum park

The RIESA is not only the largest and most important exhibit at the Oderberg Inland Waterways Museum – the historic Elbe side-wheel steamboat has been a feature of the cityscape for over 45 years and has established itself as a permanent fixture in the museum park.

Built in 1897 as the HABSBURG, the ship was part of Dresden's ‘White Fleet’ for a long time. It gained a special place in history in 1901 when Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary sailed along the Elbe on board the HABSBURG and awarded the Director General of the Saxon-Bohemian Steamship Company, Ernst Kuchenbuch, the title of knight.

After an eventful career, the RIESA's active service ended in 1976 with boiler damage. Originally intended for scrapping, it was brought to Oderberg in 1978 by the then museum director, Mr Hoffmann, and preserved as a museum steamboat. Since then, the ‘old lady of Oderberg’ has been maintained with great dedication by the museum team and the Friends of the Museum Association.

Today, the RIESA is not only an impressive technical monument, but also a lively meeting place. With events, exhibitions and even the opportunity to get married in the elegant bow saloon, it continues to delight visitors time and time again. In 2017, the ship celebrated its 120th birthday – an occasion for a redesign of the permanent exhibition, which brings the steamboat's eventful history to life in an impressive way.

To this day, the RIESA has lost none of its charm. Many guests remember the days when it still steamed majestically through the waters of the Elbe – and discover a piece of living shipping history in the museum park.