The good ship Martha - is located on 1st floor

If you are interested in shipping, nostalgia and old Danish films, then a visit to the Martha-lounge in Svendborg, is a pure pilgrimage. The Martha-lounge on the first floor above the restaurant Børsen - lies in middle of the harbor in the south of the island in the town of Svendborg, and was in fact designed in honor of the great movie ship the S/S Martha, who has achieved cult status among the Nordic seafarers. The movie from 1967 is briefly about the lazy crew of the scrapheap Martha, "sailing in the Mediterranean”. And yet the film was hail stoned down by critics and failed in movie cinemas. However the film quickly achieved cult status among the Nordic seafarers. The film was in fact circulated on many ships in 16 mm copies along with other films as a part of the general practice care for the crew, and the seamen fell in love with Martha's lazy and inept crew enjoying the sun and the pleasures of the table, even if the machine is about to fall apart, and the company is running a deficit.

Tradition among mariners

Even today there are still circulating copies of the film on shipping companies' ships, where the enthusiasm for the history of Martha's crew has been passed down from generation to generation of maritime students in Svendborg maritime schools. Even Her Majesty, Queen Margrethe II, enjoys killing time in company of the captain on board the royal yacht Dannebrog, when he plays the movie the Good Ship Martha. And when the royal yacht visits Svendborg, it is traditional, that officers of the ship make a quick trip to the Martha-lounge. The Martha-lounge is also a focal point for festivities at the annual Martha-day, the first weekend in May, when the Martha-film is shown in the local cinema - the Scala - before an almost fanatical audience of marine engineers and naval officers. Among the most loyal guests in the Martha-lounge in Svendborg is by the way a group of lodge brothers from the Lodge S/S Martha of Helsingør, whose purpose is to bring together bro­thers with an interest in the film Martha. The Lodge has only 17 members (all men!), suit­ably, the lodge titles are shipowner, captain, sailor, mate, sailor, steward, cook, telegraph, ship's boy, chief engineer, second master, the third champion, stoker and bulwark sailors. New members of the public gallery are put on a waiting list and may also be included in a meeting room in Svendborg Martha! And Martha Club, which was founded by a former engineer, has over 700 active members.

Eat as the crew

Curious people, who just want to soak up some of the harsh atmosphere of sea water and tar, can always take a quick trip to the Martha-room, which is extensively used year round for large or small events. Here you get the classic Martha-menu consisting of Brottsjø-herring with homemade caper salad, salmonroll with cream cheese and herbs, long-term braisseret beef brisket with seasonal vegetables, potatoes and the classic tab­les, potatoes and the classic Martha-sauce. And you finish off of course with aged cheese with meatjelly, onions and rum! Have a good meal!

Restaurant Børsen
Gerritsgade 31
DK-5700 Svendborg
Phone +45 62 22 41 41
www.ss-martha.dk