Niels Windekilde Jannasch (July 5, 1924 – November 9, 2001) was a German-Canadian mariner, marine historian and the founding director of the

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The museum is a member institution of the Nova Scotia Museum and is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection o ...

. He was born on July 5, 1924, in

Holzminden Holzminden (; nds, Holtsminne) is a town in southern Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Holzminden. It is located on the river Weser, which at this point forms the border with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Histor ...

, Germany. Jannasch served with coastal forces in the German navy in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. After the war he sailed in merchant ships under Finnish and German flags, most notably the four-masted barque '' Passat'' during the last grain race. On this, her last commercial voyage, he served as ship's carpenter. When she was refitted as a training ship he re-joined as

bosun A boatswain ( , ), bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a deck boss, or a qualified member of the deck department, is the most senior rate of the deck department and is responsible for the components of a ship's hull. The boatswain supervi ...

. He married Barbara Dierig in 1952 and the couple emigrated to

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...

. Jannasch became the first director of the Maritime Museum of Canada in 1959 and oversaw its growth and many plans before it finally moved to a large waterfront location in 1981, and became the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. 433 - Halifax NS

He retired in 1985 but continued to go to sea and contribute to marine scholarship in many ways. He was a founder and charter member of the Canadian Nautical Research Society. His deep knowledge and tireless contribution to many heritage organizations and made him "an icon of the maritime history fraternity in Canada and aboard." He was invested into the Order of Canada in 1991 in recognition of his scholarly and public contributions. Jannasch died at his home in

Seabright, Nova Scotia Seabright (population 522) is a community within the Halifax Regional Municipality Nova Scotia between French Village and Glen Margaret on Route 333 along the Lighthouse Route The Lighthouse Route is a scenic roadway in the Canadian provinc ...

on November 9, 2001. He is commemorated by a replica sailing sloop named ''Windekilde'' and the ''Niels Jannasch Library''"Niels Jannasch Library", ''Maritime Museum of the Atlantic''
Retrieved 2019-03-26. at the

References

Obituaries: ''Toronto Globe and Mail'' and ''Halifax Chronicle Herald'' November 12, 2001

External links

Windekilde replica

Obituary ''Argonauta'', newsletter of the Canadian Nautical Research Society, Oct 2001, p.4-5
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jannasch, Niels Canadian curators Canadian maritime historians Canadian male non-fiction writers 1924 births 2001 deaths Officers of the Order of Canada German emigrants to Canada 20th-century Canadian historians Kriegsmarine personnel of World War II