90 Years of PRS. An Anniversary We Celebrated Together
On 6 November, we came together at the Wybrzeże Theatre in Gdańsk to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Polish Register of Shipping. It was a special and memorable evening for us, filled with memories, emotion and pride in the journey we have made. We thank our clients, partners and friends for joining us and sharing this anniversary with us.
Nine decades of PRS history
The evening opened with a welcome from Grzegorz Pettke, President of the PRS Management Board, who invited guests to look back on the Register’s nine decades of history. He recalled that PRS was founded in 1936 in response to the needs of Poland’s growing maritime economy. Since then, it has continued to change and develop, expanding its activities and strengthening its position in Poland and around the world.
The President stressed that this record of achievement rests first and foremost on people—their knowledge, sense of responsibility and daily work. The Register’s development would not have been possible without the trust of its clients and partners. He also spoke about the challenges opening up new opportunities for PRS, including technological advances, digitalisation, cybersecurity and new energy sources.
Congratulations and a look to the future
Kamil Wicik, the gala’s master of ceremonies, read a letter of congratulations from Arkadiusz Marchewka, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Infrastructure. The letter highlighted PRS’s role in shaping Poland’s maritime economy over the past nine decades. Arkadiusz Marchewka recognised the knowledge and daily work of the engineers, surveyors and experts who help safeguard ships, crews and the marine environment. He also pointed to the challenges facing the industry, including the energy transition, the development of offshore wind energy, digitalisation and growing safety requirements. He wished PRS continued success, satisfaction in its work and favourable winds for the future.
Piotr Borawski, Deputy Mayor of Gdańsk, also addressed the guests. He spoke about the city’s close ties with the sea, its port and shipbuilding industry, and the place PRS holds in that history. He recognised the achievements of the organisation and its employees, whose work enables the Register to grow and respond to the changing needs of the industry. During his address, he also presented the Mayor of Gdańsk’s medals to employees in recognition of their service.
Lucyna Olborska of the Polish Centre for Accreditation also offered her congratulations. She spoke about the two institutions’ longstanding cooperation and their shared belief that quality and competence require continuous improvement. She emphasised that PRS’s international standing is the result of its employees’ professionalism and their ability to combine experience with openness to the future.
Honouring PRS employees
A particularly moving moment was the presentation of honours to PRS employees. Emil Rojek, Deputy Voivode, and Grzegorz Pettke, President of the PRS Management Board, presented the honorary “Meritorious Employee of the Sea” badges. These honours remind us that behind our organisation’s history and development are real people and their many years of dedication.
Katarzyna Sobczak-Bergmann, a member of the PRS Management Board, also spoke to the guests. She noted that the 90th anniversary is a special occasion: a time to look back with pride while remaining bold and ready to keep developing. She thanked the guests for their congratulations and words of appreciation, noting that they reaffirm the values on which PRS is built: experience, stability, independence and the dedication of successive generations of employees. She then invited the guests to enjoy the artistic programme prepared for the anniversary.
A musical finale to the celebrations
The celebrations concluded with a musical and dance performance by artists from the Artformacja Foundation. The finale was especially moving: Szymon Kobyliński performed a song for his father, Lech Kobyliński, in tribute to a man who worked with PRS for many years. Lech Kobyliński served as Chair of the PRS Technical Council for 15 terms. When he stepped down from the role in January 2017, he was named an Honorary Member of the Council.
Ninety years are a source of pride and gratitude for us. We thank everyone who joined us that evening for their presence, kindness, trust and for celebrating with us. Your presence made this anniversary truly special.
