Lecture: Legend of the Polish merchant navy – Captain Danuta Kobylińska-Walas

We invite you to a lecture by Ludmiła Kopycińska entitled "The legend of the Polish merchant navy – Captain Danuta Kobylińska-Walas." Danuta Kobylińska-Walas – the first Polish master mariner Danuta Kobylińska-Walas (1931–2025) was a pioneer of Polish shipping and the first woman in the country to achieve the rank of master mariner. A graduate of the maritime academy, she commanded ships of the Polish Merchant Navy for decades, breaking barriers and proving that professionalism and courage have no gender. She went down in history as an outstanding representative of the Polish merchant fleet and an inspiration for future generations of women deciding to pursue a career at sea. Ludmiła Kopycińska – popularizer of the history of the Polish maritime economy Ludmiła Kopycińska is an experienced city and field guide for the Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society (PTTK), who has been associated with the Szczecin port community for many years. She is known for her work in popularizing the history of Polish shipping and maritime education. Thanks to her lectures, studies, and educational work, the story of Danuta Kobylińska-Walas – the "first lady of the oceans" – reaches a wide audience, strengthening the memory of the women who built the Polish merchant navy.