19th-century Baltic shipwreck loaded with champagne uncovered by Polish divers – Times of India

A 19th-century shipwreck off the Swedish coast in the Baltic Sea, containing crates of champagne was uncovered by Polish divers.
The discovery which also included porcelain wine and mineral water was made last week, around 20 nautical miles south of the Swedish island of Oland, a result of the divers’ exploration of new underwater spots, according to a Facebook post by Tomasz Stachura, leader of the Baltic tech diver group.In the post, he gave details on the find revealing the wreck’s origin to be somewhere around mid 19th-century. “Its value was so precious that the transports were escorted by police. We came across about 100 lacquered Selters water bottles at our wreck. It’s a German label that still exists today and its products are still considered exquisite. Thanks to the shape of the stamp and the help of historians, we know that our transport was manufactured between 1850-1867.Interestingly, the ceramics factory where the water used to be spilled also exists and we are in contact with them to find out more details,” he said.

Stachura expressed excitement over the find. “The whole wreck is loaded to the brim with crates of champagne, mineral water and china,” Stachura told AFP. He mentioned that the divers counted around 100 champagne bottles among the items discovered.
Stachura, an experienced diver with 40 years of diving, noted that it is uncommon to find such a large quantity of cargo on a wreck. “I have been diving for 40 years and it often happens that there is one bottle or two… to discover a wreck with so much cargo, it’s a first for me,” he added.
The divers were investigating new areas out of curiosity when they stumbled upon the wreck. “We were just checking out new spots out of pure curiosity and that’s when we came across this wreck,” Stachura said.
The discovery has been reported to Swedish regional authorities, but retrieving the champagne treasure will take time due to administrative restrictions. “It had been lying there for 170 years so let it lie there for one more year, and we will have time to better prepare for the operation,” Stachura said.
“We are in contact with the MARIS Foundation, University of Södertörn and personally with professor Johan Ro¨nnby , who is responsible for all underwater research in Sweden,” the diver further mentioned in the Facebook Post.
Meanwhile, Frank Schellmann, a spokesperson for Selters whose brand’s mineral water was among the treasure found, said Thursday that the company was the discovery with “great interest.” “Such a find is indeed extraordinary — and particularly fascinating to us considering the quantities found and the location,” he said as quoted by the Washington Post.