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Jewish groups, Shell criticize name of giant ship set for use in North Sea oil rig dismantling

Associated Press
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The Pieter Schelte, a huge ship expected to be used to dismantle North Sea oil rigs for Royal Dutch Shell is moored in Rotterdam's Alexia harbor, Netherlands, Friday, Feb. 6, 2015. A Dutch-Swiss maritime engineering company is coming under intense pressure to change the name of a giant ship being fitted out in Rotterdam because it is named for a convicted Nazi war criminal. The Pieter Schelte's name honors the father of Edward Heerema, head of Allseas Group SA, and a pioneer in maritime engineering. But for Jewish groups in the Netherlands and Britain, the name is a grim reminder of Pieter Schelte's World War II role as an officer in the Nazi's Waffen SS and his conviction of war crimes by a Dutch court after the war. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) (The Associated Press)

The Pieter Schelte, a huge ship expected to be used to dismantle North Sea oil rigs for Royal Dutch Shell is moored in Rotterdam harbor, Netherlands, Friday, Feb. 6, 2015. A Dutch-Swiss maritime engineering company is coming under intense pressure to change the name of a giant ship being fitted out in Rotterdam because it is named for a convicted Nazi war criminal. The Pieter Schelte's name honors the father of Edward Heerema, head of Allseas Group SA, and a pioneer in maritime engineering. But for Jewish groups in the Netherlands and Britain, the name is a grim reminder of Pieter Schelte's World War II role as an officer in the Nazi's Waffen SS and his conviction of war crimes by a Dutch court after the war. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) (The Associated Press)

The Pieter Schelte, a huge ship expected to be used to dismantle North Sea oil rigs for Royal Dutch Shell is moored in Rotterdam harbor, Netherlands, Friday, Feb. 6, 2015. A Dutch-Swiss maritime engineering company is coming under intense pressure to change the name of a giant ship being fitted out in Rotterdam because it is named for a convicted Nazi war criminal. The Pieter Schelte's name honors the father of Edward Heerema, head of Allseas Group SA, and a pioneer in maritime engineering. But for Jewish groups in the Netherlands and Britain, the name is a grim reminder of Pieter Schelte's World War II role as an officer in the Nazi's Waffen SS and his conviction of war crimes by a Dutch court after the war. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) (The Associated Press)

A Dutch-Swiss maritime engineering company is refusing to change the name of a giant ship being fitted out in Rotterdam that is named for a convicted Dutch Nazi.

The Pieter Schelte's name honors the father of Edward Heerema, founder and president of the ship's operator Allseas Group SA. Pieter Schelte Herrema is considered a pioneer in maritime engineering who helped open oil exploration in the North Sea.

But for Jewish groups in the Netherlands and Britain the name is a grim reminder of Pieter Schelte Heerema's World War II role as an officer in the Nazi's Waffen SS and his subsequent war crimes conviction.

In emailed answers to questions from The Associated Press, Allseas said Friday it has no plans to change the ship's name.