House Flags of German Shipping Companies (b) - part 2

Deutsche Reedereiflaggen (d) Teil 2

Last modified: 2012-05-18 by german editorial team
Keywords: biesterfeld | bismark linie | blanke | bloeckert | blohm voss | blumenfeld | blumenthal | blumenthal bose | bockstiegel | bode | boegel | borm | braack | braker herings | bramsloew | braren | brema | bremen suedamerika linie | bremen-ve |
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• Wilhelm Biesterfeld
• Bilgenentölungsgesellschaft
• Bismark Linie
• Blanke Schiffahrts K.G.
• Jürgen Blöckert
• Blohm & Voss
• B. Blumenfeld
• J.M. Blumenthal
• Blumenthal & Bose
• W. Bockstiegel Reederei
• Hubert Bode
• Hermann Bögel
• Carl Borm Reederei
• Schiffahrt Braack
• Brag branch BRG
• Braker Heringsfischerei AG
• F.C. Bramslöw
• Roerd Braren, Kollmar
• Brema Reederei
• Bremen Südamerika Linie
• Bremen-Vegesacker Fischerei Gesellschaft
• Bremer Helgoland Dienst
• Henry Breuer
• Briese Schiffahrts K.G.
• Brise Schiffahrt
• Brinckmann & Albers
• Richard Bröhan
• Büchting
• Wilfried Buck
• Gerd Ernst deBuhr
• Hans Günther Bülow
• J.W.Burmester
• F. Busse

• House Flags of German Shipping Companies
• House Flags of Shipping Companies
• Germany

Wilhelm Biesterfeld

Wilhelm Biesterfeld Reederei- und Schiffahrts G.m.b.H. This shipping company existed at least until 1923. The company does exist even today but only as a trading company for chemicals and fertilizers. The company used a red flag with a white diamond touching the edges with a red serifed capital "B".
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; p.229-230.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2007

Bilgenentölungsgesellschaft

A modest company with a simple flag, such is the case of the above firm (the name meaning a company which collects bilge, used oil, and other shipping waste products ) established in that very large inland harbour with lots of flags, Duisburg in Germany.

The company website informs us that BEG, as the name is mercifully abbreviated, was founded in 1961 and at some later date became part of the important Rhenus concern also located in Duisburg.  More specifically, BEG is active in the area south of Münster (Westfalia), mainly in the lower Rhine region. In all, eight ships based in different inland ports plus a collecting pontoon and landside storage facilities are operated.  According to the website, in 2005 some 23M litres of bilge, 2800 metric tonnes of used oil and 137 metric tonnes of waste products were collected; most of the used oil is recycled.
Collecting these waste products is free I believe, BEG is paid a fee under a government contract.

As they say, somebody has to do it - and as BEG does it proudly and under its own colours, who are we to complain?
Jan Mertens, 4 May 2006

Bismark Linie

The flag is a swallowtail, horizontally bicoloured, blue at the top and yellow below, with a red seriffed B in the center of the flag (excluding the tails). And the caption reads "Bismark Linie".
Jorge Candeias, 3 Jan 2005

Blanke Schiffahrts K.G.

Blanke Schiffahrts K.G., Elsfleth - VWV flag, in center white diamond bordered black, black "B".
(Elsfleth is along the Weser river, a little northwest of Bremen.)
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 6 Oct 2005

Jürgen Blöckert

Jürgen Blöckert
The company was located in Flensburg. It is a yellow over celestial blue over yellow horizontal triband, the blue stripe is slightly wider. In the blue stripe are white connected capitals “JB”.
Source: Title: „Flaggen, Schornsteine, Reedereien- Flaggen und Schornsteine der deutschen Reedereien und ihre Schiffe über 300 BRT“; Hamburg 1957; p.F2.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 8 Apr 2009

Blohm & Voss

Blohm & Voss shipyards
Brief history: The company is located in Hamburg and nowadays a company of Thyssen-Krupp Marine Systems. It was established in Hamburg on 5 April 1877 by Hermann Blohm and Ernst Voss es a dockyard and mechanical engineering company. In 1882 the company started a ship repair branch. Already in 1905. In 1905 the company has rented world greatest dockyard area incl. 550,000 sqm and 3 km waterfront. In 1913 Voss was leaving the board. One year later WWI broke out, The dockyard produced 96 submarines, 6 destroyers and one small cruiser for German Imperial Navy.
In 1927 the company celebrated its 50th anniversary. Till then it had built 429 vessels for both, merchant fleet and the navy, 35 of them for HAPAG, 29 for Hamburg-Süd, 22 for Woermann Linie and 20 for Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie. In 1933 the sailing ship GORCH FOCK was completed. During WWII the company produced 238 submarines, another 17 had been planned. Since 1942 the company also built speed submarines.
In 1955 the company is changed and renamed into Blohm & Voss AG. Phönix-Rheinruhr AG acquires 50% of the shares.
Since 1958 the company specializes its production, now mainly refrigerator ships and car transport ships were built. In 1968 the first container ship ELBE EXPRESS is handed over to HAPAG.
In 1980 the company created new standards in war ship building by inventing MEKO (reg. trademark) technology, which was used in new types of frigates. 32 MEKO-frigates or corvettes are built or ordered by various navies. In 1985 four containerships of HAPAG were modernized and prolongated.
The company was developing innovative technologies also in the following years. In 2005 the Thyssen Krupp dockyards and HDW group merged and Blohm & Voss was incorporated into Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems.
For further information click www.blohmvoss.com.

Description of flag: It is a blue flag charged with two yellow rings, ordered like a wedding-ring-symbol. In each ring is a yellow, serifed capital: “B”(hoist) and “V”(fly). In the ring’s intersection is a yellow “&”.
Source: I spotted this flag on 12 April 2009 at the entrance of the company.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 May 2009

B. Blumenfeld

B. Blumenfeld, Hamburg - green - white - black triband; white disk, charged with two hammers in saltire and B^DB, all black.
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies, compiled by F.J.N. Wedge, Glasgow, 1926 [wed26]
Jarig Bakker, 10 Feb 2005

Bernard Blumenfeld commenced in the coal trade in 1902. After WW2 the firm was restructured by his son Erik who went into politics and became an MP for the CDU Party. Shipowning appears to have ceased in 1965 with the sale of the "Erik Blumenfeld". The flag is shown by various publications but there are small differences between them so the actual design is not clear. The black ring is agreed to by all sources found except Marine News 7/1994 which shows an undefined white circle. The hammer and mallet are generally shown in black but the Masary cigarette cards of 1930 show them with red handles whilst the Lloyd Redereiflaggen cards show a yellowish brown shade. br>The main difference relates to the small "D" shown generally in upper case by British sources but in lower case by German (and Talbot-Booth and US Navy 1961). Brown 1958 actually has it as an "O". Some sources show a horizontal bar beneath this small letter, Lloyds 1912 also adds a black dot after each of the large "B"s. The 2 German cigarette card collections have two lines under the "d", omit the dots after the "B"s but show one after the "d". Otto Mathies in his 1924 "Hamburgs Reederei 1814-1914" has two lines and no dots. The Masary collection also has the flag being used by the subsidiary Norddeutsche Kohle- und Cokes-Werke Akt.-Ges. [sic] which did get its own version as shown on the (n) page.
Neale Rosanoski, 10 Apr 2010

J.M. Blumenthal

J.M. Blumenthal, Hamburg - white flag with red stripes; in center black "B".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies, compiled by F.J.N. Wedge, Glasgow, 1926 [wed26]
Jarig Bakker, 1 Feb 2005

Blumenthal & Bose

The company was located in Altona (today: Hamburg).
Description of flag:
The white flag was divided by two red horizontal stripes. Between the stripes was a black inscription ""B & B"".
Source: Lloyds 1912 ; p.79, flag no.884
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 May 2012

W. Bockstiegel Reederei

W. Bockstiegel Reederei K.G., Emden - per saltire blue - yellow; in center white disk outlined blue; blue "WB".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 23 Oct 2005

Hubert Bode

Hubert Bode - 1905 a line from Hamburg to Australia was open. Hubert Bode pretended being shipowner of two ships but according two Lloyds the Reederei-Gesellschaft "Nord" was owner of the two ships. It seems that Bode at first was only a ghost trader for F.L.Sloman and indeed his company flag is of the same type like the Sloman-flags but with inverted colours. In a white flag are blue capital letters "HB" in the centre and a blue 5-point star in each corner. In 1907 he became owner of Reederei 'Nord'.
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; p.205ff.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2007

Hermann Bögel

Hermann Bögel - The company was located in Bremen-Vegesack. The black flag is divided by two white horizontal stripes. Between the stripes is a shield, divided per bend into a red field with a white key (city of Bremen) and white with a black cross formy(modified from Vegesack borough).
Source: „Flaggen, Schornsteine, Reedereien- Flaggen und Schornsteine der deutschen Reedereien und ihre Schiffe über 300 BRT“; Hamburg 1957; p.F3.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 Apr 2009

Carl Borm Reederei

The company was located in Bremen. The flag was a black over white over red horizontal tricolour with black capitals "CB" in the centre of the white stripe. At the hoist was a white triangle containing a red Hanseatic cross or cross patty.
Source: "Deutsche Reedereien und ihre Erkennungszeichen"; 2nd ed.; Hamburg; 1956; p.12
Klaus-Michael Schneider,21 May 2009

Schiffahrts Braack

Schiffahrts Braack K.G., Drochtersen - white flag, blue "B". (Drochtersen is a place northwest of Hamburg)
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 6 Oct 2005

Brag branch BRG

The house flag of German Brag (CH) subsidiary found in 'Flaggen auf dem Rhein' (1952 ed.).
Brag archivexillum: white with shifted black crozier, a national flag (in this case the German one) in the canton.
Name: Basler Rheinschiffahrt-Gesellschaft mbH (i.e. Basle Rhine Shipping Co. Ltd), Mannheim.
Jan Mertens, 26 Sep 2007

Braker Heringsfischerei Aktiengesellschaft

The company was located in Brake upon Unterweser near Bremen.
Description of flag:
The blue flag was divided by a broad, white, centred cross. In the four quarters were white, dotted initials of the name "B" (upper hoist), "H" (upper fly), "A" (lower hoist) and "G" (lower fly). In the centre of the flag was a red lozenge.
Source: Lloyds 1912 ; p.98, flag no.1288
/Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 May 2012

F.C. Bramslöw

F.C.Bramslöw - Friedrich Christian Bramslöw was born in Aabenraa and was like his father before seaman and captain. The latter was captain on a vessel of John R.Möller which he bought in 1856. But he lost ship and his life 1859 near Hongkong. His son was not discouraged and became seaman at the age of 15 and was captain with 25 years in 1881 on a ship of B.Wencke Söhne. He remained captain and became inspector from 1889 till 1893. He became member of the board of the OPDR and promoted an association to run a ship for learners (germ.:Schulschiff). Finally from 1891 to 1910 he was owner of his own fleet. The company ended in 1910. Bramslöw died in 1930.
The company used a dark blue flag with a white 5-point star in its centre superimposed by a smaller one pointing to the bottom.
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999;  p.155ff.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Mar 2007

Roerd Braren, Kollmar

Reederei Roerd Braren, Kollmar
Description of flag: It is a yellow over red over blue horizontal tricolour. The shade of the red stripe is slightly orange. In the centre of the flag is a white rhomb containing a black unserifed capital "?B''.
Kollmar is a small village on the northern bank of the river Elbe near Glückstadt.
Source: I spotted this table-flag in a pub in Kollmar on 8 June 2007.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 August 2008

Brema Reederei

Brema Reederei - The company was located in Bremen. The white flag is divided by a red saltire being cotized white and blue. In the centre is a white disc containing a black anchor, which exceeds the disc at its top and is flanked by black capitals “B” and “R”.
Source: „Flaggen, Schornsteine, Reedereien- Flaggen und Schornsteine der deutschen Reedereien und ihre Schiffe über 300 BRT“; Hamburg 1957; p.F3.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 Apr 2009

Bremen Südamerika Linie

Bremen Südamerika Linie GmbH & Co KG -  a German company that links Europe and Brazil - particularly northwestern Brazil and the Amazon basin - and is represented in Portugal by Garland Navegão. Its logo consists of a flag that can be described as that of Bremen with a blue triangle based at the fly and with the third angle vertically centered at about 2/12ths of the length. The triangle is charged with the sigla BSL in white. There is always the possibility that the real flag is something different than this, but I am sending along what I suppose is the company flag.
Jorge Candeias, 29 Apr 2002

Bremen-Vegesacker Fischerei Gesellschaft

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "Bremen-Vegesacker Fischerei Gesellschaft" (#14, p. 37), a company based in Grohn, as white with a vertical border along the hoist made of two columns of six squares, alternating red and white, two horizontal stripes on top and bottom of the flag (width, one square), and the black letters "BV" in the middle.

The name of the company reads "Fishing Company of Bremen-Vegesack". Vegesack is a borough of the town of Bremen, while Grohn is a borough of Vegesack.
Founded in 1897, the company became one of the biggest herring fishing company in Europe. In 1895, the company purchased the steel saillogger "Vegesack BV2", used as a herring fishing vessel (drifter) at the North Sea. Sold in 1921, the ship had several successive owners, and is still operate by the "Maritime Tradition Vegesack Nautilus" association, as the oldest Europen herring drifter.
Source: "Schooner Man" website.

The company was overtaken in 1968 by the "Norddeutsche Hochseefischerei AG" (NDHAG), based in Bermerhaven. The house flag of the company is derived from the flag of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen.
Ivan Sache, 14 Mar 2008

Bremer Helgoland Dienst

Bremer Helgoland Dienst
The company was located in Bremen. It is a white flag divided by a saltire of green and red. Those three are the colours of Helgoland. In the centre was a red, cotized  shield with a white key, a modification of the small arms of the city of Bremen.
Source: Arnold KLUDAS: Die Geschichte der deutschen Passagierschiffahrt (5 Bde.) Hamburg 1986; Reprint Laibach Slovenia-Buch Nr. 03617-8 Flagchart p.224.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 Apr 2009

Henry Breuer

Henry Breuer, Stade - horizontal flag blue over green; white "HB".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 17 Feb 2006

Briese Schiffahrts K.G.

Briese Schiffahrts K.G., Emden - white flag. the firm's logo. (black-red-blue are the East-Frisian colors)
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 30 Sep 2005

Brise Schiffahrt

New flag:
It is a blue flag containing an orange rectangular triangle. The triangle near the hoist is superimposed by a blue disc containing a white compass rose. The Northern direction mark is orangy.
Source: I spotted this flag on 10 Apr 2009 on top of the company building in Hamburg habour area.

Old flag:
It is a white flag with the coat of arms of Altona shifted to the hoist. Shifted to the fly is a blue inscription in italics: "BRISE" (capitals,bigger,1st line) "Schiffahrt"(2nd line).
Source: Josef Nüsse's webpage
We learn, the company had been based in Altona and moved to Hamburg later on.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Apr 2012

Brinckmann & Albers

The flag is red with a white lozenge touching the edges and black initials "B&A" in the center. And the caption seems to read "Brickmann & Albers".
Jorge Candeias, 29 Apr 2002

Richard Bröhan

Richard Bröhan
The company was located in Hamburg. The flag is divided per saltire into red and white. In the centre is a white lozenge, fimbriated black, with a black inscription “RB”.
Source: “Deutsche Reedereien und ihre Erkennungszeichen”; 2nd ed.; Hamburg 1956; p.13
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 Mar 2009

Büchting

The German bunkering firm 'Bunkerbetriebe Büchting GmbH' is established at Duisburg on the Rhine.  This page shows their boats, prosaically named 'Büchting 1' and 'Büchting 2': Briefly mentioned in the 15 Jun 2007 message 'HTAG formerly Harpen (DE)', the company - founded in 1966 - is owned by HTAG.
English language version of site:
A table flag still on offer on German eBay shows the HTAG colours: horizontally divided black, white, and red, defaced with the company name in a special voided font also seen on above website. This image was put up by 'bundeszentralregister' under item no. 150164078480, end of offer 2 Oct 2007, dimensions given as 15 x 25 cm.
As the item in this format was shown among many others in a house flag exhibition ('Flagge zeigen', Duisburg) I visited earlier this week I feel confident that it exists in life size as well.
Jan Mertens, 28 Sep 2007

Wilfried Buck

Wilfried Buck, Duisburg - white flag, red diamond, white handmade "B".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 19 Oct 2005

Gerd Ernst deBuhr

Gerd Ernst deBuhr KG
The company was located in Oldenburg. It is a white flag with dark blue stripes (FIAV-code B++) at the top and bottom edge. In its centre is a red diamond with a white capital “B”.
Source: Title: „Flaggen, Schornsteine, Reedereien- Flaggen und Schornsteine der deutschen Reedereien und ihre Schiffe über 300 BRT“; Hamburg 1957.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 8 Apr 2009

Hans Günther Bülow

Hans Günther Bülow
The company was located in Kollmar (Steinburg county) next to Glückstadt at the northern banks of river Elbe. It is a yellow flag. In its centre is a white diamond with a red capital “B”.
Source: Title: „Flaggen, Schornsteine, Reedereien- Flaggen und Schornsteine der deutschen Reedereien und ihre Schiffe über 300 BRT“; Hamburg 1957; p.F4.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 8 Apr 2009

J.W.Burmester

J.W.Burmester - Burmester established his company in 1885 in Oporto. Nevertheless the home of his ships was Hamburg. The name was changed to "Hermann O. Burmester" in 1891; and to "H.Burmester &Co." in 1906. In 1908 however J.W.Gerhard Burmester was the only owner of the company. The last ship was sold in 1911 and the company was dissolved three years later in 1914. The company used a blue flag withwith white serifed capital letters "HB" in the centre..
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; p.132ff.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 19 Mar 2007

F. Busse

The company was located in Geestemünde
Description of flag:
It was a blue, converging swallow tail pennant fimbriated white except the hoist side. In the blue field were white, dotted capitals "&FB&" shifted to the hoist and in the fly a white fish facing the hoist.
Source: Lloyds 1912 ; p.85, flag no. 1019
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 May 2012

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