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Alpina Reederei AG, Switzerland

image by Jarig Bakker, 25 July 2006

Swiss Shipping Company & Neptun AG

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☞ Alpina Reederei AG was a subsidiary company of the Swiss Shipping Company AG (Schweizerische Reederei AG). It was founded in 1947 in Antwerp, Belgium as Alpina Transport & Affrètements S.A. During the 1970s the company's activities were slowly relocated to the offices in Basel, Switzerland. The Alpina Reederei owned and managed the ships of the Swiss Shipping Company, hence the identical flags of the two companies. In the beginning of 1987 the Alpina Reederei was dissolved. (source)
Martin Karner

Horizontally striped blue and white (seven stripes in all) with a square Swiss flag in canton (height of the canton: three horizontal stripes).
Ivan Sache, 23 August 2002

For the presentation this beautiful house flag I had to piece together the company history from a variety of sources, hopefully without too many hiccups. The firm's seat was at Basel, Switzerland. The following page shows a number of Swiss house flags, among them one at the top identified as "Alpina" (blue stripes, Swiss canton; move mouse over flag): http://www.swiss-ships.ch/reeder/fr_reeder.htm. Furthermore, the site shows a number of sea-going vessels belonging to "Alpina", as the Schweizerische Reederei (i.e. Swiss Shipping Co.) was mostly called. In order to show the flag in use and another drawing, I add some links to Binnenvaart pages presenting the "Antilope" (interestingly, the Dutch branch is named "Alpina Scheepvaart Maatschappij NV", Rotterdam): http://www.debinnenvaart.nl/schependb/inhoud.php?action=tel&id=474 and the "Unterwalden": http://www.debinnenvaart.nl/schependb/inhoud.php?action=tel&id=796 and there are more on that site, illustrated in b/w as well as in colour.

Some company history distilled mainly from: http://www.rhenus.ch/en/untabogeschichte.cfm. Foundation of the "Schweizerische Schleppschiffahrtsgenossenschaft" (essentially meaning "Swiss Towage Co.") during the decade 1910-1920; one source indicates 1919: http://www.ub.unibas.ch/wwz/swa/204-347.htm. Expansion to Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium during the next decade and construction of first dock at Basel. Then moving into transportation on acquiring a share of Alpina AG; in 1938 new name "Schweizerische Reederei AG" (government participation). Second dock constructed; by then, WWII has broken out. Company becomes a sea carrier as well, keeping open Switzerland's supply lines during war. A tanker division is established: Cisalpina Reederei. The important Swiss concern Migross (best known as a supermarket chain, I believe) founds Reederei Zürich after the war; it will develop in the background, for now.

In the seventies, Schweizerische Reederei and Neptun AG amalgamate and during the next decade, Migros acquires part of them; finally most shares belong to Migros only to see it go towards Rhenus (2000) which is to become Rhenus-Alpina. In our time, this group continues to expand by acquiring an impressive number of companies some of which are active in road transport, or containers, or which operate terminals: diversifying.

For nostalgic souls (reading French), following text presents Gottfried Streuli, old skipper of the Schweizerische Reederei, recalling past events and situations: http://www.letemps.ch/dossiers/dossiersarticle.asp?ID=140524. Preferring inland shipping to the high seas (where, he maintains, you never meet anyone), he has pinned the house flag above his bed. And all of us, I am sure, will approve.

Jan Mertens, 25 July 2006