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![[VEB Deutsche Seereederei 1952-1974 (East Germany)]](../images/d/de~dsr52.gif)
2:3 
Image by Volker Moerbitz Keith and Victor Lomantsov, 7 Feb
2001 (doubtful, see below)
On this page:
Founded in 1952, this was the big state-owned merchant shipping company operating world wide and having 200 ships at its peak in the late 1970s. In the 1960s, tankers and bulk carriers were taken off the stock of Deutsche Seereederei and formed VEB Deutfracht, an own, thought short lived, company. In 1974, both companies merged back again, from then on until 1989 using the name VEB Deutfracht/Seereederei. The flag was horizontal blue-red-blue stripes 1:3:1, with the white letters DSR in the red part and a vertical blue stripe on the fly side. The width of the vertical stripe is apparently the same as the horizontal blue stripes. Flag ratio 2:3.
Volker Moerbitz Keith, 7 Feb 2001
The flag of the DSR as shown above is quite far from the correct design. I suggest these links for further information: Deutfracht-Seereederei
website - DSR-Seeleute website.
Roland Bentin, 26 June 2002
Stewart in 1963 [ste63] shows a horizontal triband of equal blue-red-blue with the white letters "DSR" on the red, the same design being shown by the 1978 and 1982 editions.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 May 2004
According to Roland the DSR flags on this page are incorrect. I cannot judge on the yellow triangular jack but in the matter of the two rectangular flags shown for VEB Deutsche Seereederei I am in support of his statement lacking any source which backs the images shown. There may be such to prove the first version by Volker and Viktor although as I have previously advised , by the time of Stewart 1963 the version shown on the page for 1974-1989 i.e. triband of blue-red[broad]-blue with the white letters "DSR" was being displayed which conflicts with their version showing a blue vertical band in the fly [incidentally my initial comments referring to the 1978 and 1982 editions apply to Brown and not Stewart].
As far as the 2nd image showing yellow letters by Jens, I have previously pointed out that it does not appear in a copy that I hold of the quoted source "Lexikon der Seefahrt" by Ulrich Scharnow, published by Transpress 5th edition 1988, nor does it in the 1981 and 1984 editions. Unfortunately the matter has never been resolved which is a great pity for as time goes by the opportunities obviously become less.
To prove my point I am enclosing a scan of the appropriate page in the 1988 Lexikon, which is unchanged from the other mentioned editions, and suggest that unless better proof of the displayed images is forthcoming then it be clearly stated that they are non proven. Otherwise you are giving them a misleading legitimacy.
Neale Rosanoski, 29 Jun 2008
![[VEB Deutsche Seereederei 1952-1974, flag variant in a navigation encyclopedia (East Germany)]](../images/d/de~dsr_v.gif)
Image by Jens Pattke, 3 Feb 2002
Doubtful, see above.
Source: Ullrich Scharnow, transpress Lexikon Seefahrt, transpress VEB Verlag für Verkehrswesen, Berlin (East), 1988, 5th edition.
Jens Pattke, 3 Feb 2002
![[Jack used by VEB Deutsche Seereederei, VEB Deutfracht and VEB Deutfracht/Seereederei 1952-1989 (East Germany)]](../images/d/de~dsr_j.gif)
2:3 Both merchant companies [VEB Deutsche Seereederei, VEB Deutfracht and VEB Deutfracht/Seereederei] used the same jack, a triangular flag with a griffin, similar to the one on the 1870-1918 Rostock pennant, referring to Rostock as the major East German port and home of the merchant fleet.
Volker Moerbitz Keith, 7 Feb 2001
I did some research on the DSR jack (the question was the direction of the griffin). After questioning 12 former members of DSR, it appears that the griffin was a close (though black) resemblance of the one on the Rostock city flag during German Democratic Republic times. I used the griffin on the Rostock flag by Stefan Schwoon to redraw the DSR jack.
Volker Moerbitz Keith, 15 Feb 2001