Last modified: 2017-11-11 by klaus-michael schneider
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To my knowledge, none of these companies exists anymore. Deutfracht
(my first employer) merged with Deutsche Seereederei
in 1974, my employer for 21 years. This was split in 1998, the container
ships forming DSR Senator which does not use the old DSR flag and the rest
was sold to Ferdinand Laeisz GmbH. I am afraid I do not remember their
flag.
Deutsche Reichsbahn is now part of
Bundesbahn [German Federal Railways] although I do not know if they manage
the ferries.
Ingenieurhochschule für Seefahrt,
my alma mater, is now part of the Technical University Wismar.
The fishing fleet was dissolved, ships
were sold to private owners. Same thing happened to Deutsche
Binnenreederei.
As for the political organizations that owned ships, the organizations
do not exist anymore and the ships now belong either to private owners
or to the cities of Rostock and Greifswald.
The only flag that may still be in use could be the flag of Weisse
Flotte. The company has been dissolved, the ships are privatised
or belong to cities, but some may still use this once popular East German
symbol. We would have to ask somebody in [what was] East Germany. In my
old home town Potsdam, the ships formerly belonging to Weisse Flotte
are now in private hands and use a flag based on the old one, see this
website.
Volker Moerbitz Keith, 30 Oct 2001
Comment is made of the merger of Deutfacht and Deutsche Seereederei
as VEB Deutfracht/Seereederei which became Deutsche Seereederei Rostock
GmbH in 7/1990 at the beginning of the privatization process which eventuated
in June 1993 with the sale to the consortium of Hamburg shipowners of Horst
Rahe and Nikolaus Schues, and to DSR Senator Linie. This latter was a merger
in 1994 between the liner trade of DSR-Lines and Senator Linie (formed
in 1987) being jointly owned by Deutsche Seereederei Rostock GmbH and Bremer
Vulkan and appears to have operated with chartered tonnage. By 1997 there
were financial problems which saw the South Korean company Hanjin Shipping
Co. Ltd. acquire an 80% holding with the previous owners retaining an interest.
On July 1st 2000 the name was changed to Senator
Line and their flag under both names is white with a stylised "S" of
3 lines, 2 dark blue and 1 red [see de~s268a.gif attached] which can be
seen on the Josef Nüsse site. Brown 1995 shows a slightly different version
with the central line being a lighter blue.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 May 2004
The East Germany house flags in FOTW have little to do with reality.
The emblem of the VEB Deutfracht - Internationale
Befrachtung Reederei und Spedition Berlin and the flag
of the DSR are quite far from the correct designs. I suggest these
links for further information: - Deutfracht-Seereederei
website - DSR-Seeleute website
- SG Ostsee website.
Roland Bentin, 26 Jun 2002
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