House Flags of German Shipping Companies (h) - part 1

Deutsche Reedereiflaggen (h) - Teil 1

Last modified: 2019-08-21 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: hansa | hartmann | haeger schmidt | haltermann | hamburg brasilische | hamburg-bremen-afrika | hvv | hamburg-kalkutta-linie | hamman-prahm | hanse | hanseatic | hanseatisch | hansen | hartrodt | hay | hansen-closter | hamburg-rhein- |
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• Haeger & Schmidt
• Hahn & Opaetz
• Johann Haltermann GmbH & Co KG
• Hamburg Brasilische Passagierschiffahrts Gesellschaft
• Hamburg-Bremen Afrika Linie
• Hamburg-Danzig-Linie GmbH
• Hamburg-Kalkutta-Linie
• Hamburg-Rhein-Linie
• Hamburg-Westafrika-Linie
• Hamburger Bunker Kontor mbH in Hamburg
• Hamburger Verkehrs Verbund
• Hamman & Prahm
• Hansa Linie GmbH (Kappeln) Flag
• Hansa Mare
• Hansa T
• Hansatank
• Hansa Tank-Reederei GmbH
• Hansataucher
• Hanse Bereederung
• Hanseatic (Bremen)
• Hanseatic Shipping
• Hanseatische Dampfschiffahrts GmbH
• Hanseatische Motorschiffahrts-AG
• Hanseatischer Afrika-Dienst
• Hanseatischer Lloyd
• A. Hansen
• A. C. Hansen
• Andreas Hansen GmbH
• Hansen & Closter
• Carl W. Hanssen Tankschiffahrt
• Gebr. Hartje
• Hartmann Reederei
• A.Hartrodt
• Paul Hase
• Edward & Georg Hay

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

Haeger & Schmidt

Last year, a Haeger & Schmidt house flag was offered on eBay (end 8 June 2005, object no. 6182869155).  Divided per saltire red (left and right triangles) and blue (upper and lower triangles), it has a white disk in the centre bearing a gearwheel outlined in black; the red triangles bear the black letters "H &" (hoist) and "Sch" (fly). Following links leads to the website of "Haeger & Schmidt International GmbH" (original German version). Quote from The Company section: "With our own fleet of ships, chartered vessels and a large number of privately-owned inland waterway craft working under contract for us, Haeger & Schmidt International is responsible for transporting over 10 million tonnes of cargo a year.

Haeger & Schmidt is a strong and powerful member of the SNCB / NMBS Group. As a major link in this comprehensive logistics system, we can offer all the advantages of inland waterway carriage in ideal combination with all other modes of transport. Flexibility and integration are our strengths."
Among the activities of this company, founded in 1887 and now employing some 200 people, are waterway transportation of various kinds (including containers), warehousing, and short-sea traffic. A look at the Locations section shows Haeger & Schmidt offices in Germany (Duisburg being the main seat), Poland, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Some interesting flagoids appear representing RKE (Belgium), Best Logistics (Poland), AVR (France), and Sitra (Netherlands), all but the last being variants of the H&Sch flag.
Jan Mertens, 18 Apr 2006

Hahn & Opaetz

Everführerei-Bugsierbetrieb Hahn & Opaetz, i.e. tug skippers and towage company, based in Hamburg. The flag was blue with yellow horizontal edges and a yellow disc in the middle oft he blue stripe.
Source: Schnall funnel chart 1997
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 21 Aug 2019

Johann Haltermann GmbH & Co KG

The company was located in Hamburg. Haltermann in 1898 played a role in fuel and lubrification trading in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg. He also established a bunker station. In 1925 he bought his first tanker. Facing the usual difficulties at the end of WW2 the company was rebuilt and in 1956 the company owned four vessels. But in 1971 Haltermann gave up and the shipping company was dissolved. Source: Klaus-Peter Bühne's webpage
Image at: "Deutsche Reedereien und ihre Erkennungszeichen"; 2nd ed.; Hamburg 1956; p.20
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 19 Sep 2010

Hamburg Brasilische Passagierschiffahrts Gesellschaft

The company was located in Hamburg. It is a green flag with a red disc, shifted to the hoist and containing white capitals "HB" over "PG". The disc is surrounded by a thin rope.
Source: Arnold KLUDAS: "Die Geschichte der deutschen Passagierschiffahrt" (5 Bde.) Hamburg 1986; Reprint Laibach Slovenia-Buch Nr. 03617-8 Flagchart p.223
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 Apr 2009

Hamburg-Bremen Afrika Linie

The company was located in Bremen; white flag, black key; in corners red "HBAL".
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies, compiled by F.J.N. Wedge, Glasgow, 1926 [wed26]
Jarig Bakker, 21 Jan 2005

Hamburg-Danzig-Linie GmbH

The company was based in Hamburg. The flag was red with a throughout white lozenge, charged with a celestial blue inscription "HDL".
Source: Massary 1928, series 1, image no.120
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 31 July 2019

Hamburg-Kalkutta-Linie

The flag was divided by a white saltire into red (hoist and fly) and black (top and bottom).
Source:Stroehl 1999,plate XXI opp. p.84
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 20 Oct 2009

Hamburg-Rhein-Linie GmbH

The company was based in Hamburg. The flag was blue with white dotted initial "H.R.L.".
Source: Massary 1928, series 1, image no.35
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 July 2019

Hamburg-Westafrika-Linie

The flag is divided per saltire into blue (top and bottom) and white (hoist and fly), the blue quarters are double cotized red and blue. In the centre is a white Hamburg castle. In every quarter is a black serifed initial: "H" (hoist), "W" (top), "A" (fly) and "L" (bottom).
Source: Josef Nüsse's webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 15 July 2012

Hamburger Bunker Kontor mbH in Hamburg

The company wa based in Cuxhaven, then being still a part of Hmaburg. The flag was white, parted by a black saltire with black initials in wach quarter as follows: "H" (top and bottom), "B" (hoist) and "K" (fly).
Source: Massary 1928, series 1, image no.331
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 6 Aug 2019

Hamburger Verkehrs Verbund

HVV, the Hamburger Verkehrs Verbund is Hamburg's Public Transport, consisting of S-Bahn Hamburg, which is part of German Railways DB, HHA, the Hamburger Hochbahn AG, which runs metros and busses and HADAG, which runs harbour ferries for passengers. It is often hoisted together with the HADAG-flag.
It is a white flag with red horizontal stripes at both edges. In the centre is the inscription "HVV" in red capital italics, red underlined and two blue parallel lines connected with a little white square on the left side. The blue line is a symbol of a railway track with one station (=white square). (spotted 12 November 2006 in Hamburg).
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 19 Feb 2007

Hamman & Prahm

The company is absed in Wischhafen (Wischhafen is northwest of Hamburg along the Elbe river.); horizontal green - white - red flag; in center white diamond with smaller black outlined diamond, charged with green underlined cloverleaf; the diamond between black "HP".
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 9 Nov 2005

Hansa Linie GmbH (Kappeln) Flag

It is a yellow flag with celestial blue stripes at the top- and bottom-edge. In its centre is a red, capital "H".
Source: based on a photo of a table flag, shot by Klaus-Peter Bühne
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 19 May 2010

Hansa Mare Reederei

The company is located in Bremen. It is a white flag. Shifted to the bottom is a blue wave topped by red ball.
For further information click: www.hansa-mare.de
Source: Verband Deutscher Reeder homepage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 July 2012

Hansa T

Another nice flag shown on the Binnenvaart site belongs to the German inland shipping company "Hansa" (not to be confused with its more famous, sea-going namesake).
Variously rendered on the above site, two names come up: Hansa Tankschiffahrt W. Deichmann & Co. at Oberwinter (small town on the Rhine, to the South of Bonn) and Hansa Transport at Hannover (well-known town in the North of Germany; the Mittellandkanal is nearby).
According to Binnenvaart, the house flag is white with a black serifed initial "H" in the centre, within a black ring; from the centre, four widening green stripes reach towards the corners. (On the other hand, the b/w photo seems to have non-widening stripes, in other words, the ringed "H" would to be positioned in the centre of a regular green saltire.  Curious, or simply bad eyesight on my part.)
As to the firm's history - from Binnenvaart I could only extract 1956-1974 as years of operation, beyond that I drew a blank in every respect!
Jan Mertens, 31 Aug 2006

Hansatank

This image was extracted from German eBay offer 6629791901, ended 21 May 2006.  We see a red-and-white checkered flag (nine rectangles 3x3 starting with red in upper hoist) bearing black initials "HTO"? (no serifs) on the second row, one letter per rectangle.
It is safe to assume that HTO refers to Hansatank Osnabrück.
Jan Mertens, 29 Dec 2006

Klaus-Peter Bühne writes: (my translation):
"In 1986 Uwe Beckmann (...) founded the HANSATANK Shipping and Freighting Company, in short HTO (Hansa-Tank-Osnabrück) (Right flag of group on the left).
In 1999 HTL-HANSATANK Luxembourg S.A.r.l. was founded (middle flag of group on the left) which took over the HTO business.
In 2001 HTL was sold to Germany's largest inland tanker company, Jägers Group. It continuues to exist under the HTL placed in the Jägers diamond. (Left flag of group on the left)"
As you can see, the muster for the two checkered flags was ARO's (at right on photo) at Osnabrück, founded by three brothers Beckmann (Uwe was a nephew).
Jan Mertens, 6 Sep 2008

Hansa Tank-Reederei GmbH

The company was located in Hamburg. It is a white flag with a red capital "H" in the lower fly. The canton is a black over white over red horizontal tricolour, the colours of German Empire.
Source: "Deutsche Reedereien und ihre Erkennungszeichen", 2nd ed.; Hamburg; 1956; p.22
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 4 Apr 2009

Hansataucher

Yellow flag with a black frogman in front of a diving helmet holding a lamp. Above an inscription in Gothic letters "Hansataucher".
Source: I spotted this flag on 6 November 2010 in HH-Billwerder.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 Mar 2012

Hanse Bereederung

Dov Gutterman spotted the link of HANSE Bereederung - Blue - white disk, red "H" (see left image above) or rounded "H" (see right image above), flag image of variant spotted on 30 March 2009 in HH St.Georg.
Santiago Dotor, 11 Nov 2003 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 July 2019

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Hanseatic (Bremen)

image by Santiago Dotor, 11 Nov 2003

Dov Gutterman spotted the link of Hanseatic (Bremen) - Red - white disk, outlined "H".
Santiago Dotor, 11 Nov 2003

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Hanseatic Shipping

image by Santiago Dotor, 11 Nov 2003

Dov Gutterman spotted the obsolete link http://www.hsc-stuhr.de/ of Hanseatic Shipping & Chartering GmbH - Horizontal Red - White - Blue, reversed at the hoist; in center outlined blue oval, blue "HSC".
Santiago Dotor, 11 Nov 2003

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Hanseatische Dampfschiffahrts GmbH

image by Santiago Dotor, 11 Nov 2003

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 July 2019

image by Jarig Bakker, 14 Dec 2004

3:5 image by Jarig Bakker, 14 Dec 2004, modified by Tomislav Todorović, 5 Aug 2019

The company was located in Lübeck - red flag; white letters "H.D.G" (see left image above) or simply "HDG" (see left image above).
Sources: Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies, compiled by F.J.N. Wedge, Glasgow, 1926 [wed26] and Massary 1928, series 1, image no.290
Jarig Bakker, 14 Dec 2004 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 3 Aug 2019

Hanseatische Motorschiffahrts-AG

The company used a white flag with narrow horizontal red stripes on both edges. In the centre of the flag is a black object similar to a ship's propeller.
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; cover inside.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Mar 2007

Hanseatischer Afrika-Dienst

I found a companion to the Glahr-houseflag with reversed colors in "See und Seefahrt", by G.A. Wolter, 1968 - Hanseatischer Afrika-Dienst.
Dov Gutterman, 2 Nov 2003

Hanseatischer Lloyd

The company was based in Lübeck. The flag was white displaying the eagle of the Haseatic City of Lübeck, but white outlined red.
Source: Flaggenbuch 1905, part V, p.11, image no.38
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 July 2019

A. Hansen

A. Hansen, Flensburg - blue flag, white "A.H.".
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies, compiled by F.J.N. Wedge, Glasgow, 1926 [wed26]
Jarig Bakker, 17 Feb 2005

A. C. Hansen

The company was based in Kiel. The flag was blue, parted by a white saltire. In hoist quarter was a white initial "A" and in fly a white initial "H".
Source: Massary 1928, series 1, image no.321
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 6 Aug 2019

Andreas Hansen GmbH

A Hamburg based maritime company no longer exists as such. The firm was founded in 1913 offering "the execution of superintendence, weighing of goods, documentation and forwarding of the commodities (grain and fodder, jm) to the final recipients" concentrating on business between Germany and Northern Europe. After a recession during the nineteen eighties, Andreas Hansen merged with Franz Albers in 2000 to form Albers-Hansen GmbH offering "Superintendence, Chartering, Agency and Forwarding".
No doubt the former house flag influenced the current one (not our subject today): it had a red field bearing a wedge or triangle based on the hoist, having its apex at the end of the fly. In addition, black initials "AH" without serifs identified this simple design as representing Andreas Hansen.
Sources: German eBay offer no. 6571564964 ((end 30 Oct 2005) put up by "kaethedorsch1" (photo mirrored, dimensions not copied as clearly mistaken/table flag version)and obsolete company page (http://albers-hansen.com/index.php?page=geschichte&hl=en_GB)
Jan Mertens, 28 July 2011

Hansen & Closter

The company was based in Apenrade. The flag was blue, divided by a white bend sinister with black inscription "H & C", in upper hoist and lower fly was a white 5-point star.
Source: Flaggenbuch 1905, part V, p.15, image no.251
Klaus-Michael Schneider,

Carl W. Hanssen Tankschiffahrt

Carl W. Hanssen Tankschiffahrt
The company was located in Hamburg-Blankenese. It is a vertical triband light blue-white-light blue with a light blue "H" in the white stripe.
Source: "Deutsche Reedereien und ihre Erkennungszeichen", 2nd ed.; Hamburg 1956; p.22
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 Mar 2009

Gebr. Hartje

Bugsierbetrieb und Schutenvermietung Gebrüder Hartje, i.e. towage company and barge rental Hartje brothers, a company based in Hamburg, probably without proper flag. Its funnels had a white ring charged with an image of a flag of Hamburg, and on the prow was the pattern of the arms of Hamburg.
Source: Schnall funnel chart 1997
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 21 Aug 2019

Hartmann Reederei

White with a greyish blue lowercase "h", in italics, shifted to the fly. The lower "leg" of the "h" stretches to the hoist creating a relatively narrow stripe over which are two other stripes in dark red and black.
Jorge Candeias, 2 Mar 1999

This refers to what is now Hartmann Schiffahrts GmbH & Co. K.G. which dates from 1981, originally as Alfred Hartmann.
Neale Rosanoski, 18 Oct 2004

A.Hartrodt

A.Hartrodt imported salpetre. He bought this one and only vessel in 1907. It was sunk by a submarine in 1917 and that was the end of the company. The company used a white flag with capital letters "AH" in the centre.
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; p.208.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2007

Paul Hase

The company was based in Hammah (Stade County, ) a small town west of Hamburg - 7 horizontal stripes of black and orange; in center black "H".
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 17 Feb 2006

Edward & Georg Hay

The company was based in Königsberg. The flag was white, divided by a red saltire, over all a black inscription "E& G (1st line) H (2nd line)" in a white diamond fimbriated black.
Source: Flaggenbuch 1905, part V, p.14, image no.170
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 July 2019

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