Last modified: 2009-04-18 by jarig bakker
Keywords: hamburg süd | columbus line | hsdg |
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![[Columbus Line / HSDG houseflag]](../images/d/de~hsdg.gif)
image by Jorge Candeias, 27 Dec 2004
Brief history:
The company was established in 1871 by representatives of 11 important
Hamburgian merchant companies. On 29 November 1871 the company enrolled
into the register of commerce. Chairman is Heinrich Amsinck, the grandson
of the mayor, representing the company Schuback & Söhne.
The company runs shipping lines from Hamburg to Rio de Janeiro, Santos
and Bahia, added in 1872 by a line to Southern Brazil and the La Plata
region. The first direct line to the La Plata was established in 1878.
Antonio Delfiono becomes representative of the company in Buenos Aires
in 1894. Since then the La Plata line is more important.
1896 Theodor Amsinck becomes director of the company. He causes the
building opf new steamships of CAP class. Theodor Amsinck will be the one,
who will determine the outlines of the company’s politics within the next
50 years.
In 1900 the company opens a line to the Eastern Mediterranian Sea,
the so called Levante, but the line is closed again a little bit later.
Together with HAPAG the company overtakes a line to Brazil via New
York and New Orleans from Hamburger Dampfer Reederei Union in 1906, in
1912 HAPAG withdraws from the line.
At the beginning of WWI the company has 50 ships. All ships mooring
abroad are confiscated one by one. In 1919 according to the treaty of Versailles
the rest of the fleet has to be delivered.
In 1920 the company re-opens the lines by chartered ships, among those
some minor sailing ships.
In 1922 the cruise line business is opened by a journey to Tierra del
Fuego of the famous ship CAP POLONIO. The CAP ARCONA was said to be the
most beautiful ship of the era.
In 1934 Herbert Amsinck follows his father Theodor Amsinck as a member
of the board.
In 1936 the company Dr. August Oetker(Bielefeld) becomes partner of
Hamburg-Süd.
Though in 1939 the company has the biggest fleet of its history, the
outbreak of WW II ends this splendid era.
In 1942 Rudolf August Oetker, the grandson of Dr. August Oetker, becomes
member of the board.
At the end of WWII all ships got lost or had to be delivered as reparations.
In 1950 the company’s form was changed into an oHG, general managers
were Herbert Amsinck and John Eggert.
In 1952 the activities were extended to the tramp section. Tanker shipping
and refrigerator shipping is done by Rudolf August Oetker KG (RAO).
In 1955 Eggert and Amsinck leave the company. They are replaced by
Oetker who acquires the rest of the shares of the company.
1956 the company overtakes Bock & Godeffroy, better known as Deutsche
Levante Linie (DLL).For further information about click here
(in German).
In 1957 the lines to South America are re-opened, named Columbus Line,
which had no different flag.
Lines to North America, Australia and new Zealand are added in 1962.
Hamburg Süd again begins its own tanker shipping and refrigerator shipping.
In 1967 the Atlas Levante Linie(ALL) was acquired from ARGO Reederei.
ALL and DLL were incorporated into Deutsche Nahost Linie(DNOL) in 1973.
In 1975 a container line to the South Pacific is established, named
New Zealand Europe Line (NZEL).
In 1976 Atlas Livestock Carrier (ALC) is established but closed after
only one cruise of the only ship.
In 1980 the first ships of the MONTE class are beginning their service.
In 1981 the company is changed into a KG. In 1986 DNOL was overtaken completely.
In the following years Hamburg Süd acquires several shipping companies,
among those the Rotterdam Zuid America Lijn (RZAL) and Furness Withy Group
in 1990, Laser Lines A/B (Stockholm) in 1991 and Aliança Navegação y Logistica
Ltda.(Rio de Janeiro), which keeps its own house flag, in 1998.
In 2000 the Interamerica service of Crowley American Transport (CAT)
was acquired, in 2003 Ellermann and Kien Hung. In 2004 CAT and Columbus
Line became Hamburg Süd, Ellermann followed in 2005.
Klaus-Peter Bühne; translated and trimmed by Klaus-Michael
Schneider, 11 Apr 2009
Red and white are the Hanseatic colours
and also those of Hamburg. Compare with Columbus
Line house flag.
Santiago Dotor, 10 May 2005
The background of this flag has been commented on under Columbus
Line, i.e. it appears as a logo on the Hamburg-Süd
site and may exist as a group flag. However the Hamburg-Süd shipping
company has its own flag which is confirmed by a photo also appearing on
this
site, which has the black letters "HSDG" in the respective quarters
(see below). This company originated in
1871 as the Hamburg-Südamerikanische Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft,
[Hamburg South American Steam Packet Co.] changing 1952 to its current
name of Hamburg-Südamerikanische Dampfschiffahrts-Ges. Eggert u. Amsinck.
In 1973 it amalgamated with Dr. August Oetker Schiffahrts und Beteiligungs
GmbH though retaining its name, the Dr. August Oetker company having
taken control of Hamburg-Süd in 1952 after originally obtaining an interest
in 1934 and today the company is a subsidiary of Rudolf A. Oetker with
most of its fleet now listed under the associate Columbus Shipmanagement
GmbH. The group has used Hamburg-Süd as a brand name, originally for
sections of its businesss but from 1Jan 2004 this includes areas formerly
under the Columbus and Crowley American Transport brands though the Aliança
and Ellerman brand names also continue to be used.
Neale Rosanoski, 18 Oct 2004
![[HSDG dotted houseflag]](../images/d/de~hs12.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 1 Sep 2008
Hamburg-Südamerikanische Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft
Description of flag: The flag is divided per saltire into red(hoist
and fly) and white(top and bottom. In each quarter are dotted, bold, black
capitals as follows:”H.”(top), “S.”(hoist), “D.”(fly) and “G.”(bottom)
Source: My image is based on a poster dated before 1914. The poster
is displayed in: Carsten PRANGE: “Auf zur Reise durch Hamburgs Geschichte
– A journey through Hamburg’s history”, Hamburg 1990, ISBN 3-920384-35-0,
p.121.
There is also an image of that flag in Lloyds flags and funnels,
1912. The flag is displayed on p.39 with flag- no.59. The funnel is black.
There is another flag on p.92 with flag-no.1156. The funnel is yellow and
the characters are not as bold as in no.59. So for me it seems to be more
or less the same flag. So this flag can be dated from 1912.
Note: On p.120 of PRANGE there is another poster of Hamburg-Süd with
undotted characters. The poster also says that the Brazil line of Hamburg
Süd was run together with A.C. de Freitas & Co.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 1 Sep 2008
![[Atlas Levante Linie]](../images/d/de~all.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Apr 2009
Flag of Atlas Levante Linie
The flag is divided per saltire into red(hoist and fly) and white(top
and bottom). In its centre is a white oval, fimbriated black, containing
black, serifed capitals “A” over “LL”..
Source: www.marcollect.de
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Apr 2009
![[Atlas Livestock Carrier]](../images/d/de~alc.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Apr 2009
Atlas Livestock Carrier
The flag is divided per saltire into red(hoist and fly) and white(top
and bottom). In its centre is a white disc, fimbriated black, containg
black capitals “ALC”, the “L” has double height..
Source: www.marcollect.de
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Apr 2009
image by Jorge Candeias, 27 Dec 2004
Columbus Line. If this company is meant to be Columbus Linie of
Hamburg it was an associate of Hamburg- Südamerikanische Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft
Eggert & Amsinck and according to Loughran 1979 it used the
Hamburg-Süd flag which bears the black letters "HSDG" in the respective
quarters starting from the top. Hamburg-Süd is now part of the Rudolph
A. Oetker group and whilst still operating in its own right, its previous
fleet with names beginning with "Columbus", "Cap", "Santa" and "Polar"
are shown under the associate company Columbus Shipmangement GmbH of
Hamburg. This happened in 1998 with the formation of the latter and
this flag could be theirs but as there is no date shown for the FOTW image
one is left wondering.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 Jan 2003
Columbus Lines. The Columbus name was basically a trade name for Hamburg-
Südamerikanische Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft Eggert & Amsinck
becoming associated with their container trade commencing 1963 in relation
to the North American to Australia/New Zealand trade. As from 1 Jan 2004
this trade name was dropped in favour of the Hamburg-Süd brand name
which is used by the Group although the name continues with the subsidiary
Columbus
Shipmanagement GmbH formed 1998. According to Loughran 1979 Columbus
Linie used the Hamburg-Süd flag which is the flag shown with the addition
of the black letters "HSDG". The version here (somewhat faded in colour
and identical with that shown for Hamburg-Süd) appears as a logo on the
Hamburg-Süd
site but whether it is used as an actual flag is unclear whereas
the "HSDG" version is shown as an actual flag.
Neale Rosanoski, 13 Oct 2004
The flag drawn by Thanh-Tam Le might be around somewhere in this world
but has nothing to do with Columbus Line or HSDG. (I sailed with Columbus
Line and Hamburg-Sued from 1961-66 as a deck officer.). Columbus Line came
into being in 1957 when HSDG re-activated a pre-war liner service linking
the US and Canada with Brazil and the River Plate, then followed up with
a service from the West Coast of North America to Australia and New Zealand.
At all times the house flag was the same as those flown on HSDG vessels,
with those four letters in the red and white triangles. The logo without
letters exists just on Hamburg-Süd stationery and the firm's Hamburg postage
meter.
Wolf Spille, 27 Nov 2006
![[New Zealand Europe Line]](../images/d/de~nzel.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Apr 2009
Flag of New Zealand Europe Line
The flag is divided per saltire into red(hoist and fly) and white(top
and bottom) having black capitals in either quarter as follows: “N” (top),
“Z” (hoist), “E” (fly) and “L” (bottom).
Source: www.marcollect.de
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Apr 2009