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

Deutsche Reedereiflaggen (w) - Teil 1

Last modified: 2019-08-22 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: waetjen | wagner(hdj) | wallenius | wallenstein | wappen-reederei | warrings | weert ihnen | wehrhahn | weichsel dag | weitert | wencke | wesch | wesemeyer | weserfaehre | weserland | weser schifffahrts agentur | westedt | weisse | we |
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• H. D. J. Wagner
• Rudolf Wahl jun. & Co.
• Otto Wallenius
• Johann Wallenstein
• Bernhard Waller
• Walrhein
• Wappen-Reederei
• Reederei Warrings
• D. H. Wätjen & Co.
• Weert Ihnen
• F. C. C. Wehrhahn
• 'Weichsel' Dampfschiffahrt AG
• Weidtmann Linie
• Weiße Flotte Heidelberg
• Weiße Flotte Potsdam
• Weiße Flotte Schwerin
• Jürgen Weitert Tankreederei
• Wenck
• B. Wencke Söhne
• F. W. Wencke
• Johnny Wesch KG
• Wesemeyer & Co
• Weserfähre
• Seereederei  'Weserland'
• Weser Schifffahrts Agentur
• J.D. Westedt
• F. Westermann
• Westfälisches Kohlenkontor GmbH
• Westfalen Reederei AG
• Wilhelm Westphal

• Weiße Flotte until 1989
• House Flags of German Shipping Companies
• House Flags of Shipping Companies
• Germany

H. D. J. Wagner

H.D.J. Wagner - At first Hans Detlev Jacob Wagner was a shipbroker but in 1880 he established a shipping company, which existed until 1924.
The company used a red flag with a capital "W" in its centre and white stripes on either edge.
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945", ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; p.158-159
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Apr 2007

Rudolf Wahl jun. & Co.

The company was based in Köln. The flag was blue with a white serifed initial "W".
Source: Flaggenbuch 1905, part V, p.21, image no.576
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 July 2019

Otto Wallenius

The company was located in Bremen. It is a green flag with light orange capitals "OW".
Source: Arnold Kludas: "Die Geschichte der deutschen Passagierschiffahrt" (5 Bde.), Hamburg 1986; Reprint Laibach Slovenia-Buch Nr. 03617-8,Flagchart p.224
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 April 2009

Johann Wallenstein

The company was based in Geestemünde. The flag was white with red horizontal stripes on top- and bottom edge and a black serifed initial "W".
Source: Flaggenbuch 1905, part V, p.13, image no.113
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 July 2019

Bernhard Waller

Barkassen Bernhard Waller, i.e. launch service, a company based in Hamburg. The flag was parted per saltire of white (hoist and fly), black (top) and red (bottom). The white quarters were charged with black initials: "B" (hoist) and "W" (fly).
Source: Schnall funnel chart 1997
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Aug 2019

Walrhein

Offered on German eBay till 18 March 2007 by "freschkall", item no. 200087115918 it is merely a table flag, but nicely giving the necessary details
Jan Mertens, 8 Apr 2007

Wappen-Reederei

Wappen-Reederei GmbH & Co. KG - It is a white flag with a dark blue edged white square in its centre. Within the square are five s-shaped greenish blue waves touching one another in the middle. The company is located at Johannisbollwerk, Hamburg. All ships have names starting with "Wappen von...". I spotted this flag on 16 March 2007 on top of the companies building. The waves have been reconstructed from the image upon the doorplate.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 3 June 2007

Reederei Warrings

image by Jorge Candeias, 10 Mar 1999

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 7 May 2009

Brown 1995 shows the flag with a blue "W" in the name of Bernhard Warrings, who appears to be the originator of a family group, of which Rita Warrings and Harle Warrings Reederei are the last components, which I have been able to trace. The company is located in Carolinensiel (Wittmund county, Lower Saxony). There are four branches: tourist ships, surveying, transport and cargo, and last but not least tugboats. There are ferry services from Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven to Helgoland  and Wangerooge Island.
Neale Rosanoski, 25 Oct 2004 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 7 May 2009

An Ostfriesland-like flag (see left image above), probably with a family resemblance: black-red-blue horizontal tricolour with a white diamond, fimbriated black, centred and charged with a black "W". The other flag (see right image above) is a black over red over blue horizontal tricolour (the colours of Ostfriesland) with a white lozenge, fimbriated black, in its centre containing a black, serifed capital "W".
Source: www.marcollect.de, maintained by  Klaus-Peter Bühne
Jorge Candeias, 10 Mar 1999 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 7 May 2009

D.H. Wätjen & Co.

This time the caption is really illegible, so that "D. H. Watice &  Co." above is nothing but pure guesswork.
Jorge Candeias, 4 May 2004

I read "D.H. Wätjen & Co." out of the caption, and indeed a Google search will find a ship and a shipping company of that name.
Stefan Schwoon, 5 May 2004

Weert Ihnen

Some time ago I managed to identify several house flags in this photograph, but the white one in the middle (red rectangle and red oval with white "W" within black contour  line) remained unknown. Pure luck led to the following site, presenting Weert Ihnen GmbH at Emden on the River Ems, NW Germany.

This is a ship broker " in business since more than a century, according to the homepage " and also a shipping agent, inland navigation freighting agency, owner of an oil terminal, and bunker vessel operator.  In addition, this firm delivers various fuels to the East Frisian islands and construction sites on the coast.

See the logo on the site, uniting as it does the initials "W" and "I" (together forming another "i") differs in detail from the one on the flag.  The oil tanks you can see on the homepage show an oval" I think.
Jan Mertens, 25 Oct 2006

F.C.C. Wehrhahn

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Mar 2007

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 July 2012

5-Point Star Flag

F.C.C.Wehrhahn - Cesar Wehrhahn imported salpetre to Hamburg. In order to keep the costs for transportation low he at first chartered ships but in 1892 he bought own ships. According to source the shipping company was never very important. Though the ships were not very good for a while Wehrhahn made good business. The company existed at least until 1902. After Wehrhahn had sold his last two ships (the date I don't know) he became director of Kosmos-Linie.
The company used a blue over red horizontal bicolour (see left image above). In the centre of the flag was a white 5-point star with a black serifed capital "W".
Sources:
1) Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; p.166-167.
2) Gratis Beilage zu Deicken und Behrmann's Neuen Monatsheften Neue Ausgabe Sommer 1897
3) Otto Mathies: "Hamburgs Reederei 1814 - 1914", Hamburg 1924, p.156
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Mar 2007

6-Point Star Flag

This variant (see right image above) was a blue over red horizontal bicolour. In the centre of the flag was a white 5-point star with a black serifed capital "W".
Source: Flaggenkarte, Hrsg.: H. Carly, Hamburg, c.1898
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 July 2012

'Weichsel' Dampfschiffahrt AG

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 21 May 2009

3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 July 2019

The company was located in Kiel, acc to Flaggenbuch 1905 however in Danzig. The white flag had a red horizontal stripe at top and bottom edge. In the centre was a red disc (see left image above) or oval (see right image above) containing a black capital "W".
Sources: "Deutsche Reedereien und ihre Erkennungszeichen"; 2nd ed.; Hamburg; 1956; p.42 and Flaggenbuch 1905, part V, p.14, image no.179 Klaus-Michael Schneider, 21 May 2009 / 12 July 2019

Weidtmann Linie

The company was based in Hamburg. The flag was parted per saltire of red and white with a black lozenge in centre, charged with a white initial "W".
Source: Massary 1928, series 1, image no.156
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Aug 2019

Weiße Flotte Heidelberg

It is a blue flag with red initial "B" in a white lozenge. The company's predecessor Fahrgastschiffahrt Bossler oHG was based in Heidelberg and ran several tourist ships since the 1970s and merged with another company in 2013 establishing the "white fleet".
For further information click here
Source: email from owner Christian Boßler
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 6 July 2019

Weiße Flotte Potsdam

Yellow flag with narrow horizontal edges in red, in the centre a foul  anchor, blue, and upright.
Jan Mertens, 8 Jan 2007

"Weiße Flotte (i.e. White Fleet) Potsdam GmbH" at Potsdam, the well-known royal residential town west of Berlin, maintains a web presence here . Presentation text in English here
[On the River Havel] "you find the Weiße Flotte directly at the Hotel Mercure. From here, modern passenger ships and lovingly restored historical steamers start to various river cruises, day trips, romantic moonlight cruises. " Given the presence of so many waterways near Berlin (rivers, lakes, and canals) there is a lot to discover but day trips to Berlin are also offered. As customary, ships can be chartered for various outings, receptions, and the like. In addition there is the harbour restaurant, "El Puerto". The fleet is presented here (incl. clickable photos of vessels).
There are eight vessels in all one of which is GUSTAV, almost a hundred years old. A special case is the 'Potsdamer Wassertaxi', active since April 2007, sailing thrice a day, "a line bus on water". Above site shows the house flag as a drawing, but a clearer image is found here
Yellow flag with narrow horizontal edges in red, in the centre a foul anchor, blue, and upright. The flag can be seen waving on some of the ships shown on the fleet page, but the best picture is perhaps the one at the top; also showing the "G " signal flag below.
Although the link with the former GDR White Fleet seems obvious, I do not have any transition details on hand at the moment.
Jan Mertens, 1 Aug 2007

Weiße Flotte Schwerin

Weiße Flotte (i.e. White Fleet of) Schwerin is an inland tourist shipping company based at Schwerin, capital of Mecklenburg-Westpomerania (N. Germany), where lakes and waterways abound. Website, English version available: here
Founded in 1992 through a private take-over of the local tourist fleet (formerly GDR state-owned), the firm operates six vessels, the oldest being ELFRIEDE built in 1921, sailing Schwerin and neighbouring lakes and organizes special trips and charters between April and October.

Description of flag:
Light blue field bearing the company logo i.e. thin, italic and serifed initials " WF" , joined at the top and outlined in black, above two horizontal smeared-out stripes, green above (but not touching) red, and the company name " WEISSE FLOTTE SCHWERIN" in thin black letters, also italics,underneath.
Source: flag photo
Jan Mertens, 15 Apr 2011

Jürgen Weitert Tankreederei

Jürgen Weitert Tankreederei
The company was located in Hamburg. It is ablue over white over red horizontal tricolour, the colours of Schleswig Holstein. In the centre is a white oval with a black capital "W".
Source:  "Deutsche Reedereien und ihre Erkennungszeichen"; 2nd ed.; Hamburg; 1956; p.42
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 31 Mar 2009

Wenck

Motorfrachtschiffahrt C.Wenck & Sohn / Wenck & Holzweg, i.e. motor freight shipping, a company based in Hamburg. The flag was blue with a white initial "W" in centre. It is not known, whether this family business consisted of two different companies, using the same symbols or it was just one company with a complicated name.
Source: Schnall funnel chart 1997
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Aug 2019

B. Wencke Söhne

B.Wencke Söhne - In 1851 Robert M.Sloman the elder asked Bernhard Wencke to come from Bremen to Hamburg in order to build up a dock. In 1857 Wencke established his own shipping-company. He died in 1868 and the company got its final name. Friedrich Wencke died in 1905 and according to his last will the company was discontinued. The company used a white flag with black serifed capital letters "BW" plus half the size " S" and even smaller but double underlined small letters "ne".
Source: Jürgen Meyer: " Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945" ; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; p.103ff.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2007

F. W. Wencke

The company was based in Bremerhaven. The flag was white with red horizontal stripes on top- and bottom edge and a red serifed initial "W".
Source: Flaggenbuch 1905, part V, p.13, image no.114
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 July 2019

Johnny Wesch KG

The company was located in Hamburg-Neuenfelde. Wesch was born in 1910 near Hamburg. He was captain of a ship owned by his father and from 1932 to 1940 he was captain of his first own ship. In 1971 the company owned ten ships. In 1972 Wesch established together with Bernd Schulte, Alnwisch Harmstorf und Heiner Braasch the Hanseatic Shipping Co. Ltd. In Cyprus. Wesch died in 1977 and the company was led by his sons Bernd and Egon Wesch. They established together with others in the same year the Hanseatic Shipmanagement Ltd. in Limassol (Cyprus). In 1985 the fleet had increased up to 15 vessels but in 1987 the company went into bankruptcy.
The flag was white having horizontal celestial blue stripes at the top- and bottom edge. Between the stripes was a blue capital "W" of the same colour.
Source: Klaus-Peter Bühne's webpage
Image at: "Deutsche Reedereien und ihre Erkennungszeichen"; 2nd ed.; Hamburg 1956; p.42
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 19 Sept 2010

Wesemeyer & Co

Wesemeyer & Co mbH
The company was located in Hamburg. Corresponding ship owner was August Bolten. It is a green over white over green triband with ratio approx 1:3:1. In the white stripe is a red, serifed  capital "W". The company"s only vessel was MS TROSTBRÜCKE.
Source: "Deutsche Reedereien und ihre Erkennungszeichen"; 2nd ed.; Hamburg; 1956; p.43..
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 6 Apr 2009

Weserfähre

Weserfähre - This ferry company, active on the River Weser as says its name, operates a line connecting Bremerhaven and Nordenham up the river. Active since 1954, it transports passengers and motor vehicles (cars and lorries). Ferry website. To see and learn about the ferries, click "Schiffe" at the top of the page " the "Bremerhaven" is flying the flag (click to enlarge).  In a less serious vein, you can rent a vessel and turn it into a partyboat. The flag is a vivid blue and bears a yellow diamond with a blue intial "W".
Jan Mertenss, 21 Feb 2006

Seereederei  "Weserland"

Seereederei  "Weserland"
The company was located in Bremen. It is a green flag with a red lozenge, fimbriated white and touching the flag"s edges. In the centre of the lozenge is a white capital "W".
Source: "Deutsche Reedereien und ihre Erkennungszeichen"; 2nd ed.; Hamburg 1956; p.18
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 Mar 2009

Weser Schifffahrts Agentur

Reederei Weser Schifffahrts Agentur G.m.b.H., Brake - horizontal BWB flag; several blue geometrical forms on white.
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 19 Jan 2006

Obviously a design attempt to create the WSA in geometric format, with two downward pointing triangles forming a stylized Latin letter "W", a "sinister-pierced" square representing the letter "S" and sinister-leaning parallelogram over a triangle to represent the letter "A".
I would think that the two triangles forming the "W" might be touching which might have made this interpretation clearer.
Phil Nelson, 19 Jan 2006

Make that stylised "W over SA in blue on white..."
James Dignan, 20 Jan 2006

A.G. Weser, Bremen: blue with thin white horizontal edges and... what is this white figure" a ship" or initials in filigrane perhaps"
Jan Mertens, 16 Nov 2003

J.D. Westedt

The company was based in Hamburg. It was a red pennant having three tails with an inscription of white initials "JDW".
Source: Flaggenkarte, Hrsg.: H. Carly, Hamburg, c.1898
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 21 June 2012

F. Westermann

The company was based in Bremen. The flag was red with a white serifed initial "W".
Source: Flaggenbuch 1905, part V, p.18, image no.421
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 15 July 2019

Westfälisches Kohlenkontor GmbH

The company was based in Hamburg. As "Ruhrkohle Hafendienst" (= harbour service) the company also ran tugboats pulling barge convoys in the harbour of Hamburg. The flag was a white-red horizontal bicolour with centred black inscription "W (in white stripe) KK (in red stripe)".
Source: Massary 1928, series 1, image no.149
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 1 Aug 2019

Westfalen Reederei AG

The company was based in Emden (Eastern Frisia). The flag was parted per saltire of white (hoist and fly), black (top) and red (bottom), in centred was a black initial "W" in a white oval fimbriated black.
Source: Massary 1928, series 1, image no.18
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 July 2019

Wilhelm Westphal

Ewerführerei Wilhelm Westphal, i.e. tug skippers, a company based in Hamburg. The flag was white with horizontal yellow edges and a red-green-white cockade in centre.
Source: Schnall funnel chart 1997
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Aug 2019

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