^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

House Flags of German Shipping Companies (s)

Other "S" companies:

See also:

Reederei Hans August Sabban

image by Jarig Bakker, 17 Jan 2006

Reederei Hans August Sabban, Hamburg - flag horizontal black over red, white "S".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 17 Jan 2006

Satrans

image by Jorge Candeias, 12 Mar 1999

Satrans Speditionsgesellschaft mbH - Basically an orange-light green-orange horizontal triband. A blue stripe covers the orange stripes in the lower hoist and upper fly, creating an 'S' in the center.
Jorge Candeias, 12 Mar 1999

Sauber Gebr.

image by Jorge Candeias, 30 Nov 2004

This one is another flag that is pretty clear in all its details. The flag itself is white with a red cross and a blue S over all. And the caption reads "Sauber Gabr." I have some doubts about the Gabr., but none about the Sauber.
Jorge Candeias, 30 Nov 2004

A Sauber Gebr. firm of Hamburg is mentioned in a thread on Norwegian ships sunk in WWI, which appeared on a Norwegian Merchant Fleet forum.
Ned Smith, 1 Dec 2004

And a neat flag it is ('sauber' means 'clean') - see on-line 1912 Lloyds Flags & Funnels, under No. 1091 'Sauber Gebr., Hamburg'.
Jan Mertens, 2 Dec 2004

Schlüssel Reederei

image by Jarig Bakker, 11 Sep 2005

Schlüssel Reederei K.G., Bremen - triband NWN; in center on white red shield charged with a white contour line and a white key. "Schlüssel" = key.
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 11 Sep 2005

Schlüter & Maack

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 31 Mar 2007

Schlüter & Maack existed as a mere trading company in Hamburg since 1820. Though the first ship was acquired in 1886 the shipping company was established in 1903. After WWI the last two steamships of the company were sold and the shipping-company was dissolved. The trading company exists still today.
The company used a white flag with a shield in its centre. In a yellow field is arm dressed in red holding a blue key in a white hand.
"Schlüter" can be translater as the man who locks the door and therefore holds the key.
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; p.148ff.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 31 Mar 2007

A.J. Schön & Co

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Apr 2007

A.J.Schön & Co. - The company used a white flag with a black capital serifed "S" in the centre and 3 red stripes parallel to the edges except the hoist.
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; inside cover.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Apr 2007

Befrachtungskontor Schoning

$[Befrachtungskontor Schoning]$ image by Jarig Bakker, 27 Nov 2005

Befrachtungskontor Schoning GmbH & Co., Haren - horizontal BWB flag; on white black "BFS".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 27 Nov 2005

Schrader & Wrede

image by Jorge Candeias, 16 Dec 2004

The flag is a simple blue cross on white. The caption consists of two words, apparently started by an S and a W. The rest is complete guesswork: Schrabre Wrede?!
Jorge Candeias, 16 Dec 2004

Must be Schrader & Wrede (Hamburg), a tugboat operator. All I could find was this page, charting the career of a tugboat which once (1901-1918) belonged to
this company.
Jan Mertens, 17 Dec 2004

E.C. Schramm & Co.

image by Jorge Candeias, 24 Dec 2004

The flag is pretty simple: quartered per saltire of white and blue. But the caption... it seems to have two initials in the start, the first being an E or, less probably, an L, and the second being a C. Then, there's a long word that begins with and S... Schrasbet?! Finally, the thing seems to end with a "& Co.".
Jorge Candeias, 24 Dec 2004

That is "E.C. Schramm & Co., Bremen".
Jarig Bakker, 24 Dec 2004

Hans Schramm

image by Eugene Ipavec, 30 Jul 2008

This interesting page presents German towage companies and their sturdy vessels: One of these firms is Hans Schramm & Sohn (i.e. Son, jm) GmbH & Co. KG established at Brunsbüttel (see middle of page).
We are shown a flagoid, also encountered on the funnel of ‘Parat’: Blue field with red cross throughout, in centre a white shield with black initials ‘AS’.
See second photo on this Tugspotter page (‘Moritz’- apparently no longer with the firm) for a real item, photo by Wout and Leon Ahts, and ‘Corvin’, also on a Tugspotter page (first photo by Hans Vuik, about one third down); Company website, using the house flag in a see-through fashion: We learn that the firm was founded in 1926 near the Nord-Ostsee-Kanal at Brunsbüttel and therefore is active on the North Sea as well as on the Baltic (the canal links both seas) and in inland shipping, too. At the moment 27 vessels of various kinds (tugs, floating crane, pontoon, tankers, etc.) are operated.
Moreover Schramm provides maritime services such as mooring, cleaning, warehousing, containment of oil spillage, etc.

A much smaller shield appears on German eBay offer no. 160181255392 (end 23 Nov 2007) put up by “maiti35” who said it belongs to “Heinrich Schramm”, surely a mistake.
FOTW-ws page on the flag of Oldenburg which obviously inspired the above.
Jan Mertens, 29 Jul 2008

Richard Schröder

image by Jarig Bakker, 30 Dec 2004

#45 Reederei Richard Schröder, Hamburg - flag per saltire blue and white; at hoist and fly red "RS".
From Scott, R.M., The Caltex book of Flags and Funnels, Capetown, Caltex Africa Ltd. (1959).
Jarig Bakker, 30 Dec 2004

A.H. Schwedersky

image by Jarig Bakker, 21 Jan 2005

A.H. Schwedersky, Memel - white flag, blue cross formy. Memel is now Klaipeda in Lithuania.
Image after 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

Seedienst Ostpreussen

image sent by Jan Mertens, 30 May 2005

This page presents the ‘Seedienst Ostpreussen’ (Maritime Service East Prussia or East Prussian Naval Service):
Founded in 1920, its aim was to ensure a direct link between Germany and its post-1919 exclave, East Prussia. (Train journeys across the ‘Polish Corridor’ were judged onerous.) Ships of existing firms – Gribel, Braeunlich, Norddeutscher Lloyd , etc. - made up the fleet of this government-supported company which started operating its own ships in 1926. The vessels were commandeered when war broke out in 1939; the year 1944 saw the end of the 'Seedienst'.

Its flag is shown on a poster shown on above webpage. On a red field, between black capital letters ‘S’ and ‘O’, fimbriated white, is a white shield bearing a black Latin cross. The shield is given some relief while the letters are in a font I cannot identify.
Jan Mertens, 30 May 2005

F.M.A. Seele

image by Jorge Candeias, 27 Dec 2004

The flag is quartered per saltire, black in the top quarter, white in the bottom one and red in the other two. The white quarter has a black sans serifed capital S in the center. And the caption, if I'm not seriously mistaken, reads F. M. A. Sede. (A little trivia: "sede" is portuguese for "thirst" - funny name for a navigation company).
Jorge Candeias, 27 Dec 2004

"F.M.A. Seele, Hamburg", see here. The ship in the first picture ("Colmar") was sold to this firm in 1883. Unfortunately, no house flag is shown.In any case this is another example of a house flag repeating the (former) national German colours.
Jan Mertens, 29 Dec 2004

Seetouristik G.m.b.H. & Co.

image by Jarig Bakker, 2 Feb 2006

Seetouristik G.m.b.H. & Co. K.G., Norden Hafen - flag horizontal blue over yellow; white shield, black "S".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 2 Feb 2006

Seetransit Speditions

image by Jarig Bakker, 6 Oct 2005

Seetransit Speditions & Schiffahrts G.m.b.H., Duisburg - Spanish style green - white - green; on white 4 green blocks.
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 6 Oct 2005

Seetzen Gebrüder

image by Jorge Candeias, 6 Dec 2004

The flag is white with a narrow chequy band at the hoist, consisting of 9x2 red and white squares, and a sans-seriffed black "S" capital centered on the remainder. The caption may eventually, if my guesses are correct (which is doubtful), read "Senien Gem".
Jorge Candeias, 6 Dec 2004

That is Seetzen Gebrüder, Bremen. Loughran's Survey of Mercantile Houseflags and Funnels, 1979, has this flag with at top and bottom af the fly a red border (1/8 flagheight), and a serifed S.
Jarig Bakker, 8 Dec 2004

Peter Siemsen & Co

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Apr 2007

Peter Siemsen & Co. - The company used a white flag with two blue horizontal stripes and a blue serifed inscription "PS&Co." (the "o" is smaller and higher).
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; inside cover.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Apr 2007

J. Silvain

image by Jorge Candeias, 19 May 2004

And here's another readable caption, this time reading "J. Silvain". The flag is white with 5 red 5-pointed stars, disposed in saltire.
Jorge Candeias, 19 May 2004

The very same houseflag was used by the French shipping company "Chargeurs Réunis".
The name "Silvain" sounds French but does not necessarily indicate a link between the two companies. It is more probable that the ancestors of J. Silvain were Protestant traders or shipowners very wisely expelled from France by king Louis XIV for the benefit of the economical, social and cultural development of the Lutherian countries.
Ivan Sache, 20 May 2004

Skogland Linie

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Mar 2007

Skogland Linie GmbH - The company had a 7-stripes flag with alternating red and white stripes starting with a red one.
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; inside cover.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Mar 2007

C.A.E. Solscher

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Apr 2007

C.A.E. Solscher - The company used a red flag with a white 6-point star in each corner. In the centre was a white disk with a blue serifed capital "S".
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; inside cover.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Apr 2007

Martin Spaleck

image by Jarig Bakker, 16 Oct 2005

Martin Spaleck, Schneverdingen - horizontal blue - yellow -0 blue flag, in center of yellow blue "MS".
(Schneverdingen is south of Hamburg).
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 16 Oct 2005

ST Speicherei-Transport

image by Eugene Ipavec, 28 Jun 2006

„Speicher“ in German means – among other things – ‘warehouse’ so this fim’s name is easy to understand – “Warehousing and Transport”. Company website, showing the striking house flag.
As explained in the introduction, ST was founded in 1998 by business partners H. Weiss and M. Lensing, well experienced in inland navigation. Private bargemen, under contract or not, are responsible for the actual shipping. Business seat is Duisburg.
Typical bulk goods are transported – we know them well by now: sand, gravel, wheat, coal, ore, etc. Then, other loads are accepted such as heavy machinery, steel, various constructions. ST notes that gas or mineral oils are not shipped. The firm does organize road transport to and from waterways.

The ‘Schiffsraum’ section presents a number of barges (photos are clickable - still rather tiny) some of which show the house flag such as the ‘Antida’ or the ‘Paul Delvaux’.

The flag is: Divided per saltire with upper and lower parts yellow, and hoist and fly parts black, the flag has a yellow diamond in the centre (rendered visible thanks to black holding lines) bearing black serifless initials ‘ST’. The diamond’s horizontal axis is longer than the vertical one.

For a picture, see here. If there are holding lines defining the diamond, I at least do not see them.
Jan Mertens, 16 Jun 2006

Stelter Dampfer

image by Jorge Candeias, 2 May 2004

This one is blue with a somewhat schematic white key, upright. There is a similar flag, that of "Reedereigruppe Freese", but this features no letters, and has a different key. The caption is practically illegible, but I've guessed something in the lines of "Stelter Dampler".
Jorge Candeias, 2 May 2004

Stenzel & Rolke

image sent by Jan Mertens, 21 Jun 2006

One of Jorge’s unknown house flags, see his messages of 4 December 2004 in this regard. Quote: “The flag is white with 7 black stars, apparently 5-pointed, arranged vertically 2-3-2.”

Now, found by coincidence, a link to a picture showing this flag (auction will end, it seems, 22 June!).

Identified as Albert Stenzel & Rolke, Stettin, and showing the black stars somewhat bigger. This picture belongs to a flag album published by the German cigarette factory Massary, Berlin, 1930, “Flaggen ,die über Meere Völker verbinden”. Measures 6,3 cm x 3,8 cm.

My internet search on this firm was quite unsuccessful.
Jan Mertens, 21 Jun 2006

Stetra

image by Eugene Ipavec, 12 Jun 2006

A ‘Stetra GmbH’ flagoid can be seen on several pages of the Dutch Vlootschouw site, presenting inland navigation suppliers together with vessels- e.g. the one concerning the tanker ‘Sophia’: a white wedge with the point on the hoist and opening up towards the fly is placed on a turquoise field; on the wedge is the red name ‘STETRA’ in stylized form, the most conspicuous element being the ‘T’ lengthened to the right so as to take the remaining letters under its wing.

It is a real flag, see the German Stüürmann site, showing ships photos: Click ‘Gallery’ and choose ‘Binnenschiffe’ then ‘Tankschiffe’: select the Belgian vessel ‘Anouk’ to see it partially. The update replaced a much better photo – flagwise, that is. Site maintained by Michael Harms, who sailed under the Stinnes,
Jaeger and Deymann flags.

Unfortunately I have not found out very much about Stetra, which maintains a minimal web presence. - enough to inform us that it is active in tanker transport and established at Ludwigshafen-Oppau; other sources – the many company lookup sites - inform us that the complete name is ‘STETRA Gesellschaft für Schiffstransporte mbH’ meaning “company for transportation by ship”.

Ludwigshafen is the inland port on the left Rhine bank, opposite Mannheim (itself just south of the place where the Neckar joins the Rhine).
Jan Mertens, 11 Jun 2006

Bruno Stolz

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2007

Bruno Stolz - This company used a red flag with a white black edged diamond touching the edges of flag with black dotted letters "B.St.".
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; cover inside.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2007

Ad Strantzen

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 Mar 2007

Ad Strantzen - The company used a white flag with a blue stripe on either edge. The stripe at the fly end edge is according to source of greater width, although I don't believe so. In the middle is a orangy wheel with 6 red spokes and a red nave piercing a blue "S".
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; inside cover.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 Mar 2007

Matthias Struve

image by Jorge Candeias, 9 Jan 2005

The flag is blue with a yellow lozenge that touches its edges. In the center, the initials now black and read "STv". The caption is very hard to read. It consists of two words, the first looks like "Martin" to me and the second one may start with an S and that's all I can make out of it.
Jorge Candeias, 9 Jan 2005

The flag does not ring a bell with me but the caption seems to read 'Matthias Struve'. Here is a small trace, indicating that the company existed at least during the years 1906-1916. We get to see Struve's signature on the clickable share, but that's not good enough...
Jan Mertens, 10 Jan 2005

H.C.Stülcken Sohn

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2007

H.C.Stülcken Sohn - H.C.Stülcken was a shipbuilder and carpenter and ran a dockyard in the 19th century. It was common to build ships on your own risk without any offer, so that the shipbuilders could keep their staff of well-trained carpenters. Sometimes a ship couldn't be sold however and so Stülcken had his first own ship in 1865 built by his own dockyard. The shipping company existed until 1906 when its last ship was sold to Föhrtmann & Behne. The dockyard however existed until 1966 and merged then with Blohm & Voss. The company used a red flag with a white diamond with red serifed letters "St", the "t" had half size of the "S" and was superimposed on the "S".
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; p.73ff.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2007

The MarCollect site – the work of Klaus-Peter Bühne – shows a variant, of a much later date I suppose, as a table flag (top of page):
We learn that the wharf was founded in 1840 by father J.H. Friedrich Stücklen and that his son Heinrich Christoph had a little wharf of his own next to it starting 1845, uniting both businesses as H.C. Stülcken Werft in 1853 on the father's retirement.
On the MarCollect photo the flag is red with a narrow white border and bears a white lozenge with red initials `St' (the `t' indeed lower case but following the `S').

The date of the Blohm & Voss takeover is given as 14 Feb. 1966.
Jan Mertens, 23 Mar 2007

Martin Stutz

image by Jarig Bakker, 16 Oct 2005

Martin Stutz, Brake; blue over red flag; intertwined "MS" in white.
(Brake is a town between Bremen and Bremerhaven)
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 16 Oct 2005

Stüwe & Co.

image by Jorge Candeias, 12 Mar 1999

Stüwe & Co. Schiffahrts GmbH & Co. KG - White with narrow dark blue horizontal stripes along the top and bottom and a lozengy logo centered. The logo consists of a light blue square lozenge and triangles in dark blue, white, dark blue, light blue (top row) and in reverse order (bottom row). In the lozenge, a graphical element in dark blue and white creates the interconnected letters 'S' and 'L'.
Jorge Candeias, 12 Mar 1999

Sunship Schiffahrtskontor

image by Jarig Bakker, 23 Nov 2005

Sunship Schiffahrtskontor K.G., Emden - blue flag, in center yellow sundisk with a bottom part missing, near bottom a white wavy stripe.
(Schiffahrtskontor = shipping office)
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 23 Nov 2005

Dampfs. Ges. Swatow

image sent by Jan Mertens, 8 May 2007

As stated by Jorge Candeias on 15 Jan. 2005, “clear flag, unclear caption. The flag is trapezoidal, white, with three blue vertical stripes shifted to the hoist.” Extracted from the original pictures Jörg sent some time ago, the attached image with caption “Dampfs. Ges. Swatow” which I take to mean “Steam Ship(ping) Co. Swatow”.

Swatow, now Shantou, is situated in the Han River Delta, China, and I suppose the place must have been an important destination for above company, most probably German, to have been named after it. Unfortunately I have not been able to find out anything specific about this firm
Jan Mertens, 8 May 2007

Swinemünder Dampfschiffahrt AG

image sent by Jan Mertens, 15 May 2005

This page (in German) presents the 'Swinemünder Dampfschiffahrt-Aktien-Gesellschaft' (Steam Navigation Co. Ltd of Swinemünde).
The house flag is horizontally divided blue (upper stripe) and white, bearing a white disk in the middle showing a red griffin's head, beaked, langued and also crowned yellow; on the blue stripe are black letters 'Sw' (upper hoist) and 'D' (upper fly), on the white stripe are 'A' (lower hoist) and 'G' (lower fly).

From the text we learn that the firm was founded in 1890, cooperating with erstwhile competitor Braeunlich from 1892 on. It seems its few ships had a penchant for collisions; another company characteristic was buying ships from, or selling them to, Braeunlich. In 1928, the firm was bought by the 'Stettiner Dampschiffs-Gesellschaft' (Steamship Co. of Stettin), legally disappearing during WWII, probably.

The publicity reproduced on the webpage shows that the 'Swinemünder' was active in local shipping to and from Stettin plus a number of other Baltic resorts.
More on this firm and its ships on this scripophily page (in German).

Swinemünde is now Swinoujscie in Poland; its CoA (with a complete, and very maritime, griffin) can be seen.
Jan Mertens, 15 May 2005

Syndikats Rhederei Gesellschaft

image by Jarig Bakker, 1 Feb 2005

Syndikats Rhederei Gesellschaft, Hamburg - red flag, white diamond, black "O" (or circle?)
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies, compiled by F.J.N. Wedge, Glasgow, 1926 [wed26]
Jarig Bakker, 1 Feb 2005