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Raab Karcher (German Shipping Company)

image sent by Jan Mertens, 18 Jun 2006

Raab Karcher
Raab Karcher old flag
Raab Karcher pennant

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Raab Karcher

I have just discovered some nice vexy things but this gets in the way of penning a message concerning Raab Karcher, a pioneer of push navigation on the Rhine. Here is an image from a German eBay offer, ended 22 May of this year and bearing item no. 6630107751. Horizontally divided white-red-white, the house flag has black initials ‘RK’ on the red stripe – not a happy combination I’m afraid.
Jan Mertens, 18 Jun 2006

Some information on this firm, named as one of the pioneers of push navigation on the Rhine in “Duwvaart” by Jansen & Van Heck (1988), a book which has already yielded many a flag (but not this one).

A drawn version is found on this Binnenvaart page. Clicking the camera next to ‘1965 Otter’ at the end of the page will lead you to a photo showing the flag (not very clear though).
Founded at Kaiserslautern in 1848 as a cooperative coal business, Raab Karcher at one time traded in coal, construction materials, mineral oils, etc. Later company seats were Karlsruhe and Duisburg. Some history here.
“The company of Raab Karcher was established more than 150 years ago in 1848, in (the) German region of Palatinate by partners Carl Raab and Carl Heinrich Karcher. The original trading with coal was later extended with other commodities, such as wood, building materials, fuel oils, chemical products and others. From 1998 (on) the company operated within the trading company of Stinnes AG, a part of (the) VEBA concern. As of January 1, 2000 the new owner of the Raab Karcher group became the French company Saint-Gobain, which is active on the worldwide market of glass, structural and high-grade materials.”
Jan Mertens, 19 Jun 2006

Raab Karcher old flag

image sent by Jan Mertens, 19 Jun 2006

Not mentioned but implied is the demise of the shipping department… I believe the WRW flag to be the last in use, but a recently found source – flag picture auction – shows a blue flag bearing the firm’s pre-WWII initials ‘RK / & Co’ (raised ‘o’ above stripe) in white. Source given as „Flaggen ,die über Meere Völker verbinden“ (i.e. Flags joining the peoples across the seas), Massary (cigarette factory Berlin), 1930.
Jan Mertens, 19 Jun 2006

Raab Karcher pennant

Defunct shipping company Raab Karcher is already on FOTW-ws:
Accompanying message 'Raab Karcher (DE) text, more pics' of 19 Jun 2006 was a picture of a Raab Karcher pennant - at rest, which is not so bad.
Better however is to see it flying, and it happens here (photo happily shows pennant - on the bow - as well as flag): Photo of 'Raab Karcher V', copyright Jan Verduijn.
(Why, the house flag is even bigger than the civil ensign!).
Jan Mertens, 8 May 2008