Ernst Russ (German Shipping Company)

Last modified: 2012-07-23 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: ernst russ | star(red) |
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• Introduction
• Ernst Russ Flag
• Ernst Russ new Flag
• Ernst Russ: two Stripes
• Ernst Russ Variant

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

Introduction

The white flag with a red 6 pointed star and letters "ER" is shown by most sources from Lloyds 1904 up until WW2. However German sources, the earliest being the Massary cigarette card collection of 1930, all show a star of 5 points in line with the current flag. This version is also shown by Brown 1943, being omitted entirely in the 1951 version and then in 1958 they again show a six pointed star but angle slightly different with 2 points vertical. However they then come into line again in 1978.
The addition of the 2 red bands is shown by Brown 1982 onwards so it predates the 1992 change of name to Ernst Russ GmbH & Co. as given by Lloyds [it is now Ernst Russ GmbH & Co. K.G.]. This flag proper and table flags appear on some of the many photos of events shown on company website The "new" flag shown by Jorge Candeias, whilst being found on the website. Interestingly enough does not appear in any of the event photos. I quite believe it does/did exist because their flag has always formed the funnel band of the ships and I have one taken in 1996 which shows such a band as does another in 12/2006 although the latter need not mean that it is still used.
According to the company site a new corporate culture design was unveiled 4/2003 and this will be the flag provided by Klaus-Michael Schneider with numerous examples of actual and table flags appearing in their photos including a miniature [probably of stiff paper] swallowtail version, presumably double sided as the reverse shows the emblem as read on the obverse, which could well be only for decoration.
Neale Rosanoski, 20 Jul 2007

Ernst Russ Flag

This is a white flag with red initials "ER" vertically centered but slightly shifted to the fly and a 6-pointed red star in the canton. The caption is almost clear. I'm pretty sure the fist word means "Ernst" and the second one is very likely to read "Russ".
Jorge Candeias, 24 May 2004

Ernst Russ, Hamburg. Celebrated its 75th anniversary in April 1968. Specialized recently in tankers and large ships for overseas-traffic, as well as line-transport to Canada and the Big Lakes, West-Africa, Western Norway and Sweden.
Houseflag: White with red star and red ER.
Source: Wolter, See und Seefahrt, 1968.
Jarig Bakker, 25 May 2004

Company homepage. When the company was founded in 1893, Martha Russ said to her husband "May a lucky star guide us on our way". This quote is symbolised by the star that appears on the ERNST RUSS flag. ERNST RUSS has always regarded itself as a brand. Today, the star represents our business approach and remains as a symbol of our confidence, courage and global orientation.
James Dignan, 25 May 2004

Ernst Russ new Flag

The company has a new flag, see this webpage. Here it is, the contemporary Ernst Russ flag: a white flag with a narrow stripe near the top, the sigla ER in the center of the bottom 4/5ths and a small 5-pointed star near the top left extremity of the E, all red.
Jorge Candeias, 25 May 2004

Ernst Russ: two Stripes

Ernst Russ, Hamburg - white with near top and bottom narrow red stripe, Spanish-style, near hoist 5-pointed red star; "ER" in red.
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

Ernst Russ Variant

Ernst Russ (variant) - I spotted this flag on 21 March 2007 at Alsterlake/Hamburg. To make the difference: The red stripe at top end does touch neither the hoist nor the flyend.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 June 2007

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