House Flags of German Shipping Companies (k) - part 2

Deutsche Reedereiflaggen (k) Teil 2

Last modified: 2012-07-12 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: kohlen hg | koehn | koehn und bohlmann | koholyt | kolb | koelner reederei | kompass | koppelmann | koeppen | krabbenhoeft | krey schiff gmbh | krieger-gruppe | kriemelberg | kapt.heinr. krohn | krueger | kruemling | kulenkampff | k |
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• Kohlen Handelsgesellschaft
• H.W. Köhn
• Köhn & Bohlmann
• Koholyt
• Kolb
• Kölner Reederei
• Kompass Reederei
• Gerd Koppelmann
• Robert Köppen
• Jörg Köpping
• G. Krabbenhöft, Hamburg
• Diedrich Chist(ian?)Kramer & Co.
• Krey Schiffahrts GmbH
• Krieger-Gruppe
• W.H. Kriemelberg
• Reederei Kapt.Heinr. Krohn
• Hans Krüger
• Julius Krümling
• Uwe Kruse
• Gebrüder Kulenkampff
• W. Kunstmann
• Küstentransport und Bergungs AG

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

Kohlen Handelsgesellschaft

Kohlen Handelsgesellschaft GmbH, located in Flensburg.
It is a blue flag with a white roundel in its centre. In the roundel are a crossed black hammer and black mallet, the symbol of mining.
Source: [llo12] p.85, image no.1013
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 Sep 2008

H.W.Köhn

According to source Hamburg shipowners register provides evidence of the company's existence at least from 1846 until 1886 with a two year break from 1849 to 1851. It is a red flag with a white disc in the centre, containing a black initial "K".
Source: Otto Mathies: "Hamburgs Reederei 1814 - 1914", Hamburg 1924, p.20
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 Jul 2012

Köhn & Bohlmann

Köhn & Bohlmann Reederei K.G., Hamburg - red over white flag; in center black "K&B".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 21 Sep 2005

Koholyt

?Kohlen-Import A.G.?, a German shipping company belonging to the Stinnes group, is mentioned here, plus a link provided by Valentin, starting page here.
Also mentioned in these pages is a ship named ?Koholyt? which in its turn points to yet another Stinnes firm!  It was established at Königsberg, the current Kaliningrad.  A short history is found here: "Koholyt AG" was established by Hugo Stinnes in 1920 by combining several German companies  (?) to form Koholyt AG. The name of company is formed as an abbreviation of the words Kohle, Holz and Elektrolyt. Koholyt AG was acquired by the Feldmühle, Papier- und Zellstoffwerke Aktiengesellschaft in 1930.?

"Kohl" means coal, "Holz" means wood and "Elektrolyt" means electrolyte.  A hybrid company name!
Not so the flag, which is another example of the Stinnes archivexillum: horizontally divided NWRN, a white diamond in the centre bearing black initials "K.A.G." above miner's hammers, also black. The diamond is exactly two stripes high, resting on the white and red ones.

This house flag is shown in the 1928 German Flaggenbuch, Part I, original & revisions: no. 185.
Massary album image (1930).

In the nineteen sixties a firm named "Koholyt Handels- und Schiffahrts GmbH & Co. KG" (i.e. Koholyt Trading and Shipping Co., Ltd) existed, apparently for the operation of a freight vessel bearing that historical name.
Jan Mertens, 17 Mar 2008

Kolb

The company website of Personenschiffahrt Gebr. Kolb, an inland touring shipping company, is here.
Established at Briedern on the River Mosel (Moselle), between Trier and Koblenz (quite near Cochem, in fact), Gebr. Kolb is a firm with a history.

Peter Kolb, son of a local ferryman, wanted to exploit a ferry service on that river starting 1921.  In those days the Mosel could be crossed on foot during the hot summer months so acquiring a harbour boat was not a good idea (it was sold) but a small motor launch did the trick.  Cochem, Beilstein and Briedern were linked.  1924 and 1937 saw the acquisition of supplementary vessels, the most recent one (depth only 50 cm) serving as a holiday outing boat for ?Kraft durch Freude? tourists.

The three vessels saw war service in the area, were severely damaged but repaired and used in ferrying bridge building materials in 1945.  As happened in other places in Europe, river transportation also served as temporary replacement for railways.   The French occupation forces impounded one vessel in 1946.  From 1950 on, Peter Kolb and his son Karl Michael tried to relaunch their firm.

When the Mosel was canalized between 1958 and 1964, the Kolb vessels were active as tugs; tourist boats had to be chartered but in the ?sixties, two of these were built especially.   The Kolb family grew, more ships were built and finally, in 1979, Karl Michael (died 1996) withdrew in favour of his children i.e. six sons and three daughters.  There was geographical expansion as well: an additional ship was bought in order to provide waterborne visits in and around Trier.

In 1999, the Cochem-based tourist vessel operator Rodulf Botsch GmbH was bought up. Nowadays the fleet counts sixteen vessels and a car ferry (chartered out).  According to the website, this makes Gebr. Kolb the largest private business of its kind in Germany.

It is not impossible to make out the house flag on some of the photos (?Galerie?) but the best image is the drawing seen right away when accessing the website.  Divided per saltire green (hoist, fly) and white (top, bottom), a black foul anchor is in the centre of the flag; little white disks bearing a black initial ?K? are placed on the green triangles.
Jan Mertens, 14 May 2006

Kölner Reederei

Kölner Reederei GmbH
The company was located in Hamburg. It is a white flag divided by a blue saltire, which is superimposed by the coat of arms of the city of Köln in the centre.
Source:  ?Deutsche Reedereien und ihre Erkennungszeichen?; 2nd ed.; Hamburg; 1956; p.25
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 Mar 2009

Kompass Reederei

Kompass Reederei G.m.b.H., Hamburg - white flag, a half blue circle, a compassrose, containing a blue 8-pointed star.
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

Gerd Koppelmann

Gerd Koppelmann, Wedel - blue flag, white three-masted sailing ship surmounted by white "GK", within red frame, within white frame.
(Wedel is a western suburb of Hamburg)
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 12 Oct 2005

Robert Köppen

Here's another flag that is totally clear in all its details, but not so in what concerns its caption. The flag is quite basic: white with black seriffed initials "R.K." along
the center. The caption seems to me to read something close to Rob Koppen, but I'm not sure of either word, despite the initials being quite obvious.
Jorge Candeias, 3 Dec 2004

It's 'Robert Köppen, Stettin' under No. 610 of the on-line 1912 Lloyds Flags & Funnels.
Jan Mertens, 3 Dec 2004

Jörg Köpping

It is a white flag. At the bottom is the blue silhouette of a container ship. Shifted to the top is a blue "K" in a blue circle.
Source: Verband Deutscher Reeder homepage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 Jul 2012

G. Krabbenhöft, Hamburg

Following the link found by Joe Mc Millan - The Mystic Seaport Foundation, we can reach the 1911 Lloyd's flagbook, whose full title is (after the scan of the cover): 'Lloyd's book of house flags and funnels of the principal steamship lines of the world and the house flags of various lines of sailing vessels', published at Lloyd's Royal Exchange. London. E.C.
On p. 134, we have: #2046. G. Krassenhoft, Hamburg. The flag is white with a blue saltire, charged in the middle with a red K in a blue ring.
Ivan Sache, 1 Feb 2004

Carl Chr. Dietrich Krabbenhöft was confidential clerk in the company of Hans Heinrich Schmidt  and started an independent enterprise in 1910. Captain Bock became his partner in 1914 and since then the company had the above name. In 1926 the shipping company was given up but the company continued as ship supplier til the end of WWII.
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; p.209ff.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Mar 2007

Diedrich Chist(ian?)Kramer & Co.

According to source Hamburg shipowners register provides evidence of the company's existence at least from 1836 until 1849, with interruptions before since 1816, one of Hamburg's oldest shipping lines. It is a blue flag. In the centre is a white disc containing a blue 5-point star.
Source: Otto Mathies: "Hamburgs Reederei 1814 - 1914", Hamburg 1924, p.4
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 Jul 2012

Krey Schiffahrts GmbH

Here is the website of Krey Schiffahrts GmbH - houseflag: horizontal black - red - blue with a white (what?) charged with black KS.
The Krey Schiffahrts GmbH, was founded by Mr. Georg Krey in the beginning of 1990 in Leer / Ostfriesland, The Company is presently managing a total number of 11 seagoing vessels in the worldwide trade with a number of 12 employees. The fleet does consist of Bulker Units between 3.000 and 12.000 tdw (geared and gearless), Containervessels up to 510 TEU, Tweendecker and Heavy Lift vessels with up to 2 x 120 to gear.

Recently last year, Krey Schiffahrts GmbH separated from Phoenix Reederei GmbH, a company which was partly owned by Mr. Krey. Krey Schiffahrts GmbH is now situated in a separate office also located in Leer, Germany. Krey Schiffahrts GmbH and Phoenix Reederei GmbH have managed in the past a number of 40 vessels in total with a number of around 40 employees.

The last 15 years, Krey Schiffahrts GmbH has projected, contracted and built a number of about 40 newbuildings at Shipyards in Turkey, China, Spain, Slovakia, Poland and the Netherlands. Further Newbuildings (12.000 tdw MPC Vessels) are contracted with deliveries starting in 2006.
Dov Gutterman, 2 Nov 2003

Krieger-Gruppe

Despite its name, Heinrich Krieger KG in Neckarsteinach is peacefully occupied.  According to the company website Krieger is 110 years old and successfully concentrates on the production of raw materials for construction such as sand and gravel, concrete, flags (meaning stones?), garden statues etc. In order to secure a steady supply of raw materials, the firm has had an inland fleet of its own since 1891 and has established warehouses alongside the Rhein and Neckar rivers.

The house flag appears on ? and disappears from ? the home site but I have managed to capture and enlarge its little brother: Divided per saltire blue (upper and lower triangles) and yellow (left and right triangles), there is a small white disk in the centre bearing a blue initial ?K?. See the flag in action on a barge, here.
Jan Mertens, 20 Mar 2006

The company site does not do the flag justice. The photos I saw then were simply not detailed enough.
See this forum page for the real item (neat barges, good flag usage). As you can see, the white disk has a black border and the initial ?K? is black, not blue.
On the same forum, ?Helmut? says (28 Jun 2008) that four ships are now operated by ?Georg Krieger? (independent) but continue to fly the house flag.
Note: 'Friedrich Krieger' flies a completely different house flag.
Jan Mertens, 24 Aug 2008

W.H. Kriemelberg

It was a light green pennant with white, dotted initials "W.K." and white fimbriation at two edges.
Source: Flaggenkarte, Hrsg.: H. Carly, Hamburg, c.1898
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Jun 2012

Reederei Kapt.Heinr. Krohn

Reederei Kapt.Heinr. Krohn GmbH
The company was located in Lübeck-Travemünde. It is a yellow over white over yellow horizontal triband with ratio 1:2:1. In the white stripe is a yellow 6-point star shifted to the hoist.
Source:  ?Deutsche Reedereien und ihre Erkennungszeichen?; 2nd ed.; Hamburg; 1956; p.33
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 Mar 2009

flag #2
The 6-point star is in the centre and fimbriated black.
Source: "Flaggen, Schornsteine, Reedereien- Flaggen und Schornsteine der deutschen Reedereien und ihre Schiffe über 300 BRT"; Hamburg 1957; p.F22
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 Apr 2009

Hans Krüger

Hans Krüger Gmbh
The company was located in Hamburg. It is a dark blue over white over dark blue horizontal triband with dark blue capitals ?HK? in the middle of the white stripe.
Source:  ?Deutsche Reedereien und ihre Erkennungszeichen?; 2nd ed.; Hamburg; 1956; p.25
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 30 Mar 2009

Julius Krümling

Julius Krümling
The company was located in Hamburg and had inland shipping lines to major German inland shipping ports. The flag was divided by a white saltire into red (hoist and fly) and black (top and bottom).
Source: Carsten PRANGE: ?Auf zur Reise durch Hamburgs Geschichte ? A Journey through Hamburg?s history?, Hamburg 1990, ISBN 3-920384-35-0; p. 232.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 6 Apr 2009

Uwe Kruse

The company is located in Drochtersen (Stade county). The flag is greenish blue with a white disc in the centre. The disc is containing a black inscription "UK". Both initials have one bar in common,
Source: Verband Deutscher Reeder homepage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 Jul 2012

Gebrüder Kulenkampff

It is a white pennant with stepped fly. The edges of both stairs are red. Two black dots ordered per fess and shifted to the hoist are between the stairs. This sailing ship company was located in Bremen.
Source: Lloyds 1912 ; p.135 , flag no.2097
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 May 2012

W. Kunstmann

W. Kunstmann, located in Stettin.
It is a blue flag with a white rhomb in its centre, containing a red capital "K".
Source: [llo12] p.113, image no.1603
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 Sep 2008

Küstentransport und Bergungs AG

Küstentransport und Bergungs AG - The company was established in 1922 from the Jungclaus & Bonnes KG. It was dissolved in 1927.
The company used a green flag with a white 6-point star in its centre. In the centre of the star was an black inscription "K&B" over "A-G".
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999;  p.240-241.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Mar 2007

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