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Woermann Line (German Shipping Company)

Last modified: 2014-06-28 by klaus-michael schneider
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[Woermann Line] image by Jarig Bakker, 9 May 2004 See also:

Woermann Line

Image of the Woermann Linie, Hamburg, after Wolter's See und Seefahrt, 1968
Jarig Bakker, 9 May 2004

The company originated 1.10.1837 with Carl Woermann forming C. Woermann with the shipping department becoming Woermann- Linie A.G. in 1885. Wiped out by WW2 their shipping activities were gradually resumed but not as Woermann-Linie A.G., going by Lloyds, being instead under Deutshe Afrika-Linien GmbH & Co. operation until 1990 when it seems that "Woermann" shipping title was sold to CMB N.V. when the livery presumably came to an end although the "Woermann" in a ship name lasted another decade..

C. Woermann GmbH & Co. K.G. was reconstructed  in 1985 and continues to operate as importers with their website showing their original flag which is the "Variant" shown by Jarig from Brown 1926, though with a bit wider border,  which apparently dates from the start according to Talbot-Booth and is shown is shown by sources from 1885. Some sources [Reed 1901, Liverpool Chamber of Commerce 1909 and Larousse Commercial Illustrié 1930] also show this version with the blue being a frame within the field as with the 1st flag shown. The 1st version, being the change, is shown by all other sources from Brown 1929, except for the German Cigarette cards albums of Massary and Lloyd of the 1930s which show the blue as a border, not an inset frame, and have black letters, not blue.
Neale Rosanoski, 17 Sep 2009

Woermann Line variant

[Woermann Line variant] image by Jarig Bakker, 9 May 2004

Image of the Woermann Linie, Hamburg, after Brown's Flags and Funnels, 1926.
Jarig Bakker, 9 May 2004