The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany (german: Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie, BSH) is a German federal authority based in Hamburg and Rostock. With some 800 employees, the agency's tasks include maritime safety, hydrographic survey, maritime pollution monitoring, and approvals of offshore installations.

History

The agency can be traced back to ''Norddeutsche Seewarte'' (North German Naval Observatory), founded in 1867 by Wilhelm von Freeden, which issued individual sailing directions based on nautical and meteorological observations as early as 1868. After World War II, the Deutsches Hydrographisches Institut (DHI) erman Hydrographical Institutewas founded in 1945 and took over these tasks. While it was first active throughout all four zones of Allied-occupied Germany, operations in the Soviet zone ceased when the DHI became part of the Western Allies' unified zone which was to become the state of West Germany. After the

German reunification German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...

of 1990, the DHI was merged with ''Bundesamt für Schiffsvermessung (BAS)'' ederal Agency for Tonnage Measurement">Tonnage.html" ;"title="ederal Agency for Tonnage">ederal Agency for Tonnage Measurementto form the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency. At the same time, the '' Seehydrographischer Dienst'' [Maritime Hydrographical Service] of East Germany which was part of the Volksmarine, People's Navy was taken over.

Tasks

The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency provides maritime services for shipping, economy and marine environment. It is a federal agency within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. The various tasks include: *Facilitation of the German merchant marine, *Tonnage measurement and matter related to flags of convenience, *Issue of certificates for sailors, *Testing and approval of navigational and radio equipment, *Maritime hazard control, *Issue of official nautical charts, handbooks and other nautical publications such as notice to mariners for professional and recreational shipping, * Bathymetry of North Sea and Baltic Sea, *Calculation and forecasts of tide tables, water levels and storm tides, *Monitoring of the marine environment which includes the operation of several fixed automated stations, *Investigation of environmental pollution at sea, *Maritime spatial planning for the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Germany, *Approval of commercial offshore activities like wind farming, pipelines or

submarine communications cable A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean and sea. The first submarine communications cables laid beginning in the 1850s carried tel ...

s in the German EEZ of North Sea and Baltic. The agency is moreover represented in a number of national and international panels. The head office of

Federal Bureau for Maritime Casualty Investigation The Federal Bureau for Maritime Casualty Investigation (german: Bundesstelle für Seeunfalluntersuchung, BSU) is the German agency for investigating maritime accidents and incidents. It is subordinate to the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building ...

is in the BSH facility.

Vessels

The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency maintains a fleet of five survey vessels as of 2013. ''Atair'' is expected to be replaced in 2020 by a new vessel, also named ''Atair''. *''Atair'', based in Hamburg *''Deneb'', based in Rostock *''Wega'', based in Hamburg *''Capella'', based in Hamburg *''Komet'', based in Hamburg

Messages in bottles

According to own accounts, the BSH's library presumably hosts the world's largest collection of messages in a bottle amounting to 660 items.

References

External links

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BSH ENC Charts Viewer
{{Authority control Maritime transport authorities German federal agencies Water transport in Germany 1868 establishments in Germany Organisations based in Hamburg Rostock National hydrographic offices