The Woermann-Linie was a German shipping company that operated from 1885 to 1942. StateLibQld 1 126207 Calypso (ship)

History

It was founded on 15 June 1885 by

Adolph Woermann Adolph Woermann (10 December 1847 in Hamburg – 4 May 1911 in the Grönwohld-Hof near Trittau) was a German merchant, shipowner and politician, who was also instrumental in the establishment of German colonies in Africa. In his time he was the ...

and developed as one of the leading shipping companies between Europe and

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. From 1899 the company was headquartered in Afrikahaus, in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

. For decades it transported contract laborers to various places on the African continent, for instance, workers from

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

and

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

Spanish Guinea Spanish Guinea (Spanish: ''Guinea Española'') was a set of insular and continental territories controlled by Spain from 1778 in the Gulf of Guinea and on the Bight of Bonny, in Central Africa. It gained independence in 1968 as Equatorial G ...

. The Woermann family sold it to

Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie (''German East Africa Line'') was a shipping line, established in 1890 as an alternative to the existing shipping services to East Africa, including German East Africa (1891–1919), then dominated by United Kingdom ...

in 1916. In 1942, it and the Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie were taken over by John T. Essberger. The Deutsche Afrika-Linien lost both fleets in post-war reparations.

External links

* Defunct shipping companies Shipping companies of Germany Companies based in Hamburg Transport companies established in 1890 Transport companies disestablished in 1942 1942 disestablishments in Germany 1890 establishments in Africa 1942 disestablishments in Africa Defunct transport companies of Germany German companies established in 1885 {{water-transport-stub

History

See also

External links