The Woermann-Linie was a German shipping company that operated from 1885 to 1942.

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 ...

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. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. From 1899 the company was headquartered in Afrikahaus, in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

. 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 Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

and

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

Spanish Guinea Spanish Guinea () was a set of Insular Region (Equatorial Guinea), insular and Río Muni, 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 a ...

. The Woermann family sold it to

Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie (''German East Africa Line'', or DOAL) 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 Ki ...

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