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Neptun Schiffswerft und Maschinenfabrik Actien-Gesellschaft

Iron shipbuilding was established at what is now the Stettin Vulcan yard in 1851 and the same year the "Neptun" yard was founded at Rostock. Actien Gesellschaft "Neptune" was founded by Mr. A. Tischbein. The Sternberger Albrecht Tischbein revolutionised German shipbuilding with ideas from Holland and England. He built Germany's first iron ships in Rostock, thereby leading the country into the age of modern shipbuilding. The shipbuilding pioneer learned from his forerunners in Holland and England, whose shipbuilding had changed fundamentally with industrialisation. Iron began to catch on as shipbuilding material, above all in Great Britain. In Rotterdam, Tischbein worked together with Gerhard Moritz Roentgen, the eminent Dutch officer and shipbuilder.

Tischbein was born in Sternberg in 1803 and grew up in Rostock. From 1822, he studied in the Netherlands, where he later supervised the construction of steamships as engineer. He gained experience here and during his stay in England, which he later applied in his homeland. In 1850, he presented a special project in Rostock: the building of an iron steamship. Shipbuilders had been using wood as the most important working material for over three thousand years, and this had also been the raw material used by Rostock shipbuilders up to that point to build seagoing vessels.

Together with the master shipbuilder Wilhelm Zeltz, he set up the first Rostock iron shipyard, and the engineers were commissioned to build two iron screw steamships. One year later, Albrecht Tischbein brought German ocean shipping the breakthrough. The first seaworthy screw steamship of riveted iron, named the "Erbgroßherzog Friedrich Franz", was launched in Rostock. Its sister ship, the "Großfürst Constantin", followed a year later. Incidentally, Tischbein the engineer did not just build ships, but also constructed gas preparation plants and steam pumps for locomotives.

In 1871 the Rostock Actien-Gesellschaft for ship and machinery was formed. This company took over the yard together with factory machinery for the construction of iron ships Witte & Abendroth and 1881, the former stock company "Hansa" - for iron ships shipyard and engineering institute (formerly table leg). This was due to the many small yards a company that is with other companies such as Blohm & Voss, or of Bremer shipbuilding AG that stood in the first row of the German shipyards.

Albrecht Tischbein died in March 1881.

But despite the merger there were still economic difficulties. In 1890, therefore, prompted the main creditor, the Bank Rostock, Rostock AG reform. On 23 Dezember 1890 establishing it as the "Actien-Gesellschaft 'Neptune' shipyard and machinery factory." The economic situation in Rostock was not easy. From 1891 to 1895 the number of employees declined from 622 to 404 and the hourly wage fell from 836.67 to 824.12 marks Mark. This problem was the fact that if the yard wanted to compete, it had to be modernized. Until 1898, for steam engines to power generation, three compressors for hydraulic works in shipbuilding, cranes and various other investments 1.300.000,00 Mark spent.

The German shipbuilding industry, owing to the numerous new steamers ordered, had been profitably employed during 1899, and the statements of the principal companies recently published, with one exception, show favorable results. The great Neptune Shipbuilding and Machine Manufacturing Company, at Rostock, which has never heretofore been able to pay a dividend, announced that it will pay its shareholders 4 percent.

The shipyard founded by Tischbein later became the Rostock Neptun shipyard. The Yard is situated on the Warnow, on the coast of Mecklenburg, and covers an area of about 25 acres. It possesses five slips together with machine and engine shops necessary for the building and fitting out of steamers up to 10,000 tons. On this foundation developed into the yard and had a good position in the civil shipbuilding. Between 1898 and 1905 vessels aggregating 150,000 net register tons and 82,000 I.Hp. were turned out. The yard gave employment to about 1,800 men in 1908. Iron shipbuilding, thanks to the Rostocker Tischbein, boosted the entire German shipbuilding industry and her maritime trade.

In 1914, the shipyard went into military shipbuilding. Among other things, torpedo boats and submarines were built.

The period after the First World War was difficult. A surplus of tonnage and the limitations of the Versailles peace treaty were unfavorable conditions. Nevertheless, inflation 1923 profits from the Neptune oxygen AG with a share capital of 90 million paper market. In addition, the General Assembly for newly issued 125 million ordinary shares Mark Martin a modern plant, a rolling mill and a pipe welding work to build.

The dream burst with the connection to the DESCHIMAG Group and the buildings were terminated. In the following period the money lost more and more in value. The shipyard decided to issue emergency which of 5 November 1923 bis 31 November 1923 to 31 Dezember 1923 gültig war. December 1923 was valid. At 1 Januar 1924 January 1924 was a record for gold marks. Thereafter, the Executive Board of the communication so that the remaining assets amounted to RM 550,000. The shares of 150,000,000 Mark were in relation to 300:1 converted to 500,000 RM. This was followed by red numbers and in October 1924 had the city of Rostock even liquidation with a unique aid in the amount of 300,000 RM. But there is not enough and only an operating loan in the amount of 3,410,000 RM, and a further loan of 1 million RM secured the survival of the shipyard.

In the following years saw dramatic development of the shipbuilding industry, it was only with a merger and by drastically reducing the capacity to build. The founding of the German Shipbuilding and Engineering AG (DESCHIMAG) 1926 was the answer. In 1927 the DESCHIMAG acquired 75% of the "AG Neptune."

The yard survived with small orders. In 1931 came the collapse of the Schroeder Bank, which had previously been the main bank of DESCHIMAG. The bank has been using the Senate to rescue Bremer, the bankruptcy of the shipyard Neptune, however, was inevitable. Although the operation was lucky, there were still some unexpected orders from the USSR and the government supported the shipyard by scrapping contracts, but it was only 90 employees are employed. On 16 July 1934 was then before the court Rostock forced liquidation. The Actien-Gesellschaft "Neptune" ship and machinery factory was disbanded.