Reiherstieg Schiffswerfte & Maschinenfabrik
Reiherstieg Shipbuilding and Machine Works
Reiherstiegs Werft, Hamburg
The Reiherstiegswerft was founded Lucas Kramer (1660-1719) in 1706 on the land Reiherstiegsdeich No. 55 next to an existing sawmill. built. On the Reiherstiegswerft was designed from the outset a ship built after others. Throughout the development of Hamburg whaling were members of the Mennonite community leader. The most important Greenland captains were the de Vliegers. These were later replaced by the brothersKramer. A total of 46 of the 53 ships sent to the Arctic Ocean after 1673 were equipped by the Mennonites. From 1719, after the death of Lucas Kramer, his widow Sara Kramer operated the shipyard.
In 1731 Berend Roosen (1705-1788) married Elizabeth Kramer (1712-1788), the only child of Lucas Kramer. He was from 1736 in partnership with the company, which rans from now on as "Kramer Wwe. & Berend Roosen." Berend I Roosen was one of the largest owners of the 18th century Hamburg. Unlike the rest of the Hamburg shipowners, this was based not on the equity participation of Mitreedern: He was the sole owner of its merchant fleet, shipping, shipbuilding and transport distillery and the sole owner of all its ships. His ship ownership, 1765 amounted to 13 ships and increases in 1778 to 21 vessels. A similar fleet was owned by his younger brother Salomon Roosen (1717 - 1795) from 1768 deacon of the Mennonite community. Other owners averaged only three to four ships. Over the years his business changed from whaling to merchant shipping and so secured the economic survival of the shipping company and hence the Reiherstiegswerft.
In the first 84 years of existence from 1706 to 1790 there were on the Reiherstiegswerft 56 ships built. This put the shipyard at the head of the Hamburg ship industry during the 18th century. In 1788, after the death Berend I Roosens, the yard continued under the name "Berend Roosen Heirs". Heirs were the daughters Berend I Roosens, the sons and Berend Roosen II (1744 - 1829). The driving force within the framework was Lucas de Voss (1726-1800). The ship stocks rose in the following years and reached 25 vessels. In this period during the Napoleonic wars, the Reiherstiegswerft burnt. About Berend II Roosens response, the following reports: "The Lord Roosen should probably check before, and in his grief he was beside himself when he had seen the fire." The works were significantly smaller than in the years before 1800. The new generation to operate the shipyard since 1805 followed the certain signs of the times, steam navigation was limited and their own fleet reduced to eight, and then only six ships. In 1841 the construction of ships at Reiherstieg stopped and it only carried out repairs.
The first German iron steamer was built at the Schichau Works at Elbing in 1855, and from 1859 to 1862 the machinery for wooden gunboats was supplied. Two iron steamers were launched by Klawitter at Dantzic in 1855, in which year also the Godefroy wooden shipbuilding yard, later the Reiherstieg yard, laid the keel of the first iron ocean-going steamer built on the North Sea coast.
In 1882 the Hamburg-Amerika Linie inaugurated the serious competition between German and British builders by entrusting the building of the mail steamer Rugía to the Vulcan Shipbuilding and Engineering works at Stettin, and the Rhaetia to the Reiherstieg Shipbuilding and Engineering Works at Hamburg. Previous to this the German yards had been constructing small steamers. Messrs. Blohm and Voss and the Reiherstieg Werft yard at Hamburg, which were well known for the construction of merchant vessels, had been entrusted with a few new vessels as well as with repairs for the German Navy.
Dr. J. K. Dunlop, British commissioner for Hansestadt Hamburg (British Zone), made the following statement 27 October 1949.
The Allied agreement on the limitation of German industry, which was published in April of this year, laid down that the Deutsche Wertt Reiherstieg (German Wharf of Reiherstieg) should be dismantled for reparations. We had been asked to delay the putting into effect of this scheme largely for reasons connected with employment. I have now been instructed to commence this dismantling. In this connection I wish to make one or two points quite clear.
In the first place, it is desirable to make clear exactly which is the shipyard involved. It is not the Deutsche Werft at Finkenwaer- der, that is to say, the large shipbuilding yard opposite the Teutelsbruecke (Devil's Bridge). This is the shipyard whose gantries (steel platforms for moving cranes) carry the name Deutsche Wertt, and presumably this is the shipyard referred to in a recent Communist election poster. This yard, one of the most modern and best equipped on the continent of Europe, is not involved in our dismantling program and remains intact for the building of ships, so does the other modern yard at the Howaldswerke.
I think that the preservation of these two large, well-equipped yards is a decisive argument against those who say that dismantling is carried out through British and French fear of German competition. The Deutsche Werft at Reiherstieg was very severely damaged by bombing throughout the war and is now 90 percent destroyed. The two gantries which can be seen opposite the Grasbrookhafen (a harbor) are both so damaged by bombing that they would probably have to be taken down before they could ever be used again. The shipyard has not in fact built any ships for the last five years and it is not now capable of carrying out shipbuilding.
May I just repeat the facts.
The tripartite Allied agreement of April last left to Hamburg shipbuilding the two large modern yards of Deutsche Werft, Finkenwaerder, and Howaldswerft. It also left the smaller Stueloken yard. This agreement ordered the removal of the destroyed Reinerstieg yard.I hope that anyone who rushes into argument in this subject will at least get his facts straight.
The second point I wish to make clear isthat this dismantling is not going to createany serious unemployment.Two weeks ago there were only 48 men atwork and of those, seven were in the office. As I have already said, no shipbuilding has been or can be carried out at Reiherstieg. The place is a ruin and it will be to the benefit of Hamburg that the ruin should be cleared away and the ground set free for new and constructive enterprise which will create employment.
The third point is that while several machines will indeed be taken away for reparation purposes, a great quantity of the destroyed steel work will removed on commercial terms and the German economy will receive payment for steel scrap at world market prices.
One final point: I have received my instructions and I am going to carry them out.
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