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House Flags of German Shipping Companies (r)

Other "R" companies:

See also:

Railship

image by Jarig Bakker, 17 Jan 2006

Railship G.m.b.H., Lübeck - orange flag, in center two horizontal black stripes, interrupted by orange field charged with a cartwheel, a ship's stem and a horizontal wave, all black.
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 17 Jan 2006

Carsten Rehder

image by Jarig Bakker, 11 Sep 2005

Carsten Rehder G.m.b.H. & Co., Hamburg - white flag with two narrow red horizontal stripes; in center black diamond, white "CR".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 11 Sep 2005

F. J. Reimers

image by Jorge Candeias, 19 May 2004

This flag is white with a red disc in the center, charged with an inverted, white, 5-pointed star. But the big novelty is that the caption is quite readable for a change: "F. J. Reimers".
Jorge Candeias, 19 May 2004

F.G. Reinhold

image by Jorge Candeias, 2 Jan 2005

This flag is clear: 7 stripes of red (4) and white (3) with a very large black S in the center. The caption is not entirely clear, though. There are two initials to begin, an F and a G, and then a word that seems to me to read Reinholz OSLT. If so, then there's a puzzle: where did the S come from?
Jorge Candeias, 2 Jan 2005

No idea about the 'S'... but it's 'F.G. Reinhold, Danzig' under No. 898 in the on-line 1912 Lloyds Flags & Funnels. At some point in time, they moved to Hamburg.
Jan Mertens, 2 Jan 2005

Research Shipping

image by Jorge Candeias, 22 Mar 1999

Research Shipping GmbH - White with a logo centered. The logo is composed of the letters 'R' and 'S', interconnected, and in red and blue, respectively, over a short blue wavy stripe.
Jorge Candeias, 22 Mar 1999

Rhederei-Actien-Gesellschaft von 1896

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 28 Mar 2007

Rhederei-Actien-Gesellschaft von 1896 - The company was established by the ship brokers Axel Dahlström und Willy Dahlström. It was a small company since 1906 when all the ships of B.Wencke Söhne were bought. The company's last sailing ship was confiscated by US government in 1917. The company existed until 1927 as a shipping company only having steamers.
The company used a quarterly divided flag white, red, red and white. In its centre was a white black edged ellipse with black numerals "1896" inside.
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; p.170ff.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 28 Mar 2007

Rhein-Fracht

image by Eugene Ipavec, 25 Mar 2006

I encountered the striking house flag of Mannheim-based Rhein-Fracht GmbH ('Rhinefreight') on this page: Made up of seven black and yellow horizontal stripes (four black and three yellow), the flag also contains a yellow canton with a descending red diagonal.

The black and yellow colours seem to recall Württemberg, the red diagonal on yellow certainly represents Baden. See it in action here, tiny but recognizable - i.e. entry of Wed. 20 July 2005, three photos of barges named ‘Ventura’ and/or ‘Nautilus’, about 3/4 down the page.

Details on the company can be found here: VTG Lehnkering Reederei took over Rhein-Fracht in 1999, thereby strengthening its position as a chemical and petrochemical tanker company. Forty barges joined the fleet, not counting long-standing relationships with privately operated barges.
More takeovers are reported here.
In 1999 about 80% of the VTG Lehnkering shares had just been bought by Hapag-Lloyd at the moment of the Rhein-Fracht takeover. In 2002, this became 100% only to be bought up – again, and all of it – by Compagnie Européenne de Wagons S. A. at Luxembourg in 2005.

What I have not found out is when Rhein-Fracht was founded. Also it would be nice to have confirmation of the reasons for the flag design.
Jan Mertens, 24 Mar 2006

Rhein-Ruhr-Hafen

image by Jorge Candeias, 14 Jun 2007

Offered and identified by a specialized source, MarCollect, another item was recently on view on German eBay: Rhein Ruhr Hafen (i.e. port), Duisburg.
This one preceded duisport - introduced in 2000 - and was termed, humourously, a “late historic” product (offer no. 160102554054, end 12 April 2007).
It shows a white table flag bearing a blue logo (two tones of blue, actually) resembling a lowercase initial ‘r’ (vivid blue or even turquoise) turning upwards and changing into an arrow of five stems (dark blue).
Jan Mertens, 24 Apr 2007

Rheintank

image by Eugene Ipavec, 17 May 2006

Just bunkering along, my target for today is a German firm in Duisburg, Rheintank GmbH (translates as ‘Rhinetank’).
Company website: Rheintank has been a petroleum and oil supplier to inland navigation for more than fifty years now (another source gives 1951 as the foundation year). Also offered are drinking-water, paint, and other materials for bargepeople.
The company is not only active in the Rhine area but on the River Main and in the former GDR as well.

As the one boat shown on the website does not fly the house flag, the site’s flagoid will be pressed into service. Not counting the black holding lines, it is horizontally striped WRW with the word ‘RHEINTANK’ in white letters on the red stripe.
Jan Mertens, 17 May 2006

Rheintrans

image sent by Jan Mertens, 8 Apr 2006

‘Rheintrans Reederei, Transport und Speditions-GmbH & Co. KG’ at Duisburg has an impressive name for an inland shipping company. It was founded in 1959 and has a beautiful house flag. See the company site. In all, these pages are rather more dedicated to the advantages of barges above trucks, the evolution of order transmission from river agencies (loudhailers!) over radio to mobile phone, and a list of satisfied customers thanks to delivering an array of goods ranging from scrap metal to porcelain.

The company flag rather resembles a municipal or county flag. Divided by a white cross throughout and having red above blue corners in the hoist, counterchanged in the fly; in the centre is placed a white shield bearing a red lion, rampant and double-tailed, with yellow tongue and bearing a yellow crown.

“Limburg” is what I think when seeing that lion but at the moment I do not know more about its meaning. There is a ‘Rheintrans BV’ at Rotterdam, Netherlands, but which is the main firm and which the subsidiary?
Jan Mertens, 8 Apr 2006

Rhenania Shipping Corp

image by Jarig Bakker, 22 Feb 2006

Rhenania Shipping Corp, Lübeck - blue flag, white "R".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 22 Feb 2006

Rhenus

image by Eugene Ipavec, 11 Jun 2006

An important Geman firm is Rhenus AG & Co. KG at Holzwickede near Dortmund airport: an important logistics group, grown out of an inland shipping company. Website: “Rhenus is one of the leading providers of front-to-end logistics services in Europe. With 11,000 employees and a network of 200 locations in the industrial centers of Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Russia, the logistics group offers comprehensive and innovative concepts for its customers.” (‘Locations’ meaning container terminals and other logistics centres, offices, ports, etc.)

Quote from timeline at ‘History’: “On November 13 1912, the two companies "Badische Actiengesellschaft für Rheinschiffahrt und Seetransport" (or Baden Ltd Co. for Rhine Shipping and Maritime Transport, jm) and "Rheinschiffahrts Actiengesellschaft" (or Rhine Shipping Ltd Co., jm) set up a joint company. The name they choose for the new company is the Latin word for the river that would carry their hopes and expectations from now on – "Rhenus", the Rhine.”

Some highlights from the history section: merger of above companies in 1929 to ensure their common survival during the economy crisis; part of VEBA group, 1934. After WWII, introduction of the container and extension of logistics infrastructure. 1969, Hugo Stinnes AG taking over transport from VEBA, acquires Rhenus which two years later becomes AG and moves to Mannheim, to move again in 1976 because of the ties with WTAG: Rhenus-WTAG AG, Dortmund (merger in 1984). Restructurings during the following years after Schenker is added by Stinnes; in 1996, Schencker-Rhenus acquires Midgard. Taken over by Rethmann AG & Co. two years later. Schweizerische Reederei & Neptun AG (CH) taken over in 2000, the name Rhenus-Alpina reflecting this. Expansion into Eastern Europe.

Expanding into all kinds of logistics undertakings (automotive industry, pharmaceutical supply chains, freighting, even public transport), Rhenus’ current importance quite transcends that of an inland navigation operator.

As for the house flag, see it on the ‘Antigoon’ and of course in the right flag row at the Bergeshövede shippers’ festivities: referring to the horizontally striped flag, blue-white-blue, with the blue stylized ‘L’ (meaning logistics?) in the middle, placed on a white square panel which is bordered in blue, the border itself fimbriated in white and extending into the horizontal stripes.

Image derived from an eBay offer (no. 6626853886, closed on 14 May ), which gave the dimensions as 93 cm by 155 cm.
As this flag is rather modern in shape, I suppose there must have been earlier versions but I have no idea what they looked like.
Jan Mertens, 8 Jun 2006

old Rhenus flag

image by Jarig Bakker, 14 Sep 2007

At the Binnenvaartsite is a Rhenus houseflag: blue with a white diamond with a black sanserif "R".
However, according to the same site is the ship Rhenus 125, owned by Rhenus Schiffahrt AG in Basel, Switzerland, now the Liberty Anne, woned by United Cruise in Arnhem.
Jarig Bakker, 14 Sep 2007

“Flaggen auf dem Rhein” (1952 ed.) confirms this on p. 61 by showing one and the same flag for:
- “Rhenus” Aktiengesellschaft für Schiffahrt und Spedition, Basel (i.e. Co. „Rhenus“ for Shipping and Forwarding, Ltd, Basle)
- Rhenus, Gesellschaft für Schiffahrt, Spedition und Lagerei m.b.H., Mannheim (i.e. Rhenus, Co. for Shipping, Forwarding and Warehousing Ltd, Mannheim).
The ‘Marcollect’ site shows a collection of Stinnes-related house flags (table flag format) in which our two Rhenuses (meaning the old flag and the new one) are represented: Third photo from top, Klaus-Peter Bühne differencing between the “Swiss Rhenus” (with ‘R’ in *blue* however) and the “German Rhenus” (with slanted ‘L’).
Jan Mertens, 15 Sep 2007

Rickmers Reederei

image by Jorge Candeias, 5 Dec 2004

I found this German shipping company: Rickmers Linie GmbH & Cie. KG, Hamburg, with this company website.
Its flag is a horizontal tricolour flag (dark green - red - white) with the white big letter "R" in the middle of the green and red stripe.
J. Patrick Fischer, 14 Feb 2003

One can see the Rickmers flag on the fourth painting from top down (and click to enlarge) here.
Accompanying text, slightly edited:
"Portrait of the Ship *R.C. Rickmers* under full sail in the Chinese Sea, ca. 1870 – The German full–rigged ship (Rickmers Line, Bremerhaven) at sea with local shipping and an unidentified Chinese coastline beyond - unsigned - Oil on canvas, relined - 45 x 60 cm (17 3/4 x 23 5/8 in.) – Private collection, Germany.

Note: A typical example of this type of paintings with a profile view of the vessel. The ship's name is written on the bow and on the main mast we notice the house flag or Rickmers. Click on the image to see a larger illustration."

Information from the company website:
In choosing his house flag, the firm's founder was obviously inspired by that of his native island, Heligoland. Wharf founded 1834 at Bremerhaven, first completely owned ship 1842.
Flag-bearing subsidiary firms are certainly:
- MCC MARINE Consulting & Contracting GmbH: an 'MCC' version of the company flag.
- ESSE or Expert Shipping Service GmbH & Co. KG: tiny blue and white flag on this page.
Jan Mertens, 26 Aug 2004

Even the Rickmers Reismühle GmbH is still existing. It is not a part of the Rickmers shipping acitvities.
Jörg M. Karaschewski, 27 Aug 2004

See a real flag here - i.e. the (Greenwich) National Maritime Museum's on-line house flag collection... by the way, it is clear the upper stripe is green but
has anyone told Barbara Tomlinson?
Same, shown on a 19C painting (ca. 1870, from the Fine Art Emporium).
Jan Mertens, 6 Dec 2004

Bertram Rickmers

image by Jarig Bakker, 30 Sep 2005

Reederei Bertram Rickmers, G.m.b.H., Hamburg - horizontal triband VRW; over green and red white "BR".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 30 Sep 2005

Hans Rinck

image by Eugene Ipavec, 4 Jun 2006

Hans Rinck Brennstoffe (“fuels”) OHG is a bunkering service located at Horneburg, not far from the left bank of the Elbe, opposite Hamburg in Germany. Link to the company website (in English): Providing mineral oil of various kinds to shipowners for more than twenty years now, Hans Rinck has the necessary storage tanks and a fleet of trucks plus three seagoing vessels. Other tanker vessels are under contract.

As the Rinck family name is prominent among the employees, I suppose this is still a family business of which Hans Rinck would then have been the founder and first owner. There also exists a Hans Rinck Tankschiff (“tankship”) GmbH at Horneburg.

The house flag is remarkable: white with a blue silhouette of an ascending worker carrying a load. No photos with flag found yet I’m afraid.
Jan Mertens, 30 Apr 2006

Rochling Menzell

image by Jarig Bakker, 7 Feb 2005

Rochling Menzell, Hamburg - blue flag; white triangle, black "R" with a hammer (?) on top.
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies, compiled by F.J.N. Wedge, Glasgow, 1926 [wed26]
Jarig Bakker, 7 Feb 2005

Roland Linie

image by Jarig Bakker, 9 May 2004

Roland Linie, Bremen. White flag, a key and "RL:, all red.
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies, compiled by F.J.N. Wedge, Glasgow, 1926 [wed26]
Jarig Bakker, 9 May 2004

Berend Roosen

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Mar 2007

Berend Roosen - The company flag is an inverted flag of the City of Hamburg. In the centre of a white flag is a red Hamburg-gate.
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; inside cover.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Mar 2007

K.G. Reederei Roth

image by Jarig Bakker, 23 Oct 2005

K.G. Reederei Roth, G.m.b.H. & Co., Hamburg - blue flag, white cross, in center white diamond, red "R".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 23 Oct 2005

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