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History 1847 - 1918
1847
Hamburg- Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft (Hamburg-America Line) is established by Hamburg businessmen and ship owners on May 27th 1847. Chairman director is the businessman Adolph Godeffroy.
In the mid 19th century world trade began to grow by leaps and bounds and, the exchange of goods over national boundaries became a matter of course thur, new markets gradually appeared. At the same time, the industrial revolution made many traditional occupations obsolete. Every year about 115,000 Germans emigrated to build a new life for themselves overseas. At this time efforts were made in Bremen to manage the growing streams of emigrants via the River Weser.
But the people of Hamburg certainly did not want to be outdone by Bremen. The shipbroker August Bolten, ship owner Ferdinand Laiesz and banker Adolph Halle initiated a meeting in the Hamburg Stock Exchange, inviting all major Hamburg business leaders to attend. In the meeting, which lasted over two hours, the participants founded Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft. At that time, scarcely any of the founders could have imagined that they had established one of the world's leading companies.
1848
Hapag’s North Atlantic service opened in October with the sailing ship
“Deutschland”.
1857
Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL) established in Bremen with Consul H. H. Meier being elected chairman of the board.
At a time when Germany was still not unified leading Bremen businessman and consul Hermann Henrich Meier had a vision: founding "the German shipping line". Norddeutscher Lloyd was the name he devised for the project. The project was also programme of action, as in the mid-19th century Lloyd represented the quintessence of merchant shipping. Along with the young Berliner Eduard Crüsemann, Meier established Norddeutscher Lloyd on February 20th 1857. Liner services to New York were opened in 1858 with the "Bremen" as the first of four screw steamships. Despite all initial adversities, Norddeutscher Lloyd became the pride of its hometowns Bremen and Bremerhaven - to a greater extent than any company had ever done before.
1858
On June 19th NDL starts a service between Bremerhaven and New York with the steamship "Bremen".
1886
The inauguration of Lloyd's imperial mail steamship line to East Asia. Albert Ballin joins Hapag, assuming responsibility for its passage department and becomes Managing Director in 1888.
1889
Hapag commissions the first twin-screw fast steamships "Augusta Victoria" and "Columbia", which are followed by the "Normannia" and "Fürst Bismarck".
1891
Albert Ballin "invents" the cruise, thereby discovering a gap in the market. On January 22nd 1891, the "Augusta Victoria" steams from Cuxhaven to the Mediterranean providing the first cruise.
In 1890, North German Lloyd had – exceptionally, as the shipping line emphasized – withdrawn a steamship from its schedule to send on a short excursion to the Norwegian fjords.
But at Hapag, Albert Ballin was more ambitious. His line's large and luxurious flagship, the fast steamship "Augusta Victoria", lay useless in the roads in winter.
Travellers shunned the North Atlantic in the stormy season. Ballin suggested sending the "Augusta Victoria" on an extended cruise to the Mediterranean and the Orient. This trip was also to include well-organised shore excursions. Ballin's fellow directors regarded this "sea voyage for pleasure" as a simply idiotic idea. But Ballin energetically promoted his project and eventually had his way, confounding all the critics. The first "cruise", in which he himself took part, proved to be a resounding success and revealed a glaring gap in the market.
In the same year, Hapag's "Fürst Bismarck" makes the crossing to New York in a mere 6 days, 11 hours and 44 minutes, thus becoming the fastest ship on this route.
1897
North German Lloyd commissions the first four-funnel steamship, "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse".
1899
1899 Albert Ballin was appointed Director General at Hapag.
1900
On her maiden voyage to New York, Hapag's fast steamship "Deutschland" wins the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing.
The "Deutschland" was launched at the shipyard Vulcan in Stettin in January 1900. This superlative vessel in every respect at approx. 16,000 grt with a length of 208m cost what was then the enormous sum of 12.5 million marks. She was even larger and faster than the "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse".
The "Deutschland" actually won the Blue Riband on her maiden voyage. This award for the fastest Atlantic crossing on the East/West route is still legendary. Winning the Blue Riband was important for the prestige of a shipping line, but it also involved enormous expenditure and a considerable loss in comfort for passengers. Hapag thus withdrew from what had become an international contest to focus on more comfortable but also slower ships, which meant that it had to hand over the Blue Riband to the competition from Bremen in autumn 1902.
1901
Hapag opens its emigrant township, a unique facility worldwide accommodating up to 5,000 persons, on the Elbe island of Veddel in Hamburg.
1914-18
Both Hapag and NDL lose their fleets as a result of the first world war.