Blohm + Voss is a German dockyard with head office in Hamburg and belonged today as subsidiary company to the ThyssenKrupp AG. One specialized today in naval ships, fast and passenger liners as well as megayachts.

History

On 5 April 1877 Hermann Blohm and Ernst Voss create the dockyard and engine works Blohm + Voss as an open commercial company. They leased an area of 15.000 m from the senate of the Hanseatic city Hamburg rather " on the Elbinsel Kuhwerder.

The established shipping companies set on their traditional shipyards in England. Therefore it lacks threw orders, so that one at own responsibility and expense an iron bark, which is baptized Flora, builds and these to those sells Hamburg shipping company M.G. Amsinck. Only one and a half years after establishment it comes to the first order for a small wheel steamer named Elbe. With the Frachtdampfer castle (build number 3) runs to 10. May 1879 the first ship of the pile.

Those threw can further incoming orders register, whose volume is sufficient however only scarcely. Therefore two further ships, the Rosario (at Hamburg south) and professor Woermann (to the Woermann line), at own expense are built. With the building of the floating dock one sets dock I now beside the new building also on repairs, whereby the economic situation improves strongly.

1887 are already submitted to the senate a request for expansion of the shipyard area. Blohm + Voss employs at this time already 1,200 coworkers. In the year 1891 the transformation follows to the limited partnership after shares. Carl Laeisz and Adolph Woermann become chairmen of the supervisory board.

With the emperors Karl the large one is delivered for the first time 1899, after the small cruiser CONDOR 1892, in consequence of the fleet law a large warship to the imperial navy. Thereupon the portion of naval ships, which throws off occasional high profits and than applies, takes clearly too, because the imperial navy prepares 1 in foresight of the imminent war, that. World war.

1905 are expanded the area over a new lease with that Hamburg senate since 560.000 m at 3 km water front. Thus Blohm has + Voss the world-wide largest closed throwing area and with the new hammer rocker crane also the largest crane of this kind. Whereupon 1906 a license agreement with Parsons over the building of turbines and with that follows Dresden (small cruiser) develops the first turbine and the first Vierschraubenschiff threw.

Dock 5 with 46.000 t lifting abilities becomes 1908 the world-wide largest floating dock. 1913 change Ernst Voss into the supervisory board and die for 1920.

The First World War

During the First World War production is changed over primarily to the building of submarines, even if one does not have experience with submarines and the throwing plants not is appropriate for such small buildings. Altogether 98 submarines develop. Only few trading vessels, 6 destroyers, 1 small and 2 battle cruisers develop in the war years. In order to work the decrease of the workers through summonings to the military service against, women and prisoners of war were used.

The attempt of a worker and a soldier advice from 11 November control threw to take over fails. Due to the requirements on reparations (to 1919/1920, see contract of Versailles) and the favorable buying rates for the foreign country there are enough orders until 1922. In the subsequent years only few ships are manufactured, most for HAPAG and the north Germans Lloyd.

In the year 1930 Hermann Blohm dies, after its sons had already taken over Rudolf and Walther Blohm since end of the war the management. In the indication of the world economic crisis is content threw with small orders and the Abwracken of old ships. Those threw has 1932 only scarcely 3000 persons employed.

With the new building of the Gorch Fock I. 1933 leave a large sail school ship threw. Walther Blohm tries to develop a new support leg with the subsidiary company Hamburg aircraft construction GmbH around the crisis to defy.

The Second World War

In the course of armament for the Second World War the number of the orders takes again also in the export. Thus the admiral Hipper becomes e.g. (1936) as well as the passenger ship William Gustloff (1937) built. At this time has threw again approx. 14,000 runs those Bismarck from the pile.

During the Second World War one concentrates completely on the building of submarines - main the types VII C and XXI. Altogether 238 submarines develop.

While in February 1945 still the 16339 person employed, which are obligation-recruited size partly from e.g. the KZ-external bearing of the KZ Neuengamme, on whom threw work, it is closed to 31 December 1945 by the British occupation troops. 1948 follow then the complete disassembly.

On 1 April 1951 Steinwerder industry AG is created, gradual permission for the repair of ships (1953), to the building of coastal (1954) and in consequence from sea-going vessels (at the end of of 1954) receives. Whereupon renaming in meditation follows Voss AG on the tradition names in Blohm + 1955. 50% of the share capital for 20 millions DM are sold to the Phoenix Rheinrohr AG. This is by the majority in the possession of Thyssen. The Thyssenkonzern gets thus ever more influence and the family Blohm with the time from the enterprise is displaced. In the following years the company concentrates primarily on the building of bulk carriers. Since 1962 also again in the larger measure orders are accepted by the navy.

1968 develops the first full container ships (1." To generation) threw Elbe express and Alster the express for HAPAG. Approx. 7,800 persons are busy at the time.

Today

Center of the 70's extended Blohm + Voss its product range over "„offshore ones "“(oil offshore construction works, supplying and support mechanisms) and took naval shipbuilding with the again developed MEKO type. This type is since then successful in the export. Approx. 40 units (frigates, corvettes) were so far built.

1986 were transferred those HDW throwing to Hamburg (work Ross) and united on the Blohm + Voss areas.

1995 the Blohm + Voss AG divided into the independent companies "„Blohm + Voss GmbH "“(threw, approx. 1000 coworkers), "„Blohm + Voss Repair GmbH "“(repair and Dockbetrieb, approx. 350 coworkers) and "„BV industrial technology GmbH "“(mechanical engineering).

Today still well 850 coworkers work at the Blohm + Voss GmbH.

Since 5 January 2005 Blohm is + Voss the center of the Thyssenkrupp navy of system AG. These belong:

• Howaldtswerke Germans threw AG, Kiel
• Nobiskrug GmbH, Rendsburg
• Blohm + Voss GmbH and Blohm + Voss Repair GmbH, Hamburg
• North Sea works GmbH, Emden
• as well as Kockums OFF, Sweden, and light NIC Shipyards S.A., Greece.

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