Ernst Menzer (Dockyards, Germany)

Last modified: 2011-08-12 by german editorial team
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• Introduction
• Ernst Menzer Geesthacht
• Ernst Menzer Bergedorf

• House Flags of German Shipping Companies
• House Flags of Shipping Companies
• Germany

Introduction

The dockyard Ernst Menzer was established in 1899 in order to build "new ships for commercial and public purposes". He began with the construction of wooden vessels but changed fairly early producing ships made of steel.
Menzer died very early and his son Ernst Menzer jr. overtook the company aged 23. A few years later he had to close the dockyard for being called up to the armed forces in WWI. In 1919 he started again building tugboats. In 1927 he bought another dockyard in Geesthacht. Menzer managed somehow surviving the critical years from 1930 until 1933, though the dockyard in Geesthacht was nearly completely destroyed by fire in 1932. In Geesthacht mostly innovative inland ships were built, while in Bergedorf remained the business with tugboats.
After 1949/50 Menzer built two Kümos (coastal freighters) in Bergedorf, returned however to his standard business afterwards. In 1956 Wilhelm & Kurt Menzer, the sons of Ernst Menzer jr. overtook the company. The dockyard in Bergedorf was used to repair ships, that one in Geesthacht to build up new ones. A speciality of the company were boats for the Hamburg harbour's fire brigade.
In 1982 the company was forced to close due to financial problems.
Klaus-Peter Bühne, Klaus-Michael Schneider; 28 Feb 2009
Klaus-Michael Schneider,

Ernst Menzer Geesthacht

The red (hoist and fly) and white(top and bottom) flag is divided by saltire. In the red parts are black serifed white-shaded capital letters "E"(hoist) and "M"(fly). I the centre of flag is a slightly modified or older coat of arms of the city of Geesthacht (Herzogtum Lauenburg county, Schleswig-Holstein).
Source: I spotted this flag on 28 May 2004 in a pub in St.Pauli. The flag was identified with the help of Josef Nuesse, Drochtersen on 25 September 2007.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 Sep 2007

Ernst Menzer Bergedorf

The red (hoist and fly) and white(top and bottom) flag is divided by saltire. In the red parts are black serifed white-shaded capital letters "E"(hoist) and "M"(fly). I the centre of flag is a coat of arms of the former city of Bergedorf, today part of Hamburg.
Source: Klaus-Peter Bühne's webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 28 Feb 2009