Emil R. Retzlaff (German Shipping Company)

Last modified: 2019-08-08 by german editorial team
Keywords: retzlaff | retzlaff(emil r.) | saltire(blue) | retzlaff eisen schiffahrt |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors

• Emil R. Retzlaff
• Emil R. Retzlaff - variant
• Emil R. Retzlaff - dotted
• Emil R. Retzlaff - variant#2
• Emil R. Retzlaff - black letters
• Retzlaff Eisen Schiffahrt GmbH

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

Emil R. Retzlaff

Emil R. Retzlaff - variant

The company was located in Stettin. - white flag, blue saltire; at hoist, fly and bottom blue "ERR".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies, compiled by F.J.N. Wedge, Glasgow, 1926 [wed26]
Jarig Bakker, 1 Feb 2005

Emil R. Retzlaff - dotted

The white flag was divided by a blue saltire. In three quarters were blue, unserifed dotted capitals "E" (hoist) and "R" (fly and bottom).
Source: Lloyds 1912 ; p.64 flag no.578
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 May 2012

Emil R. Retzlaff - variant#2

Variants with unserifed letters in blue, funnels black with blue ring with white letters.
Source: Flaggenbuch 1905, part V, p.15, image no.218
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 July 2019

Emil R. Retzlaff - black letters

Variants with unserifed letters in black, funnels black with white ring with black letters.
Source: Flaggenbuch 1905, part V, p.15, image no.219
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 July 2019

Retzlaff Eisen Schiffahrt GmbH

Hugo Retzlaff probably was also a member of the above mentioned company (Emil R. Retzlaff). Around 1890 he moved from Pomerania to the Ruhr. In 1900 he established an ironware trading company in Dortmund. In the same year his son Erich Retzlaff was born. He gained the degree of a doctor in economy in 1925 and became proxy holder in his fathers company and, after the dead of his father in 1929 owner of the company. He made big business by the production of reinforcement steel meshes in the 1950ies and established the shipping company Retzlaff Eisen Schiffahrt GmbH (= Retzlaff Iron Shipping Ltd.) in 1952. The ships were chartered until 1958, when the first own vessel acquired. Subsequently his fleet increased up to 10 vessels in 1967. In 1965 a branch in Bremen was established, which became seat of the shipping company and was registered in Bremen. Dr. Retzlaff also became consul general of the Republic of Haiti. He also held 50% of the shares of the joint venture EAL, which he established together with Carl Meentzen and Emil Offen. Since 1970 business declined. Dr. Retzlaff, meanwhile being more than 70 years old ,sold all his ships until 1970 and dissolved his shipping company in Bremen. In 1979 he also sold his company in Dortmund. He died in 1981.
Please note, his companies had nothing to do with Emil R. Retzlaff.
Source: information provided by Klaus-Peter Bühne by email
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 July 2019

The flag was divided per saltire into yellow and blue with a red shield in its centre containing a white capital "R".
Source: I spotted this flag in a bookshop at Rödingsmarkt in Hamburg on 21 August 2008.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 May 2009

back to R-companies main page click here