Deutsche Schiff- Und Maschinenbau - History

History

The Deschimag was founded in 1926 when influential Bremen merchants and bankers decided to found a cooperation of great German shipbuilding companies under the leadership of the shipyard AG Weser. The intention was to coordinate and concentrate activities of German shipyards for higher efficiency but last not least mainly to support Bremen´s shipyard AG „Weser“ in the upcoming economical and financial crisis of 1930th. While the greatest shipbuilding companies in Germany as Blohm & Voss and Bremer Vulkan AG because of their own strong market position at that time were not interested in this cooperation, eight more or less great German shipyards merged. These were:

• Actien-Gesellschaft "Weser", Bremen (finally closed 1983)
• Vulkan-Werke Hamburg A.G., Hamburg (1930 sold to Howaldtswerke Kiel)
• Joh. C. Tecklenborg A.G., Wesermünde (closed 1928)
• AG Vulcan Stettin, Stettin (closed 1928)
• G. Seebeck A.G., Geestemünde (1988 merged to Schichau Seebeckwerft, closed 2009)
• Actien-Gesellschaft "Neptun", Rostock (bankruptcy 1935, since 1997 part of shipbuilding company Meyer Werft GmbH, Papenburg)
• Nüscke & Co. A.G., Stettin (bankruptcy 1928)
• Frerichswerft A.G., Einswarden (shipbuilding given up 1935, afterwards Weser Flugzeugbau aircraft production)

Deschimag became the greatest shipbuilding company in Germany with about 15000 co-workers which was a rate of 28% in the total German shipbuilding industry at that time. But in the following years most of these companies were closed, went into bankrupt or were sold to other companies, see above. At least only AG Weser and Seebeckwerft survived this process of concentration and reduction of shipbuilding capacities. In 1941 a majority shareholding of both shipyards was acquired by Krupp, the most important German engineering and armaments conglomerate at that time.

While AG Weser concentrated its activities upon building of merchant ships with increasing amount of warships later, Seebeck built only smaller vessels and concentrated upon maintenance and repair of ships.

Because of diversification and to create new jobs Deschimag also extended into aircraft construction. In 1933 the Weser Flugzeugbau GmbH - abbreviated Weserflug - was founded. It started production of aircraft components and later complete aircraft at different places in Germany, one of them was the former shipyard Frerichswerft AG. In 1936 the Weserflug separated from the Deschimag and became an independent company. It became the fourth largest aircraft manufacturer in Germany during World War II, but only as a licensee of other German aircraft companies, mainly Dornier and Junkers.

The Deschimag was dissolved after war but AG Weser and Seebeck AG shipyards again survived and continued in shipbuilding. Because of mismanagement and unsatisfactory and too late responds to the demands of the market AG Weser was declared bankrupt in 1983 and operations were shut down while Seebeck shipyard became part of the Bremer Vulkan Verbund AG. Later in 1988 it merged with Schichau Shipyard to SSW Schichau Seebeck Shipyard GmbH (closed in 2009).