Last modified: 2025-10-04 by martin karner
Keywords: swiss shipping company | swiss shipping company & neptun ag |
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![[SSN]](../images/c/ch~ssn.jpg)
![[SSN]](../images/c/ch~ssn2.jpg)
images
located by Martin KarnerSwiss Shipping Co. Originated 1919 as
an inland shipping company Schweizerische Schleppschiffahrts-Genossenschaft (SSG),
which was later changed to Schweizerische Reederei A.G. or the Swiss Shipping
Co. Ltd. Its first ocean going vessel was the Calanda,
which was acquired in 1939 and registered in Panama as Switzerland at that stage did not have a
merchant ship registry. This was changed by Government decree 9.4.1941 enabling
the vessel to officially hoist the Swiss flag for the first time on 19.4.1941
(source: http://www.swiss-ships.ch).
They apparently acquired a stake in Alpina Reederei AG
and this company at some stage appears to have become operators for Swiss
Shipping which, in due course with changes of ownership and mergers, seems to have
ended up as part of the Alpina Group which in turn ended up as part of the Rhenus
Group.
![[SSG]](../images/c/ch~ssg.jpg)
image
located by Martin KarnerFirst the company (colloquially called "Schleppi") was only engaged in river shipping, the first
deep sea vessel was taken over in 1935.
![[SSG]](../images/c/ch~ssg2.jpg)
image
located by Martin Karner
![[SSC]](../images/c/ch~swiss.gif)
image
by António Martins, 29 March 2025
In 1938 the SSG was converted to a joint stock
company, and the name was changed to Schweizerische Reederei AG, Basel (Swiss Shipping Company Ltd.).
[Photo, loc. by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 2017]
![[SSG]](../images/c/ch~nep.jpg)
image
located by Martin Karner image
located by Martin KarnerIn 1975 the Schweizerische Reederei AG merged with the Neptun Reederei AG and became the Schweizerische
Reederei & Neptun AG (photo, source).
image
located by Martin KarnerIn February 2000 the MGB (Migros-Genossenschaftsbund, the largest retailer in Switzerland), the last major share holder, sold its partnership in the Schweizerische Reederei & Neptun AG and the company was taken-over by the German Rhenus-Group.
![[SSC]](../images/c/ch~s1372a.gif)
image by Eugene Ipavec, 10 August 2010
It is also shown by "Flaggen auf dem Rhein" under Schweizerische Reederei
A.G. as one of 3 companies using this design but in this case the red canton
extends down further to the top of the 3rd of the blue stripes, whereas the other quoted sources have it
only to the bottom of the 2nd of the blue stripes.
Neale Rosanoski, 2 August 2010
image by
San Pavlos
Exact shadings used in the flag are uncertain.
San Pavlos, 25 December 2002
The flag shown by San Pavlos may have existed
although the only source I have found showing it is in the 1st edition of
Stewart (1953) which was first
published in 1953 with 5 impressions through to 1959 with the 4th in 1957 also
showing this version. The 5th is given as being revised so it may have been
changed. The more likely version, to me, is the usual Swiss couped cross that is
shown by Brown 1958 and US Navy 1961 together with Walter Michaels in his "Unvergessene
Dampfschiffahrt auf Rhein und Donau". In this the cross in the canton is couped
i.e. it is the same as shown on this site for Alpina Reederei AG.
The swiss-ships site also link this flag to Alpina and list all the ships under
this company, not listing anything in the name Swiss Shipping. As Michaels gives
the formation date of Schweizerische Schleppschiffahrt as 1919 the flag would
appear to have originally been theirs with Alpina inheriting it subsequently.
Neale Rosanoski, 2 August 2010
![[SCS-SSN]](../images/c/ch@kks-srn.jpg)
