125th Anniversary - Press release

125th Anniversary Schutzverein Deutscher Rheder V.a.G.

On 27 June 2026, Schutzverein Deutscher Rheder celebrated its 125th anniversary. By the end of its founding year, 1901, the association was representing 468 ships with a gross tonnage of approximately 560,000 BRT. 125 years later, the figure stands at 859 ships with a gross tonnage of approximately 16 million BRZ.

Over the past 12-plus decades, the history of the Schutzverein has been shaped in particular by developments in global politics. It had to weather two world wars, after which, for a time, there was virtually no German merchant fleet left. Added to this were a multitude of economic crises, such as the Great Depression in the late 1920s, the oil crisis in the 1970s and the financial crisis of 2008 triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers – to name but a few.

Adaptability and creativity were essential to meet these challenges. This is evident from the wide range of measures taken to attract and retain members. For instance, after the Second World War, the association granted personal membership to those who no longer owned any ships at the time. Since the mid-1970s, ships registered abroad have also been eligible, and since the late 1980s, the requirement that the ship must be operated from Germany has been abolished. Vessels under construction have been eligible for membership. Ship Managers have been able to become members with vessels since 2023, provided these are not already registered with the association.

The anniversary was celebrated on 2 July 2026 at the Anglo-German Club in Hamburg with around 160 guests. In her welcoming address, Dr Gaby Bornheim, member of the management board of Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG and President of the Association of German Shipowners (VDR), highlighted the importance of Schutzverein for the German shipping industry and, in particular, for German shipowners. She emphasised the close ties between VDR and Schutzverein, which are evident, amongst other things, in the fact that, over the past decades and up to the present day, members of VDR’s Executive Committee or Administrative Board have been, and continue to be, members of Schutzverein’s Board of Directors at the same time.

The Chairman of the Board, Dr Michael Silies, Managing Director of Wilhelmsen Ahrenkiel Management GmbH & Co. KG, addressed the history of Schutzverein and the current challenges in his speech – which he chose to deliver in the form of a poem. He emphasised that it is thanks to the resilience of the members, but above all to their unwavering determination to unite in solidarity to defend their interests, that the association has been able to overcome the crises of the past.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, Dr Michael Silies honoured the shipping company Leonhardt & Blumberg as the association’s longest-standing member – having been a member since 1903/1904, and thus for more than 120 years. The honour was accepted by Mr Frank Leonhardt.