World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseIn 1876, coppersmith Georg Dietrich Seebeck opened a small metal-processing workshop in Geestemünde, Bremerhaven, Germany with 5 associates, and this workshop grew quickly to become a shipbuilder. Three years later, Seebeckwerft completed its first all-metal launch. In 1886, it purchased additional land nearby to expand his shipbuilding operations. In May 1891, Seebeckwerft purchased the Schau and Oltmanns shipyard; soon a slip would be added and the dry dock would be modernized. In the same year, it launched its first steam trawler; trawlers would soon form an import part of the company's business. In 1894, the freighter Stettin entered Seebeckwerft drydocks; she was cut in half and then extended by 50 meters. In May 1895, it acquired the nearby Lange and Ullrich shipyard, which had two dry docks. In the same year, Seebeckwerft went public in order to raise additional capital. In 1900, it purchased another Bremerhaven shipyard, one owned by R. M. Wencke, as that yard was in danger of bankruptcy; this yard added a horizontal slip and the fifth dry dock for Seebeckwerft. In 1903, it began to extend the dry dock acquired from Wencke to 163 meters; this would complete in the spring of 1904. In Mar 1905, extraordinarily high tide caused serious damage to shipyard and dock facilities. Between the fall of 1906 and 1910, Seebeckwerft consolidated its holdings across Bremerhaven to a single location by building a new shipyard in the Geestemünde Handelshafen basin that had two dry docks, each measuring 180 meters by 25 meters and each had two small slips of 80 meters. They were capable of building 16,000-ton ships, and they, uniquely, had awnings that allowed a total of four cranes to move materials in and out of the dry docks. In 1914, it had employed more than 1,000 workers. During WW1, Seebeckwerft built minesweepers, torpedo boats, and submarines for the German war effort. Georg Seebeck passed away in Feb 1928. In Oct 1928, Seebeckwerft joined Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau (Deschimag) during a difficult period for shipbuilders. Business began to turn for the better in 1932, and by 1934 Seebeckwerft was receiving orders to build trawlers and freighters from foreign customers. In 1939, it received orders from the German Navy for the construction of Type VII, Type IXC, and Type XXI submarine sections. After the war, Seebeckwerft became a subsidiary of of AG Weser (which had played a leading role in the Deschimag group and took on the new name AG Weser Seebeckwerft. In 1987, it became a member of the Bremen shipyard association with the holding company Bremer Vulkan Verbund AG. In 1988, it merged with Schichau Unterweser, which was also associated with Bremer Vulkan, to become Schichau Seebeckwerft AG. Financial troubles with Bremer Vulkan trickled down to its subsidiaries, and in 1996 Schichau Seebeckwerft AG filed for bankruptcy. In 1998, the company SSW Fähr- und Spezialschiffbau GmbH was found, operating on the former Schichau Seebeckwerft AG site. In 2003, it was reorganized as SSW Schichau Seebeck Shipyard GmbH, bringing back the Seebeck name. In Jan 2009, the new company filed for bankruptcy, and was formally dissolved in Jul 2009. Shipbuilding slips and other equipment were removed, leaving little trace of the site's former shipyard heritage.

Ships Constructed at Seebeckwerft AG

* Projected dates; not actual

Seebeckwerft AG Interactive Map

Photographs

Maps

Seebeckwerft AG Timeline