The house flag of Rickmers Reismuhlen Rhederei & Schiffbau A. G., Bremerhaven. A rectangular flag striped horizontally in black, red and white with a white 'R' across the top two stripes. The flag is made of cotton and is machine sewn. A rope is attached. The publication, 'Lloyd's Book of House-Flags and Funnels' 1912 shows a green upper stripe.
This German shipping company was founded in 1834 by Rickmer Clasen Rickmers in Bremerhaven. Throughout the next few decades, the business became heavily involved in trade with the Far East transporting rice, as well as trading wheat between California and Europe. In 1878 Rickmers was in full possession of a rice mill on the Weser River, which soon became the largest of its kind in the world. By the late 1890’s the company began commissioning steamships, the first being the ‘Helene Rickmers’. In 1895 a regular service was established between Bremerhaven and Hamburg to Japan, Shanghai and Hong Kong. The company’s Far Eastern fleet was sold in the early 1900’s to North German Lloyd and the Hamburg-American Packet Company (HAPAG). In 1909 a new service to Vladivostok commenced. World War I resulted in the loss of the majority of ships, but in 1922 operations were resumed with the new ‘Sophie Rickmers’, which was the first German steamer to arrive in New York after the war. The company also resumed passenger services to the Far East. In 1930 the company, like many other shipping companies, were forced to cease operations due to the economic crisis. The shipyard was reopened in 1936. By the end of World War II the company had very few steamers left but commenced services again in 1951. In the 1960’s the company entered into partnerships with both the Delmas-Vieljeux Line from France (operating trade with West Africa) and DDG Hansa (Germany). In 1974, Rickmers and Hapag-Lloyd AG began operating a joint service to the Far East. Throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s the company continued to produce many types of ships for different companies, including ferries for the Stena Line. In 1988 Hapag-Lloyd took over the remaining shares of Rickmers, and the following year Rickmers took over all multipurpose operations of the company. In 2000 the company once again returned to its roots, being bought back by Bertram Rickmers. The company is currently still in operation, running cargo services throughout the world with its 19 specialist ships. There is also a Rickmers Rice company, still in the rice business, which operates separately from the shipping company.