Private company

Deutsche Werft

German shipbuilder

Deutsche Werft (English: German Shipyard) was a shipbuilding company in Finkenwerder Rüschpark, Hamburg, Germany. It was founded in 1918 by Albert Ballin and with Gutehoffnungshütte (GHH), Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft (AEG) and Hamburg Amerikanische Packetfahrt Actien Gesellschaft (HAPAG) as investors.² It ceased to exist in 1968.¹ Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

1918Founded¹

Industrybuilding of pleasure and sporting boats, shipbuilding, vehicle construction¹
HeadquartersFinkenwerder¹
Legal formAktiengesellschaft¹

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Hapag-Frachter Wuppertal 1937 — Photo: Allan Green, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons⁴

The story

Founded by Albert Ballin in 1918.¹

In peacetime, Deutsche Werft built merchant ships, such as the HAPAG turbo-electric cargo ships Antilla and Orizaba.

In World War II Deutsche Werft built 113 Type IX and XXIII U-boats for the Kriegsmarine. To this end, it operated three camps directly on the company premises (the Deutsche Werft construction site camp, Deutsche Werft Finkenwärder camp and the Rüschkanal Eastern workers' camp), was involved in five camps in the Finkenwerder district and six in the port area, as well as nine camps in the city area. In addition, there were the camps at the Reiherstiegwerft shipyard, which also belonged to Deutsche Werft.

In 1968 Deutsche Werft was merged and became part of Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft.

From Wikipedia’s article on Deutsche Werft, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.³

Leadership

Who has led Deutsche Werft, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

FounderAlbert Ballin¹

Products and brands

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Listed on Wikidata.¹

Acquisitions

Succeeded by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft¹

Timeline

1968Dissolved Dissolved¹
1918Founded Founded¹

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

1
WikidataDeutsche Werft on Wikidata
2
WikipediaDeutsche Werft on Wikipedia
3
WikipediaDeutsche Werft on Wikipedia (revision used)
4
Wikimedia CommonsDeutsche Werft photo by Allan Green, Public domain