Winds of Change: Norddeutscher Lloyd and the Final Era of Ocean Travel (1920–1970)
📌 Explore Edwin Drechsel’s second volume chronicling the final 50 years of Norddeutscher Lloyd—from post-WWI rebuilding to the 1970 merger with HAPAG. A must-have for historians, educators, students, and genealogists tracing German maritime migration and global commerce.
Front Cover, Norddeutscher Lloyd, Bremen, 1857-1970, Volume 2 by Edwin Drechsel, Cordillera Publishing Company (1995). GGA Image ID # 1e8b6f7d2e
📘 Overview of the Book: Volume 2 – Storms, Recovery, and Reinvention
The second volume of Edwin Drechsel’s monumental work Norddeutscher Lloyd, Bremen, 1857–1970 picks up in the aftermath of World War I, tracing five tumultuous decades through:
🌊 Postwar decline and slow recovery
🚢 The interwar years and the Blue Riband triumph of the Bremen (1929)
📉 The Great Depression’s toll on ocean travel
🌍 The transformation of global shipping under the shadow of WWII
🧱 Postwar reconstruction and the decline of passenger liners
📦 The pivot to container freight and the 1970 merger with HAPAG
Drechsel, drawing on his personal ties (his father was a North German Lloyd captain), maritime journalism background, and deep expertise in ship mails and German liner history, delivers a book that is both richly detailed and profoundly human.
Back Cover, Norddeutscher Lloyd, Bremen, 1857-1970, Volume 2. Cordillera Publishing Company (1995). GGA Image ID # 1e8b84aecb
Description
The second volume begins with the years after World War One, The Great War, and the recovery after the war, starting from scratch to rebuild their steamship line. Although Norddeutscher Lloyd would again win the Blue Riband of the North Atlantic in 1929, the depression of the 1930s affected NDL as yet another crisis in ship ownership and management to which commercial shipping interests had always been prone. The ranks of transatlantic passenger carriers thinned out as large and small concerns went out of business.
After the second world war, history repeated itself. Once again, German shipping assets were split up among the victorious allies. Furthermore, the company rebuilt its world trading fleet with new ships. Still, passenger carrying was never to be the same again.
Book Review: Norddeutscher Lloyd, Bremen, 1857-1970, Volume 2 by Edwin Drechsel
I. Introduction: A Century of Sea Power – Norddeutscher Lloyd
Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL) has played a crucial role in German maritime history, significantly impacting transatlantic travel and global trade. Established in Bremen, Germany, in 1857, the company connected Europe and the Americas for over a Century. From its start, NDL enabled the movement of people and goods across vast oceans while adapting to transformative global events of the 20th Century.
This review focuses on Edwin Drechsel's second volume of "Norddeutscher Lloyd, Bremen, 1857-1970," which covers the company's journey from 1920 to its merger 1970. The first volume laid the groundwork by detailing NDL's origins up to 1920. The fact that Norddeutscher Lloyd thrived for over a hundred years in a changing world highlights its remarkable ability to adapt, solidifying its legacy in maritime history.
II. About the Author and Volume 2
The author, Edwin Drechsel, was not just a maritime historian but also a journalist and former mayor. His strong interest in ships and the sea came from his father, a North German Lloyd captain. This family connection likely gave Drechsel unique insights and a deep appreciation for the company's history. He is recognized as an expert in ship mail and German shipping lines. He brings extensive knowledge to this detailed account.
Volume 2, published in 1995, picks up the narrative in the aftermath of World War I. It explores the company's struggles during significant 20th-century events, including World War II and its post-war recovery, culminating in the merger with HAPAG in 1970.
The comprehensive nature of his two-volume work, totaling over a thousand pages, suggests a meticulous and authoritative approach to his writing style. His work also inspired correspondence from individuals who immigrated on NDL ships, highlighting the personal stories tied to the company's history.
III. Content of Volume 2: Navigating the 20th Century
Volume 2 examines how World War I significantly impacted Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL), a major shipping company. After the war, Germany faced significant challenges, including losing its overseas colonies. Many of its ships, including those from NDL, were given up as reparations. This situation forced NDL to rebuild and redefine its place in a changed world.
Despite these difficulties, NDL returned to work, resuming essential services like passenger transport, tug, and freight operations. However, they had fewer ships than before. As the narrative moves into the interwar years, it highlights some key decisions made by NDL. In 1930, NDL formed a partnership with its rival HAPAG. By 1935, they were working together on routes across the North Atlantic, hinting at a possible future merger due to financial pressures.
The text also discusses how the Great Depression led to a decline in transatlantic passenger numbers, seriously impacting the shipping industry. With more people starting to fly, ocean liners lost popularity. World War II is another essential part of this volume.
The German Navy mainly used NDL's facilities in Bremerhaven during the war, showing how the company was involved in the war effort. NDL also owned a significant share of the Deutsche Ozean-Reederei, which controversially used U-boats for trading, managing to make some successful Atlantic voyages. After the war, NDL had the tough job of rebuilding its fleet after suffering heavy losses.
The post-war recovery section highlights NDL's determination as it went through a third primary rebuilding phase. At first, the company used smaller vessels and eventually invested in new ships to refresh its operations. Recognizing that air travel was becoming more popular, Norddeutscher Lloyd shifted its focus to freight and container shipping. Volume 2 ends with the historic merger of NDL and HAPAG on September 1, 1970, marking an essential moment in the maritime industry.
Library of Congress Catalog Listing
- Personal name: Drechsel, Edwin.
- Main title: Norddeutscher Lloyd, Bremen, 1857-1970 : history, fleet, ship mails / Edwin Drechsel ; foreword, Arnold Kludas.
- Published/Created: Vancouver, B.C. : Cordillera Pub. Co., c1994-c1995.
- Description: 2 v. : ill. ; 29 cm.
- ISBN: 1895590086 (v. 1) 1895590140 (v. 2)
- LC classification: HE945.N727 D74 1994
- LC Subjects: Norddeutscher Lloyd--History. Merchant marine--Germany--History. Mail steamers--Germany--History.
- Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
- LCCN: 95195117
- Geographic area code: e-gx---
- Canadian class no.: HE945 N75 D73 1994 fol. HE945*
- National bib no.: C94-910327-6
- Other system no.: (OCoLC)30357825
- Type of material: Book
⚓ What Makes Volume 2 Especially Compelling?
🔄 1. Rebirth After Ruin
World War I gutted Germany’s merchant fleet. Drechsel begins with NDL’s resilient postwar rebuilding, starting almost from scratch. For genealogists and historians tracing post-WWI immigration or commerce, this provides critical context for why certain routes reappear slowly—or vanish entirely—in the 1920s.
🏆 2. Record-Breaking Speed and Prestige
One of the most exciting highlights is the SS Bremen's 1929 Blue Riband victory, a proud moment in NDL’s history that restored German confidence in its engineering prowess and transatlantic presence. 🚀🇩🇪
📉 3. A Company Under Siege
By the 1930s, the global depression shrunk passenger demand, forcing consolidations and partnerships—including one with HAPAG by 1935. Teachers exploring interwar economic history will find NDL’s struggle a compelling corporate case study.
⚔️ 4. A Maritime War Machine
During WWII, NDL’s docks and ships were largely requisitioned by the German Navy. Drechsel doesn’t shy away from the complex, controversial aspects of NDL’s wartime entanglements, including investment in Deutsche Ozean-Reederei, which ran covert cargo missions via U-boat—a fascinating, if haunting, footnote in merchant marine history.
🛠️ 5. The Last Rebuild – And Reinvention
Post-WWII, the company had to rebuild again. Drechsel documents the shift from ocean liners to freight and container ships, acknowledging that the golden age of transatlantic passenger travel had ended. Air travel had won. ✈️
Still, NDL found a new calling in cargo. The book ends with a look at its merger with HAPAG on September 1, 1970, forming the still-active Hapag-Lloyd—an enduring legacy of over a century at sea.
🖼️ Noteworthy Images
📸 Front Cover (GGA Image ID # 1e8b6f7d2e)
A classic black-and-white visual of an NDL liner in her mid-century glory—suggestive of the company’s final decades before the jet age.
📸 Back Cover (GGA Image ID # 1e8b84aecb)
Possibly showing the marketing material from the final years—helpful in visualizing the evolution from stately salons to practical container ships.
📚 Educational & Research Value
🎓 For Teachers & Students:
🔹 World Wars & Economic Shifts: Learn how maritime commerce was affected by war, peace treaties, blockades, and postwar policies.
🔹 Business Resilience: Explore how NDL adapted to massive global shocks—ideal for economics, business, and history coursework.
🔹 Migration & Travel: Trace the decline of steamship immigration routes and the rise of air travel.
🔹 Cold War Globalization: Understand how the shipping industry reshaped itself amid geopolitical realignments.
🧬 For Genealogists:
🔹 Learn why passenger lists dwindle post-WWII as steamship lines reduce transatlantic service
🔹 Discover potential ship names, departure ports, or alternate transport used by ancestors post-1920
🧭 For Historians:
🔹 A comprehensive look at the evolution of German maritime commerce and state-industry relations
🔹 The social and political forces that pushed the industry toward freight, not first-class salons
✍️ Final Thoughts: Why Volume 2 Matters
Drechsel’s Volume 2 is not just a company biography—it’s the epic finale of the steamship era. While the romance of passenger liners fades into nostalgia, Drechsel shows that adaptability—not luxury—is what kept Norddeutscher Lloyd alive.
From the Blue Riband to bombed-out shipyards…from promenades filled with wealthy travelers to steel decks stacked with cargo containers—this book charts the arc of ocean travel’s decline and rebirth.
📘 Encourage Research Using GG Archives!
Students, researchers, and writers: Enhance your understanding of Norddeutscher Lloyd by exploring:
🧾 Passenger Lists
🍽️ Onboard Menus
📷 Archival Photos
⚙️ Fleet Histories
📌 Visit: GG Archives – Norddeutscher Lloyd Collection
Use this rich primary source collection for term papers, essays, or family history projects. Don’t just study history—sail through it.
