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# House Flags of German Shipping Companies (k) - part 1

## Deutsche Reedereiflaggen (k) - Teil 1

Last modified: 2026-04-18 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: kayser | kette | kiehn | kiepe | kimme | kipp | klingenberg | knoehr&burchard | taucher knoth | knueppel | kleyenstueber | kirchner | kaempf meyer |
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3:5 image by António Martins-Tuválkin
German merchant ensign

- K & K Shipping
- Kämpf & Meyer
- Kayser & Söhne
- "Kette" Deutsche Elb Schiff Gesellschaft
- J.C. & H.C. Kiehn
- Hubert Kiepe
- Monika & Rolf Kiepe
- Hermann Kimme
- Reederei Kipp
- C. Kirchner & Co.
- Robert Kleyenstüber & Compagnie
- Carl Joh. Klingenberg
- Knöhr & Burchard Nfl
- Taucher Knoth
- Knüppel Schiffahrt

See also:

- House Flags of German Shipping Companies
- House Flags of Shipping Companies
- Germany

## K & K Shipping

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 Apr 2026

The company is based in Hamburg. The flag displays a red inscription "K & K" between two black horizontal stripes.
Source: spotted on 1 July 2025 in company office in St.Georg (Hamburg)
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 Apr 2019

## Kämpf & Meyer

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Aug 2019

The company was based in Wesermünde. The flag was blue with a white initial "K" shifted to the hoist.
Source: Massary 1928, series 1, image no.180
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 2 Aug 2019

## Kayser & Söhne

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 May 2012

The company was located in Bremerhaven. It was a white flag cotized blue. In the centre was a blue hexagram with a red "K" in its centre.
Source: Lloyds 1912 ; p.100 , flag no.1334
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 May 2012

## "Kette" Deutsche Elb Schiff Gesellschaft

### Pennant reported 1897

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Apr 2012

The pennant is divided by converging stripes into black over white over red. In the white stripes are red capitals "KDES".
Source: Gratis Beilage zu Deicken und Behrmann's Neuen Monatsheften Neue Ausgabe Sommer 1897
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Apr 2012

### Flag reported ca. 1898

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 21 Jun 2012

It was a blue flag divided by a yellow saltire with a small, black "K" in the centre of the saltire.
Source: Flaggenkarte, Hrsg.: H. Carly, Hamburg, c.1898
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 21 Jun 2012

## J.C. & H.C. Kiehn

image by Jorge Candeias and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Jun 2012

The flag is a spanish fess of blue and white, with a large black "K" at the center.
Source: Flaggenkarte, Hrsg.: H. Carly, Hamburg, c.1898
Jorge Candeias, 9 Dec 2004

It must be J.C. & H.C. Kiehn, Hamburg - there's a trace of this firm here (see under 'War Rother'), ... but I've found no second picture of this particular flag.
Jan Mertens, 1 Jan 2005

## Hubert Kiepe

image by Jarig Bakker, 23 Oct 2005

Hubert Kiepe K.G., Haren/Ems - horizontal BWB flag; in center white diamond, blue "K".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 23 Oct 2005

## Monika & Rolf Kiepe

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 28 Apr 2016

Monika & Rolf Kiepe - red flag with yellow bend fimbriated black, in centre superimposed by a capital "K", also yellow fimbriated black. The company has only one vessel named "RUDOLF THEA" and is operating on European rivers.
Source: ZDF Morgenmagazin (German TV), report on 9/10 July 2015
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 28 Apr 2016

## Hermann Kimme

image by Jarig Bakker, 28 Jan 2005

Hermann Kimme, Bremen - red flag, white cross formy, black "HK".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies, compiled by F.J.N. Wedge, Glasgow, 1926 [wed26]
Jarig Bakker, 28 Jan 2005

## Reederei Kipp

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Feb 2009

This tourist ship company is located in Breege, isle of Rügen and runs a line from Ralswiek via Breege to the isle of Hiddensee. It is a celestial blue flag divided by a white cross. In its centre is a white disc surmounted black with a black cross pattee superimposed by a white "K". For further information click company's webpage
Source: I spotted this flag on 3 January 2008 in Breege harbour.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Feb 2009

## C. Kirchner & Co.

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 31 July 2019

The company was based in Hamburg. The flag was red with a throughout white 4-point star. In centre was a black disc, charged with a white initial "K".
Source: Massary 1928, series 1, image no.119
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 31 July 2019

## Robert Kleyenstüber & Compagnie

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 July 2019

The company was based in Königsberg. The flag was white, divided by a red centred cross. In the quarters were red serifed inscriptions "R" (upper hoist) "K" (upper fly) "&" (lower hoist) and "Co." (lower fly). The "o" being smaller and double underlined.
Source: Flaggenbuch 1905, part V, p.13, image no.108
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 July 2019

## Carl Joh. Klingenberg & Co.

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 May 2012

The company was located in Bremen. It was a red flag with a white hanseatic cross in the centre.
Source: Lloyds 1912 ; p.136 , flag no.2107
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 May 2012

## Knöhr & Burchard Nfl

image by Jorge Candeias, 2 May 2004

Another of the images I have in my files is a photo of a page of a book, looking a few decades old, that is full of flags that apperently are german houseflags, since the page is labelled "Rhedereien". The flags are mostly blue and white. This is one of them: a white flag with a blue disc more or less in the center.
Jorge Candeias, 2 May 2004

That is Knöhr & Burchard Nfl, Hamburg - Source "See und Seefahrt", by Gustav-Adolf Wolter, 1968.
Jarig Bakker, 2 May 2004

It's the flag of one of the oldest German shipping companies: Knoehr & Burchard Nfl. GmbH, Hamburg. This company was founded in 1814 and still exists in Hamburg. They sent me an original tableflag some years ago. I could'nt find a homepage but they are in the Yellow Pages.
Jörg M. Karaschewski, 2 May 2004

## Taucher Knoth

image by Eugene Ipavec, 20 Apr 2011

Taucher Knoth (Nachf.) GmbH & Co. KG, meaning essentially Successors to Knoth's Diving Enterprise, at Hamburg (Germany), maintain a modest website in German (English version not yet up): here
Offering much more than diving and underwater work, Knoth operates a small but impressive fleet of floating equipment, specialized vessels, pontoons,etc.: here
To get an idea, check out "Referenzen" (i.e. references, upper menu) where you will see said equipment at work in various situations. Happily, how to reach the company is not only explained for travel by car but also by ship, coming from Helgoland to finally reach Hamburg port where the flag is hoisted!
Shown in the cloth on the "Profil" page (i.e. profile, upper menu) is the bright orange house flag sporting blue, unserfied initials "TK"? (second lower than first ) accompanied at right by the logo: a classic blue-and-white diving helmet above a blue diver's (frogman's) silhouette.
More pictures are here and here
Jan Mertens, 19 Apr 2011

## Knüppel Schiffahrt

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 July 2012

The white flag as red stripes on the edges at top and bottom. Between the stripes is a big, blue initial "K".
Source: Verband Deutscher Reeder homepage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 July 2012

back to K-companies main page click here