Οn 27 May 1847, 175 years ago, a group of shipowners and merchants founded the Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft (Hapag) in Hamburg.
The company, as we know it today, emerged in 1970 from the merger of Hapag with Bremen-based North German Lloyd.
Other acquisitions followed, such as those of Canadian Pacific (2005), CSAV (2014), UASC (2017), NileDutch (2021) and the intended incorporation of the container liner business of DAL (2022).
Hapag-Lloyd is currently the fifth-largest container liner shipping company in the world and the largest shipping company in Germany.
“Our anniversary fills us with great pride,” stated Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd.
Jansen said, “As with many long-established companies, our history has also been characterised by constant change and innovation. Hapag, which initially sailed the Atlantic with just a single sailing ship beginning in 1848, has today become a renowned and internationally active logistics company serving almost all of the world’s major ports.”
At the time of its inception, the company was mainly active in the transportation of mail and passengers, especially emigrants heading to North America.
Director-general, Albert Ballin (1857-1918) turned Hapag into the world’s largest shipping company, invented cruising and led the Hamburg emigration business to great heights.
What is interesting, is the fact that in both world wars, the company had lost almost its entire fleet, but managed to restore it.
The company celebrates 175 years of operation with a series of activities throughout the year, such as a scholarly conference, a party for employees in Hamburg, and a congress.
“Hapag-Lloyd has every reason to celebrate – but also to be grateful,” noted Jansen commented.
Hapag-Lloyd’s CEO concluded, “Thanks are due to our more than 14,000 employees around the world, our customers, our shareholders and everyone who has played a part in helping Hapag-Lloyd to stay on course and to successfully weather even the most difficult times over the past 175 years.”
