ship christening marks new era

ISSUE NO. 10 | NOVEMBER 2009
CORPORATE INFORMATION OF REEDEREI F. LAEISZ
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
PHOTO CONTEST
COMPANY HISTORY
Humboldt penguins at Rostock Zoo
see page 3
Table iceberg as seen from
RV „Polarstern“ see page 5
F. Laeisz collector‘s items
see page 7
DIGITAL
FLEET
NEWS!
Electronic
version
available as
download on
www.laeisz.de
SHIP CHRISTENING MARKS
NEW ERA
by Manfred Zimmermann
THE OFFICIAL NAMING CEREMONY OF THE LATEST REEDEREI F. LAEISZ NEWBUILDINGS, MV
“PAGANELLA” AND MV “PAGANINO” TOOK PLACE ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2009 NEAR ZHOUSHAN
IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. THE TWO VESSELS BELONG TO A SERIES OF EIGHT PURE
CAR AND TRUCK CARRIERS (PCTCS), EACH WITH A CAPACITY OF UP TO 5,000 STANDARD SIZE CARS
WHICH WILL BE CONSTRUCTED OVER THE COMING YEARS. THE LAST TWO OF THESE VESSELS ARE
SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY TO REEDEREI F. LAEISZ AT THE BEGINNING OF 2012.
For our partners at Yangfan Shipyard as well as for
us at Laeisz the car carriers represent a true milestone in our company histories. For the ship yard
these two ships are the first newbuildings, which
are delivered from their new branch on Mayi Island.
For Reederei F. Laeisz it is a momentous step in our
business development as we are entering into a new
sector of shipping with the commissioning of this
particular type of vessels. As such, the significance
of the event was not only mirrored in the colourful celebrations but also by the impressive list of
guests of honour attending the ceremony, including
representatives from the Chinese District Government, the Communist Party and owners’ side.
The godmothers Mrs Christa Schües and Mrs Christa
Lange, wife of our partner in the vessels Mr Michael Lange, sent the traditional bottles of champagne
crashing onto the bows of the ships. Accompanied
by cheers and displays of artistic entertainment, the
names of the vessels were changed from their technical terms “Hull No. 2073” and “Hull No. 2074”
to MV “Paganella” and MV “Paganino” respectively.
Honouring our company tradition, both vessels were
christened and given a name beginning with the letter “P”. The Paganella plateau is part of the Dolomite
Mountains in northern Italy located in the province of
Piemont. Although the Paganella is not very high with
1030 meters, it is famous for its outstanding beauty
and fresh air. Jacinto Jozé Paganino was a famous
Portuguese shipbuilder in the late 15th century. He
oversaw construction of many sea going vessels and
wrote a wide range of books about navigation, ship
design and his personal experiences at sea.
Another highlight of the naming ceremony was the
traditional Chinese firework followed by a joyful salute of small cannons. One thousand pigeons were
released as signs of good luck and peace. A sightseeing tour on board left the guests deeply impressed
by the design of the vessel and high quality workmanship. During the construction phase, the owners
were given the opportunity to have a strong influence
on the design. As a result the technical standard is
one of the highest in our fleet. The cabins as well
as public rooms are spacious and well equipped.
Aside from the common areas in mess and recreation
rooms, the vessel has a ship’s office, two cargo offices and a comfortable lobby. An illuminated company logo and illustrated room divider are displayed in
the lobby showing the history of Reederei F. Laeisz.
Clearly, all Laeisz employees can take great pride in
what they are doing! The gloriously sunny day with
its unforgettable festivities came to a worthy close
during a beach party with a remarkable firework. Our
thanks go to the yard and our partners in this project
TB Marine and AMC Aquarius Marine Consulting.
The tremendous achievement of Yangfan shipbuilders is highlighted by the fact that the shipyard was
built alongside the PCTCs’ construction.
EDITORIAL
DEAR FRIENDS
A year has passed by since the world
has changed. Whilst financial markets seem to stabilise and some in­­dices are already showing optimism,
I regret to believe that shipping still
has the worst to come. Liner companies have spent their reserves and
many owners still have a pipeline
of newbuildings with no charter in
place. Some participants may have
to leave the arena, abundant vessels
are to burden the market for years.
Winter is around the corner, let us
hope that it will not be too cold for
too long. On the other hand, there
are moments of deep joy and gratitude. Recently, we were able to celebrate the impressive christening
at Yangfan. May the vessels sail to
full satisfaction of their charterers!
Yours sincerely
N. H. Schües
BOOK REVIEWS
The Cape of
Storms – Around
Cape Horn and
Through the War.
The Incredible Story
of Captain Jürgens
More book reviews on page 8
ISSUE NO. 10 | NOVEMBER 2009 | PAGE 2
CORPORATE INFORMATION OF REEDEREI F. LAEISZ
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
ADVANCED TRAINING SEMINARS IN ROSTOCK, SAINT PETERSBURG AND MANILA
One focus of Reederei F. Laeisz is to organise
advanced training seminars for our seafarers
and shore based staff. These events usually
take place bi-annually in Rostock-Warnemünde,
Saint Petersburg and Manila. The geographic
diversity reflects the recruitment practices of
our Human Resources Department.
In cooperation with the “Wirtschafts- und Technik-Akademie” (WTA) [Academy for Economics
and Technology] in Rostock-Warnemünde and
several external professionals (i.e. Germani-
scher Lloyd, See-Berufsgenossenschaft [Seafarers’ Trade Association], Underwriters, Rostock
Univer­sity), we offer our employees continuous
in-house and external training. We convey infor­
mation and skills for and beyond their daily routine. The agen-da items from recent seminars
included topics such as Reederei F. Laeisz
business and economic report 2008/2009, new
maritime environmental regulations, exchange
of experience on weather routeing, Maritime Labour Conven­tion 2006, loss prevention, intercultural awareness. Seminars are always cre­dited
with an approved certificate in compliance with
the standards of our Safety Management System.
In May 2009 we counted more than one hundred participants in Rostock-Warnemünde. In
Saint Petersburg and Manila more than forty
officers/engineers were registered for each
event. The pur­pose of our seminars is not purely to improve skills with the aim to obtain a required certifi­cate. In addition, they are ideal
forums for networking and may serve our recruitment activities as well as retention rate.
Above from left: Rostock-Warnemünde, Germany, Wirtschafts- und Technik-Akademie WTA (Academy for Economics and Technology), May 12–14,
2009; Saint Petersburg, Russia, Hotel 5th Corner, May 29, 2009; Manila, Philippines, Renaissance Hotel, October 5, 2009
FAREWELL TO LAEISZ VETERANS
The celebration of this year’s service
anniversaries coincided with the farewell
of two Senior Masters. The ceremony was
held on September 2, 2009 in Rostock.
While 12 jubilees were present at the ce­
remony, 51 employees enjoyed long-serving anniversaries in 2009:
•
•
•
•
•
6 staff achieved 45 years service
15 staff achieved 40 years service
10 staff achieved 30 years service
3 staff achieved 25 years service
17 staff achieved 10 years service
MECKLENBURG-WESTERN
POMERANIA MUSIC FESTIVAL
Following the success of previous years Reederei
F. Laeisz continues to give financial support to
the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern [Music
Festival Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania]. On
August 15, 2009 almost three and a half thou­
sand guests gathered in the picturesque garden
of stately home Schloss Bothmer in Klütz for an
open air concert of classical music. The almost
five-hour long programme in honour of Felix
Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s 200th birthday was
presented by the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra Leipzig featuring solo artists Viviane and
Nicole Hagner (violin and piano), Julian Bliss and
Matthias Schorn (both clarinet) and David Kadouch (piano). During one of the intervals the
23-year-old French pianist David Kadouch was
presented with the audience award “Publikums­
preis 2008” donated by Reederei F. Laeisz for a
memorable performance last year which was highly acclaimed by general public and critics alike.
Captain Heiko Laugwitz
started his seafaring career in our company in
1958. Fifteen years la­ter
he took over the first command of a company vessel and ever since
has sailed as Master on various types of
ships. During the last few years he was in
command of MV “Paradise N”.
Captain Jörg Linzbach
com­­­men­­ced his service in
1961 and was promoted
to Master in 1980. Since
then he sailed on board
several types of vessels. For the last nine
years he was permanent Master on board
MV “Hanjin San Diego”.
Above from left: David Kadouch (pianist), Dr. Matthias von Hülsen (festival director),
Annette Schroeder-Smakman (Reederei F. Laeisz), photo copyright © Monika Lawrenz
ISSUE NO. 10 | NOVEMBER 2009 | PAGE 3
CORPORATE INFORMATION OF REEDEREI F. LAEISZ
PATRON OF ROSTOCK PENGUINS
Visiting Rostock Zoo is always great fun for the
whole family! Besides spectacular creatures
like polar bears, elephants and lions a large
number of exotic animals can be observed all
year round. There is plenty to see to fill the good
part of a day. Kids can enjoy the playgrounds or
test their skills as future scientists in physics
and biology while having a go at special experiments for young people.
Penguins are among the zoo’s more popular attractions. The funny fellows in tuxedos clearly
have a good time in their spacious pool and
res­ting area. Reederei F. Laeisz has taken up
part­nership with Rostock Zoo to support its important role in society for the education about
wildlife and their natural habitat. – Is it possible that the penguins were selected simply
because their name starts with a ‘P’?
Information about the animals is available for visitors of all ages
Penguins in their compound at Rostock Zoo
HANSA ROSTOCK SPONSORSHIP
INTERNATIONAL SEAMEN’S CLUB
“DUCKDALBEN” IN HAMBURG
”A FOOTBALL MATCH LASTS 90 MINUTES AND THE NEXT MATCH IS ALWAYS THE HARDEST …”
Since 2005 Reederei F. Laeisz is sponsoring partner of the International Seamen’s
Club “Duck­­dalben” in Hamburg. When in
2005/2006 the successful operation of the
“Seamen’s Club” was at risk of closing
down due to drastic budget cuts by Hamburg local council and the Nordelbien
Church, Reederei F. Laeisz and eleven other
well known Hamburg shipping companies
did not hesitate to come to the rescue.
The group of sponsors made a commitment
to compensate for the missing public funds
and became official patrons of the club.
Above from top left: Roland Pallutz, Mathias Kroh, Andreas Landgraf, Tobias Karwatzki,
Jens Wagner, Hannes Klöppel, Lutz Peine, Andreas Pluder, Matthias Gnewkow, Oliver Sohns
This football truth by legendary German coach
Sepp Herberger is as straightforward as the game
itself, and yet, football fascinates millions of
people worldwide, including many F. Laeisz employees ashore and on board. Considering the
social importance of sport, we have been supporting our local club Hansa Rostock for a long
time. With this sponsorship we demonstrate our
commitment to the region Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
With great enthusiasm, our company’s football
team the Flying Poodles lined up for this year’s
Hansa Rostock sponsors’ cup. Even though many
young and active players were playing in the
opponent teams, thanks to the experience of
our squad leader Roland Pallutz, our seasoned
players as well as technical skills and physical
strength of younger team members combined
with passion and determination we achieved four
victories putting us through to the quarter final.
Unfortunately, we had to accept a narrow defeat
against E.ON Edis putting us in 5th place among
26 teams. The team enjoyed the day very much
and looks forward to next year’s challenge. Equally
if not more importantly – no injuries to report!
For a large number of our seamen the
“Duckdalben” is a much appreciated point
of contact, maybe even a “home away from
home” where they can socialise and relax
in a familiar environment during their stay
in Hamburg port, which is nowadays only
for a short while.
International Seamen’s Club
“Duckdalben” at Zellmannstraße 16
in Hamburg-Walters­­hof
ISSUE NO. 10 | NOVEMBER 2009 | PAGE 4
CORPORATE INFORMATION OF REEDEREI F. LAEISZ
HAMBURGISCHE SEEHANDLUNG CONTINUES
SUCCESS WITH RIVER CRUISE FLEET
Our river cruiser MS “Main” was proudly presented to investors and their consultants at its
launch in Amsterdam on May 8, 2009.
This time around, passengers who had gathered
on board for the naming ceremony of the second cruiser MS “Rhein” on August 8, 2009
were main­ly financial journalists and international tour operators. A comprehensive presentation pri­­marily focused on market trends in
this highly interesting tourist segment was delivered in cooperation with our partners from
SeaConsult followed by a lively questions and
answer session with the highly interested audience.
The market for sea cruises is currently in good
health and, if anything, the river cruise sector is
even more buoyant. Our charterer has reported
an increasing demand since May 2009 and the
vessels in our fleet are almost always fully booked.
Other operators who have since adapted their
offerings to fast-changing customer requirements
also report very good bookings. Even the departure of one market player during the course of
the year has not affected this situation; in fact,
our charterer has benefited as a result.
Photo-copyright: eg-media/Giehrl
Investments in river tourism products perfectly
complement Seehandlung shipping investments
and are primarily geared to investors who regard
the opportunities and risks that go hand in hand
with many freighter offerings as excessively “diverse” and are looking for calmer waters in
which to invest their resources.
ART COLLECTION OF
DEUTSCHE SEEREEDEREI
ROSTOCK UNVEILED
On October 14, 2009, the local art club „Freunde der Kunsthalle Rostock e.V.“ [Friends of the
Rostock Art Gallery] opened the doors of our
company headquarters in Rostock to the general
public for a presentation of the little-known art
collection of Deutsche Seereederei and its
“hidden” art treasures. Some forty art enthusiasts gathered for an introduction to a wide range
of exhibits. The lecture was also attended by
Dr. Liane Melzer, Cultural Affairs Senator of the
Hanseatic City Rostock. After an opening speech
by art historian Dr. Wolf Karge, author of „Kunst
im Auftrag” [Art by Order, further details below],
there was the possibility of taking a closer look at
paintings and ship models on display at the 11th
floor of “Haus der Schiffahrt”.
The book may be ordered via
www.kunstsammlung-dsr.de or e-mail at
info@kunstsammlung-dsr.de for EUR 10.00
plus delivery charges.
Back to the naming and launch of MS “Rhein”:
the absolute highlight of the trip was the evening
mooring of the two elegant vessels MS “Main”
and MS “Rhein” in the Port of Amsterdam.
Most of the guests disembarked from the ship
early next morning with a sigh of regret at having to return home after getting quickly used to
the friendly on-board service and the comfort of
a modern hotel. Many said they would return to
enjoy a longer voyage on board!
F. LAEISZ HAS “HAMBURG’S MOST
BEAUTIFUL RECEPTION AREA” 2009
F. Laeisz Schiffahrtsgesellschaft’s head
office at Trostbrücke 1 in Hamburg’s old
town has been awarded the 1st prize in
this year’s photo contest “Most Beautiful
Reception Area” by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce.
ISSUE NO. 10 | NOVEMBER 2009 | PAGE 5
CORPORATE INFORMATION OF REEDEREI F. LAEISZ
PHOTO CONTEST
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THIS YEAR’S FLEET NEWS PHOTO COMPETITION!
WITH MANY IMPRESSIVE ENTRIES, IT WAS HARD TO NARROW IT DOWN, BUT WE ENJOYED LOOKING AT EVERY PHOTO WE RECEIVED. THANKS
TO THE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE OF RENOWNED HAMBURG PHOTOGRAPHER MR GÜNTER ZINT WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE A FAIR AND INFORMED
DECISION. ONCE AGAIN A BIG “THANK-YOU” TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED.
FIRST PRIZE: CLOUDS OVER
THE MALACCA STRAIT,
CAPTAIN ULRICH GÜNTHER
Nature’s majestic beauty and humbling
forces are depicted in striking contrast
to man and his use of technology which
are almost invisible in this very atmospheric photo. Mr Zint especially praised
the shimmering foreground of liquid gold
set against the looming dark sky. He also
emphasised that the floating object is
pushed into the background and man, as
he said rather philosophically, is put in
his true place as a mere guest on earth.
Captain Ulrich Günther was presented
with an iPod touch for this magnificent
entry.
SECOND PRIZE: TAFELEISBERG
[TABLE ICEBERG],
MARGRITH ETTLIN
An incredible wonder of nature and a real
eye catcher! The massive white chunk of
ice is positioned perfectly in the middle
and peacefully floating in the serenity of
the deep blue sea. No trace of man here,
but because of the iconic nature of this
picture we are reminded of the current
debate about climate change, melting
ice caps and rising sea levels. Ms Margrith Ettlin, Chief Mate RV Polarstern, is
the lucky winner who received an iPod
nano.
THIRD PRIZE: SUNRISE, HANS-JOACHIM MEHL
Mr Zint liked the fact that everything is
round in this photo: the earth, the sun,
the bull’s eye and the focus of the viewer
is magnetically drawn to the floating object in the middle, the sailing boat. The
composition mirrors the human eye and
is a worthy winner of the third prize. The
iPod shuffle went to Mr Hans-Joachim
Mehl for his romantic sunrise over the
North Sea.
Photographer Günter Zint during the
selection process
ISSUE NO. 10 | NOVEMBER 2009 | PAGE 6
CORPORATE INFORMATION OF REEDEREI F. LAEISZ
OFF-HIRE AS
PERFORMANCE INDICATOR
ASIDE FROM OPERATING EXPENSES, HULL AND MACHINERY INSURANCE STATISTICS,
ACCIDENTS AT WORK STATISTICS AS WELL AS AUDIT AND PORT STATE CONTROL INSPECTION
RESULTS, OFF-HIRE STATISTICS OF A VESSEL ARE A GOOD INDICATOR FOR A VESSEL’S
OVERALL PERFORMANCE, THE QUALITY OF HER CREW AND SHIP MANAGEMENT ASHORE.
Off-hire is the period of time, in which a vessel
on time-charter is not at charterer’s disposal.
Reasons for this can be planned such as scheduled dry dockings or unexpected because of engine break downs or detentions by authorities.
During an off-hire time the charterer is not paying hire, which means that off-hire periods can
be quite expensive for the ship owner.
mas, MSC Kenya, MSC Uganda, Petersburg*,
Pommern*, Pona*, Posen, Potsdam*, Pow­
hatan, Transeuropa and Translubeca (*no offhire until lay-up).
Times of unemployment due to economic/market
circumstances are excluded from the statistics.
Some vessels showed no off-hire in both years.
Going back even further, 5 vessels have been
in uninterrupted service since the beginning of
2007, namely BW Hesiod, Hanjin Philadelphia,
Hanjin Pretoria, Pommern (up until lay-up in
April 2009) and Transeuropa.
In 2008, 14 vessels of our fleet did not incur
any unplanned off-hire times throughout the
year. 10 of these were operated non-stop for
24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 366 days
a year. Another 4 sailed without stopping except for scheduled dry dockings. The vessels
in alphabetical order are Baltica, BW Hesiod,
CSAV Appennini, Gulf Bridge, Hanjin Philadelphia, Hanjin Phoenix, Hanjin Pretoria, Kota Permas, Paradise N, Petersburg, Piro, Pommern,
Port Said and Transeuropa. Research vessels
Transeuropa
KIRIBATI PRESIDENT VISITS
SOUTH PACIFIC MARINE
SERVICE PARTNERS
Subsequent to an UN-Conference at Geneva in June this year, His Excellency Anote
Tong and the First Lady Bernadette Tong
paid a visit to SPMS Partners during a
short stay in Hamburg. In a meeting attended by Mr Nikolaus H. Schües and other
SPMS members, the President highlighted
the importance of the “seamen’s project”
for his country.
SPMS have been offering jobs to Kiribati
seamen for more than 40 years and are in
actual fact the second biggest employer in
the country (besides the Government). At
present, Reederei F. Laeisz engages about
200 Kiribati seamen on board our vessels.
His Excellency Anote Tong,
Nikolaus H. Schües
Congratulations to more than 1,000 days of
outstanding performance of each individual
vessel or more than 300,000 hours of continuous operation taken together!
On the whole, the fleet‘s unplanned off-hire
time over the last five years was on average
around 1 per cent. This also reflects the varying numbers of scheduled dry dockings. Peak
figures in 2005 are an indication for necessary
structural repairs on big container vessels.
FLEET’S UNPLANNED AND TOTAL OFF-HIRE
IN PER CENT OF OPERATIONAL YEAR
BW Hesiod
3,5%
3,0%
are not included in the statistics as they are not
on time-charter. Nevertheless, these vessels
show an equally excellent performance.
In 2009, so far 22 vessels have been operated
without interruption. They demonstrated highest technical reliability in any circumstance.
The vessels are Baltica, BW Havlys, BW Herdis,
BW Hesiod, Chrismir, CSAV Appennini, Hanjin
Mundra, Hanjin Philadelphia, Hanjin Praha,
Hanjin Pretoria, Hanjin San Diego, Kota Per-
2,5%
2,0%
1,5%
1,0%
0,5%
0,0%
2004
MV Hanjin Philadelphia
2005
2006
off-hire ttl % op. days
unpl. off-hire ttl % op. days
2007
2008
ISSUE NO. 10 | NOVEMBER 2009 | PAGE 7
CORPORATE INFORMATION OF REEDEREI F. LAEISZ
GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER
COMPANY HISTORY
Have you ever wondered what other departments in our organisation
are doing if you don’t necessarily have to contact them? Well, you
are about to find out! Starting with this issue, Fleet News will be
presenting different departments and the friendly people who work
there such as the Operating Team of Reederei F. Laeisz in Rostock.
HEYDAY OF TALL SHIPS REMEMBERED
Deutsche Post [the German Post Office]
has recently issued a collection of silver
coins accompanied by some of its popular
vintage stamps with matching subjects.
The Federal German Post Office immortalized the “Preussen” in a
young people’s stamp in 1977
Above from left: Annett Krüger (Operations), Birgit Reimann (Accounting), Sylvia Halirsch (Operations), Frank Ludwig (Operations),
Bettina Schuchardt (Operations), Arne Pielenz (Head of Operations),
Brigitte Geist (Accounting, not shown here)
The Operating Department serves as the link between the charterers
and vessels of our fleet. Its main task is to ensure that the charter
parties’ terms and conditions as well as other contractural requirements are met. To that end, the team members work in close cooperation with our brokers at Martini Chartering and other departments of
F. Laeisz. The primary focus of their work lies on economic efficiency,
health and safety, environmental protection, reliability and customer
satisfaction. Our operating staff have many years of experience and
are aware of the importance of their personal contribution to the
Safety Management System. This also benefits our apprentices who
spend part of their training in the Operating Department.
PLAUDITS
Sometimes the Personnel Department receives beautiful messages
from crew or spouses which are received with great joy and appreciation. We thought this one deserves to be shared:
Painting of the “Preussen” by
Professor Hanswilly Bernartz
The subscription titled “German Tall Ships” commemora­tes
the glorious days of majestic
sailing ships which at their peak
were ruling the seas in the
eigh­­­t­ies and nineties of the
19th century. This beautifully
presented special edition is of
equal interest for coin collectors
and enthusiastic philatelists.
Two of Reederei F. Laeisz’s almost mythical “Flying P-Liners”,
the five-masted, full-rigged
ship “Preussen” (1902) and
the slightly smal­ler four-masted
barque “Passat” (1911) are included in the col­­lection. These
Silver coins depicting “Passat”
giant vessels continue to amaze
and “Preussen”, 2009
and capture people’s imagination with their elegance, beauty
and grace. Carrying up to 8,000 t of nitrate per trip in the trade
between Europe and Chile, the “Preussen” is famous for her speed
records sailing on wind craft alone reaching a top speed of 18,5
knots. She was built to be strong and flexible, totally reliable and
perfectly equipped to circumnavigate Cape Horn. In her time, the
Laeisz flagship was no doubt the unrivalled epitome of sailship engineering in general, let alone German shipbuilding. It is a great
honour and great fun indeed to remember the “Queen of the Seas”
as she was lovingly called at the time.
ART AT THE BALTIC COAST
JO JASTRAM, “DER ZIRKUS KOMMT” [THE CIRCUS IS COMING]
Renowned artist, Professor Jo Jastram,
aged 81, has produced a sculpture
depicting a man on stilts, female cyclist and playing dog in a circus arena.
Measuring up to four metres in height,
the impressive art work is now placed
on the promenade in Ribnitz-Damgarten close to Rostock. The sculpture
was financed with support of the local
Lions Club. With pleasure Laeisz has
given its share.
Sculpture “The Circus is Coming”,
company logo
ISSUE NO. 10 | NOVEMBER 2009 | PAGE 8
CORPORATE INFORMATION OF REEDEREI F. LAEISZ
BOOK REVIEWS
Stefan Krücken, Sturmkap – Um Kap
Hoorn und durch den Krieg. Die unglaubliche Reise des Kapitän Jürgens
Carmen Hillers & Steffen Wolf,
Klangvolle Zeiten – Musik in Hamburg
[Resounding Times –
A History of Music in Hamburg]
[The Cape of Storms – Around Cape
Horn and Through the War. The
Incredible Story of Captain Jürgens]
Published by Schell Music Verlag,
Hamburg 2009
Published by Ankerherz Verlag,
Appel 2008
Cape Horn, 1939: For weeks the crew of the four-masted barque
“Priwall” had been battling against the fiercest of storms. When the
tall ship from Hamburg eventually moors at Valparaiso, the 16-yearold shipboy Hans Peter Jürgens sets out on a fateful odyssey through
a world at war. The adventurous journey takes him to Chile working
in road construction, a camp in the African jungle surviving by the
skin of his teeth and Canada’s great lakes feeding bears. After seven
long years, he returns to his war-torn homeland. In spite of the ordeals and uncertainties of his early career, Jürgens never stops pursuing his life’s dream to become Master of a vessel. To reach his
goal against all odds, he tries his luck at distilling liquor in London,
toils on fishing cutters in rough seas and even lands up in jail for
leaving the country illegally. “The Cape of Storms” tells the intriguing life story of a seafarer and his unwavering love for the sea. It
is a story about the power of dreams, of friendship, loyalty and comradeship that defy the strongest storms and upheavals in life. And
it is a last remaining memory of a long-gone era: The “Priwall” was
the last sailing ship that carried her cargo from East to West around
Cape Horn against merciless winds and boiling seas.
Welcome to the musical side of Hanseatic life! This guidebook is
aimed at citizens and visitors of Hamburg who enjoy browsing
through personal stories and works of celebrated composers and
get an understanding of key musical achievements and their social
influences. While on this literary ramble, the reader pays “visits” to
local sites and some of the great personalities in music: A “chat”
with Johann Mattheson about his friend and protégé Georg Friedrich
Händel, a close-up look at Fanny Mendelssohns exceptionally gifted “Bach fugue fingers” and intimate observations of her brother
Felix’s ingenuity are among many astonishing facts that bring history to life. Another delightful anecdote proves that even during his
stay in Vienna, Johannes Brahms remained a real Hamburger at
heart! Nowadays, the rich musical heritage continues to resonate
more strongly than ever. Ranking among the most valuable organs in
the world, the Arp Schnittger organ is located in St. Jacobi, one of
Hamburg’s main churches. The rich and vibrant tradition of György
Ligeti and his two generations of master students as well as the
highly anticipated Elbe Philharmonic Hall are just a few treasures of
the city’s musical wealth in the 21st century.
Niall Ferguson,
The Ascent of Money – A Financial
History of the World
Michèle Schaub,
Banala und Biona fahren zur See –
Der lange Weg der Bananen
Published by Penguin Books,
London 2009
[Banala and Biona at Sea –
the Long Journey of the Banana;
with illu­strations by Patrizia
Stalder-Tolón]
Published by Blaukreuz-Verlag,
Bern 2008
Bread, cash, dosh, dough, loot – there are many names for it, but call
it what you like, money matters now more than ever. With the world
economy in the grip of the biggest financial crisis since the Great
Depression, one might argue that there has never been more reason
for people to understand the ascent – and descent – of money. In
this gripping account of the history of money, one of Britain’s most
renowned scholars maintains that financial history is the underlying
force and momentum of all human history. A large number of illustrations and photographs underpin the theory that successful great
powers were always propped up by smart money. Ferguson outlines
the story of booms and busts in a tour touching on key historical
events and players: from the banking dynasty who funded the Italian
Renaissance to the stock market bubble that caused the French Revolution. According to some critics, not only is this study “beautifully
written and breathtakingly clever” it is also “the best-timed book of
the year … a fine, readable and entertaining history”.
Everybody knows them and many love eating them. And yet, very
few adults let alone children know where they come from, how they
are grown, harvested and ripened and finally make their way into
our supermarkets. This charming little booklet tells the story of two
bananas, “Banala” from Ecuador and “Biona” from the Dominican
Republic, and their adventures during the long journey to Europe.
They happen to end up on the same ship although they were cultivated in totally different ways: Biona is a fair trade banana produced
to sustainable standards. Banala was cultivated with conventional
farming methods. Children and young people may thoroughly enjoy
this meticulously researched and sensitively illustrated book.
PUBLISHED BY:
Reederei F. Laeisz G.m.b.H.
Tel: +49 381 6660 214 · Fax: +49 381 6660 212 · E-Mail: wegener@laeisz.de · www.laeisz.de
Design & Layout: www.matrix-design.com