Electoral shipyard Havelberg

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The Electoral Shipyard Havelberg was a shipyard that was suggested by the Dutch businessman and shipowner Benjamin Raule with the rank of "General Director de Marine" and built in 1687 at the behest of Friedrich Wilhelm von Brandenburg in the city of Havelberg . In previous years, Benjamin Raule was already using Havelberg as a wood stacking area for his private timber trade

The Electoral Shipyard Havelberg

The Electoral Shipyard Havelberg in a contemporary illustration
Expensive ship transport from Havelberg to Hamburg with draft horses and "camels"

The shipyard was used to build ships for the Kurbrandenburg Navy , the Brandenburg-African Compagnie (BAC) and for Raule's private companies. The BAC later became active in the Caribbean ; it was therefore renamed the Brandenburg-African-American Compagnie (BAAC). The location in Havelberg was not well suited for seagoing ships due to the relatively flat Elbe , so only the hulls could be built in Havelberg. The main reason for choosing the Havelberg location was the easy supply of wood via the Elbe, Spree and Havel and the tax incentives offered by the Elector. The hulls of the ships were brought to Hamburg on the Elbe with great effort and the prefabricated construction took place here. The largest hull was hull number 3, which after the expansion in Hamburg was named Friedrich III. received. From 1695, no more new buildings were started and in 1702 the shipyard was completely abandoned. A buyer for the shipyard was also sought from at least 1699, as there is a sales proposal from that year. In 1702 the shipyard was sold to the cathedral chapter for 600 thalers

The Schmack Havel built at the Electoral Havelberg shipyard
The Friedrichsburg castle built at the Electoral Havelberg shipyard

Ships

The majority of the ships built at the Electoral Havelberg shipyard, around 15 brigantines and frigates , were delivered to the Kurbrandenburg Navy.

In addition, there is an unknown number of new buildings for Raule's private account. About seven ships, there were Galiots , Schnaus, barques and flutes , were delivered to the trading company. The 18-meter Schnau called Makarele was the shipyard's first ship to be completed in 1688 and handed over to the trading company.

The following voyages were documented for the use of the ships of the Havelberger Werft: The frigate Fliegender Drache with 16 cannons, 1688 keel-laying and 1689 launched in Havelberg, equipped until 1692 in Hamburg, made a voyage from Emden to West Africa in 1693 and brought 450 slaves to the West Indies. It was debited as lost in 1698. The light frigate Charlotte-Louise , equipped with 12 cannons, laid keel in 1692 and launched in Havelberg in 1693, made a trip to West Africa in 1693 and brought 200 slaves to St. Thomas. It was lost in 1698 through piracy.

The heavy frigate Friedrich III. with 50–56 cannons, keel laying in 1688 and launching in Havelberg in 1689, it was equipped in Hamburg until 1692 and cost 13,000 thalers. In 1693 she brought 705 slaves on their way from West Africa to St. Thomas. It was auctioned below value in Hamburg in 1725.

Royal shipyard in Havelberg

About 100 years later, in 1779, the Royal Main Timber Administration founded the Royal Sea Shipyard in Havelberg. It was headed by the Swedish shipbuilder Johann Samuel Sepelius. The Royal Main Timber Administration conducted European timber trade. The main export goods were oak for shipbuilding and beams and planks made of fir wood.

See also shipyards in Havelberg .

literature

  • Ulrich van der Heyden: Red eagles on Africa's coast. The Brandenburg-Prussian colony Großfriedrichsburg in West Africa. Selignow-Verlag, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-933889-04-9 .
  • Jochen Brennecke: History of Shipping. Sigloch-Ededition, Künzelsau 1999, ISBN 3-89393-176-7 .
  • Günther Schmidt: Ships under the Red Eagle . VEB Hinstorff Verlag Rostock 1986. ISBN 3-356-00045-4

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. [1] , accessed on June 28, 2020