Peter Krämer (shipowner)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Peter Krämer at the German Evangelical Church Congress 2007

Peter Krämer (born December 2, 1950 in Salzburg ; † June 20, 2017 ) was a Hamburg shipowner .

Life

Growing up in Hamburg-Volksdorf , Peter Krämer studied sociology and pedagogy in Hamburg after graduating from high school . In 1972 he switched to law studies at the University of Cologne . He completed his law studies in 1981 with distinction.

In 1982 Peter Krämer became managing director of Marine Service (MS) and Chemicals Maritime Transport (CST), which his father founded in 1958 . When he joined the company, they were close to bankruptcy . The company could only be saved by selling four ships. Since 1987 Peter Krämer has been the sole managing partner of the Marine Service Group , in which the two original companies are merged. Peter Krämer expanded the company into one of the leading and internationally known tanker shipping companies .

Peter Krämer was married and had three children, including Christian Krämer, who has been with the group in the third generation since 2013.

Political commitment

With his public opposition to the Iraq war in February 2003, Peter Krämer continued his political work during his school and university days. Together with the journalist Dr. Luc Jochimsen , he publicly called on churches, employers and trade unions to support the central anti-war demonstration in Berlin . 26 personalities from politics, media and business had signed the open letter. It was printed on February 3, 2003 in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , the Frankfurter Rundschau and the Hamburger Abendblatt as a full-page advertisement and met with a great response.

Encouraged by this response, Peter Krämer founded the Hamburg Society for the Promotion of Democracy and International Law together with six prominent war opponents . V.

In the discussion about the burden sharing of the financing of politics in Germany, Peter Krämer took the view that the rich should be burdened more heavily by higher taxes. He wrote to the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor that it could not be that sales tax would simply be increased to reorganize the state budget , but that wealth would be taxed the lowest in Germany in an international comparison. The co-signatories of the political initiative include politically active wealthy such as Frank Hansen, Oliver Rohde, Susann Haltermann and celebrities such as Günter Grass , Erich Loest , Peter Rühmkorf , Johano Strasser , Klaus Staeck , Oskar Negt , Thilo Bode and Rudolf Hickel . The signatories point out that Great Britain is the  front runner with a share of 4.3% tax burdens on assets - measured in terms of gross domestic product . In an international comparison, Germany brings up the rear.

According to the circle around Peter Krämer, a tax on assets of 3.8% in Germany can generate 66 billion euros in additional revenue for the state. After deducting the trade income tax of 28 billion euros, which is only incurred in Germany , there was still 38 billion euros in additional state revenue. In contrast , the increase in the top income tax rate proposed by the SPD from 42% to 45% (see tax on the wealthy ) only yields additional income of 1.5 billion euros.

social commitment

He gave his ships the names of resistance fighters such as Sophie Scholl , Hans Scholl or Simón Bolívar . The naming of a ship after Nelson Mandela failed due to legal problems.

The “ Schools for Africa ” initiative came about through contact with Nelson Mandela . Schools are being built in Africa for EUR 10,000 each . The concept includes the construction of two classrooms and a drinking water connection . In addition, the pedagogical training of the teachers is supported. By 2009, 5,000 new schools should be built in Africa.

On October 6, 2006, Peter Krämer was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his extensive social and political commitment and life's work . Since April 10, 2008, Krämer was a board member of UNICEF Germany.

criticism

In 2007, the United Service Union (Verdi) criticized the fact that its ships mostly sail under the Liberian flag, are also registered in the German shipping register and therefore benefit from the low German tonnage tax. As a result, his company only pays the lowest possible German taxes and social security contributions in the shipping sector.

Economic crisis 2008–2009

In an interview with Deutsche Welle, he reported that he had lost over three quarters of his wealth during the global economic crisis that hit his company hard. The number of his ships fell from 44 to 23 ships (as of 2017).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ https://www.wirtschaftsforum.de/marine-service-gmbh/portrait (accessed on November 24, 2018)
  2. ↑ The tax on the rich is ridiculous , full text.
  3. ^ A shipowner on course for Africa . In: Spiegel Online - schulspiegel , July 21, 2005
  4. ↑ Harald Wieser : The force of sensation. Until his death in the summer of 2017, Peter Krämer was one of the best known and most eloquent shipowners in the city . In: DIE ZEIT No. 52, December 13, 2018; HAMBURG , pp. 4–5 ( online )
  5. ↑ Under the Liberian flag (PDF; 2.5 MB) . In: The Verdi Report Shipping - Response to Globalization - International Collective Bargaining, 03-2007, page 8.
  6. ↑ Interview with Deutsche Welle
  7. ↑ "I confess that I am complicit". Interview with Peter Krämer, in: Stern No. 10, March 2, 2017, p. 59.
personal data
SURNAME Chandler, Peter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German shipowner
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd December 1950
PLACE OF BIRTH Salzburg
DATE OF DEATH 20th June 2017