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Blohm+Voss

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Blohm+Voss B.V. & Co. KG
IndustryShipbuilding and engineering
FoundedApril 5, 1877; 149 years ago (1877-04-05) in Hamburg, Germany
FounderHermann Blohm, Ernst Voss
Headquarters
Hamburg
,
Germany
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Peter Lürßen (investor as of 2019)
ProductsWarships, megayachts, offshore engineering products
Number of employees
approximately 1,000 (2017)
ParentRheinmetall (since 2025)

Blohm+Voss B.V. & Co. KG

Blohm+Voss (commonly abbreviated as B+V and historically known as Blohm & Voss or Blohm und Voß) is a German enterprise specializing in shipbuilding and engineering. Established in 1877 in Hamburg, the company initially focused on constructing steel-hulled vessels, with its most renowned creation being the World War II battleship Bismarck. During the 1930s, the founders expanded into aviation by launching the Hamburger Flugzeugbau aircraft manufacturer, which later adopted the Blohm+Voss name shortly before World War II commenced. After facing significant challenges post-war, the firm experienced a revival and underwent multiple ownership changes, including periods under the Thyssen Group and Star Capital. In 2016, it became part of Lürssen, serving both defense and civilian sectors, before transitioning to a subsidiary of Rheinmetall in 2025.[1]

The company operates primarily in two segments: as NVL B.V. & Co. KG, it undertakes the construction of warships, while also engaging in the building and refurbishment of megayachts.[2]

Founding and Early Development

File:Pincerno - Blohm & Voss 1877.jpg
Blohm & Voss in 1877

Established on 5 April 1877 by Hermann Blohm and Ernst Voss (also spelled Voß), Blohm & Voss began as a general partnership focused on constructing steel-hulled vessels. The shipyard was located on Kuhwerder island, adjacent to the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. It spanned an area of approximately 15,000 m2 (160,000 sq ft), featuring 250 m (820 ft) of waterfront and three building docks, two capable of accommodating ships up to 100 m (330 ft) in length. Until 1955, the company’s name was abbreviated as B&V, using an ampersand.

At that period, British shipbuilders dominated the market, with many German clients preferring British-made ships. Initially, Blohm & Voss concentrated on ship repair services but soon succeeded in constructing and selling the three-masted barque National. The company’s first new construction order was for the small cargo paddle steamer Burg, marking the start of its growth. By 1882, Blohm & Voss had earned a strong reputation for reliability and quality craftsmanship, leading to its flourishing business.

The early vessels produced were steel-hulled sailing ships intended for extensive ocean voyages. Since steamships then had limited range, many benefits of steel construction were equally applicable to sailing ships as to steam-powered vessels. The firm launched its first steamship in 1900 but continued producing sailing ships until the late 1930s.

Period under Nazi Rule, 1933–1945

File:German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper at Blohm & Voss shipyards in 1939.jpg
The German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper at Blohm & Voss shipyards in 1939

Following Hermann Blohm’s death, his sons Rudolf and Walther Blohm assumed control of the company. Ernst Voss departed shortly thereafter. Facing financial difficulties at that time, the Blohm brothers diversified into aviation by founding Hamburger Flugzeugbau in mid-1933.

With the Nazi Party’s ascent to power in 1933 and Germany’s rearmament efforts, Blohm & Voss became increasingly engaged in military production. The shipyard constructed both civilian vessels and warships for the regime, including the battleship Bismarck, and later produced U-boats on a large scale.

In 1944, a subcamp of Neuengamme concentration camp was established at the company’s Hamburg-Steinwerder shipyard site. This camp operated from July 1944 until April 1945, providing forced labor to Blohm & Voss. A report dated 29 August noted: Template:Blockquote Rudolf Blohm was present during this inspection.

A memorial now marks the location of this camp, and the company continues contributing an undisclosed sum to the Fund for Compensation of Forced Laborers. The Steinwerder yard suffered severe damage during World War II bombings of Hamburg. Following the war’s end, shipbuilding activities were prohibited at this site.

Hamburger Flugzeugbau

File:Blohm & Voss Ha 139 floatplane being lifted by a crane c1937.jpg
Ha 139
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-667-7142-24, Flugzeug Blohm - Voß BV 238 V1.jpg
BV 238, the largest Axis aircraft ever flown
Main article: Hamburger Flugzeugbau

In 1933, Blohm & Voss faced financial difficulties due to a shortage of contracts. The company’s proprietors, Rudolf and Walther Blohm, opted to expand into aircraft manufacturing, anticipating a demand for all-metal, long-distance flying boats, particularly from the German national airline Deutsche Luft Hansa. They believed their expertise in all-metal shipbuilding would give them a competitive edge. Consequently, they established Hamburger Flugzeugbau that summer.[3] [4]

A majority of the aircraft produced by HFB/B&V were actually licensed constructions or major components of designs created by other manufacturers, including tens of thousands for firms such as Dornier, Heinkel, Junkers, and Messerschmitt.[4] Alongside this large-scale production, the company retained an in-house design bureau and workshop that continuously developed new aircraft models throughout its existence. Their initial aircraft bore the official RLM manufacturer code "Ha".

Due to ongoing confusion caused by the close association of Hamburger Flugzeugbau’s products with Blohm & Voss, the company was renamed in September 1937 to Abteilung Flugzeugbau der Schiffswerft Blohm & Voss. Correspondingly, the RLM updated its manufacturer code to "BV".[5]

The firm’s most notable creations were primarily flying boats utilized by the Luftwaffe for maritime surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The most prolific model was the BV 138 Seedrache (initially designated Ha 138), a twin-boom trimotor. Larger still was the BV 222 Wiking. The largest aircraft produced was the prototype BV 238, which held the distinction of being the biggest airplane constructed by any of the Axis nations. Another remarkable design was the unconventional asymmetric BV 141, which saw limited production but never entered full-scale manufacturing.

Aircraft manufacturing ceased at the conclusion of World War II. In 1956, Hamburger Flugzeugbau GmbH (HFB) was revived under Walther Blohm’s ownership but had separated from Blohm & Voss. It resumed operations at the former B+V plant located in Finkenwerder,[6] later undergoing several ownership transitions and renaming before ultimately becoming integrated into Airbus.

Postwar Period

File:2013-06-08 Projekt Heißlufftballon DSCF7565.jpg
Administrative building
File:Blohm + Voss (Hamburg-Steinwerder).2.phb.ajb.jpg
Blohm+Voss, situated between Kuhwerder Port, Nordelbe, and Norderloch

Following the conclusion of the Second World War, British forces continued dismantling the Steinwerder shipyards. Blohm+Voss (B&V) was unable to recommence shipbuilding activities and effectively ceased operations for several years.

In 1950, B&V established a subsidiary named Steinwerder Industrie AG to produce machinery and boilers at the site. The company’s shipyard prospects began to improve in 1952 when permission was granted to resume ship repair services, accompanied by a credit guarantee from the City of Hamburg. By 1953, approximately 900 employees had returned to work. Eventually, new ship construction was permitted once again; the first vessel built postwar was the Wappen von Hamburg in 1955. This revival phase required substantial investment, prompting B&V to transition from private ownership to a publicly traded company, with Phoenix-Rheinrohr AG acquiring a 50% stake—later integrated into the Thyssen Group. Despite this resurgence, B&V never regained its prewar scale. In 1966, it absorbed the adjacent shipbuilder H. C. Stülcken Sohn.

Throughout the postwar decades, Blohm+Voss expanded into offshore engineering by constructing oil rigs and developing products such as support vessels and pipeline systems. The firm also catered to various commercial clients, including luxury yacht construction. Notably, Eclipse, built for Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, measures 162 metres (531 ft 6 in), ranking as the world’s second-longest private yacht. Blohm+Voss continues to operate the Elbe 17 dry dock located in Hamburg. The semi-submersible drilling rig "Chris Chenery" was completed in 1974 for The Offshore Co. based in Houston, USA. Following the 1999 merger of Thyssen AG and Krupp, B&V became part of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.

In December 2001, Blohm+Voss together with Nordseewerke and Friedrich Lürssen Werft secured a contract to construct the initial five K130 MEKO frigates for the German Navy. The lead ship, Braunschweig, was built at Blohm+Voss, launched in April 2006, and entered service in April 2008. Commissioning experienced delays due to equipment issues, with the final vessel entering service in 2013.

In 2011, ThyssenKrupp sold Blohm+Voss’s civil shipbuilding division to British investment firm STAR Capital Partners while retaining ownership of its military segment.

By October 2016, regulatory authorities approved Lürssen’s acquisition of Blohm+Voss from STAR Capital Partners. In April 2017, the company reduced its workforce by about 300 employees out of a total of approximately 1,000.

In September 2017, a consortium of northern German shipyards—including ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Blohm+Voss, and German Naval Yards Kiel—was commissioned by the German Navy to build five K130 corvettes. The Lürssen Group acted as primary contractor and allocated production between its Wolgast facility and Blohm+Voss’s Hamburg yard, where two vessels—Köln (2021) and Emden (2022)—were constructed. This contract was valued at approximately two billion euros.

On 25 July 2019, Peter Lürßen invested €20 million into Blohm+Voss’s shipyard infrastructure. A new roof spanning 200 meters in length and rising 50 meters high was installed over Dock 10 at a cost of €13 million. Steel pillar installation above the dock walls commenced in October 2020. On 29 April 2021, the hull of the yacht Opera, also known as Coral Ocean, was moved from Dock 17 to Dock 10 before both were transported to Berne, Germany for an anticipated two-year stay. The yacht incorporated parts from Sassi, a previous vessel reduced by fire damage with only its engine section remaining intact. Concurrently, Lürssen's Dock 3 was relocated to the Jade shipyard at Wilhelmshaven. At Berne, an extension was added to a hall where cruise ships such as Mein Schiff 3, AIDAcara, and AIDAmar subsequently docked.

File:Dock 10 S Hamburg 11-02-2021 (1).jpg
Dock 10 with newly installed roof

Since October 2021

An interview and meeting reported in Hamburger Morgenpost on 30 September 2021, and subsequently echoed by Hamburger Abendblatt, revealed that employees were informed Lürssen would cease refitting cruise ships in Hamburg. The new construction division was disbanded, with all six floating docks undergoing evaluation. The repair sector failed to meet expectations. Despite approximately 20 million euros spent on upgrading shipyard technology, extensive subleasing of halls, and a reduction to roughly one-third of the previously utilized shipyard area, expenses remained excessively high, leaving the facility unprepared for future demands. Due to the location’s high costs relative to other shipyards, it became necessary to implement structural changes and cost-cutting measures.

In a declaration, NVL B.V. & Co. KG, specializing in military naval vessel construction and formerly part of Lürssen, was sold to Rheinmetall in September 2025.

Ships built

File:060715 Passat.jpg
Passat
File:SMS Scharnhorst.jpg
SMS Scharnhorst
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H27992, Lazarettschiff "Wilhelm Gustloff" in Danzig.jpg
Wilhelm Gustloff
File:Bismark Stapellauf 2.jpg
Bismarck
File:EnQuest Producer (8729296518).jpg
FPSO EnQuest Producer under Star Capital
File:Eclipse docked in Nassau Jan 12, 2011.JPG
Eclipse
File:F224 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg.jpg
The frigate Sachsen-Anhalt of the German Navy

Founded during the era of sailing ships, Blohm & Voss began constructing steel-hulled vessels early on but did not produce a notable steamship until the turn of the 20th century. Among the hundreds of ships crafted by B+V, some distinguished examples are:

Tall ships

Ocean liners and other passenger vessels

Private yachts

  • A – measuring 119 m (390 ft), this vessel belongs to Russian industrialist Andrey Melnichenko.
  • Dubai – owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates.
  • Eclipse – ranking as the second-largest private yacht, it is the property of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.
  • Enigma – initially commissioned by Azcarraga, this yacht was subsequently owned by Larry Ellison and Aidan Barcaly.
  • Grille – originally constructed in 1935 as the German state yacht, it was transformed into a minelayer at the onset of World War II and later reinstated as the official state yacht of Nazi Germany, serving as Adolf Hitler’s maritime transport.
  • Lady Moura – owned by Saudi billionaire Dr. Nasser al-Rashid.
  • MV Savarona – built in 1931 for an American heiress, later repurposed as the Turkish Presidential yacht and currently operated as a charter vessel; it remains one of the largest yachts, with a length of 446 feet (136 m).

Pre-dreadnought warships

Warships of World War I

Warships of World War II

Modern warships

Vessels constructed using the MEKO modular design are catalogued under MEKO.

Additional contemporary warships designed and produced by B&V include:

Notes

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named d380
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Meyer
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named amtmann1998
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Pohlmann
  5. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ↑ Pohlmann (1979), 1982 edition, Page 242.

Bibliography

  • Amtmann, Hans; The Disappearing Paperclips, Monogram, 1988.
  • Meyhoff, Andreas. Blohm & Voss during the Third Reich: A Major Hamburg Shipyard between Commerce and Politics (Hamburger Beiträge zur Sozial- und Zeitgeschichte, Volume 38) (in German). Hamburg: Forschungsstelle für Zeitgeschichte in Hamburg, 2001. ISBN 3-89244-916-3.
  • Pohlmann, Hermann. 'Chronicle of an Aircraft Factory 1932–1945. B&V – Blohm & Voss Hamburg – HFB Hamburger Flugzeugbau (in German). Motor Buch Verlag, 1979 ISBN 3-87943-624-X.
  • Prager, Hans Georg and Bishop, Frederick A. (Translators). Blohm + Voss: Global Ships and Machinery. London: Brassey's Publishers Limited, 1977. ISBN 0-904609-14-6.
  • Witthöft, Hans J. Tradition and Progress – 125 Years of Blohm + Voss (in German). Koehlers Verlag, 2002. ISBN 3-7822-0847-1.
  • "History of the Hamburg Shipyard Blohm + Voss", Hamburg Journal, NDR.de.Part 1 Part 2 (In German)
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External links

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