reinventing since 1919
2021 Relocation of Vega Office to the newly refurbished “Halbmondshaus”, a traditional Hamburg landmark, at the Elbchaussee 228. Vega is celebrating the placing of 4 newbuildings of Sealion 1868 TEU feeder containerships at Yangfan Group Co. Ltd. , to be built and delivered throughout 2022. In the midst of the pandemic crisis the shipping market begins to boom and secondhand prices and charter rates soar tremendously. Commencement of off-selling program of older tonnage of the fleet, taking advantage of the extraordinary market upswing.
2020 Covid-19 pandemic is hitting the world wide trade, causing significant challenges crew movement and changes. Development of E-Coaster Project together with Conoship, Netherlands, including participation in Norwegian state tender for zero-emission vessel. Concept based on Redox-Flow Battery Marine development.
2019 Vega-Reederei is celebrating its 100th Anniversary.
2017 Fleet remains stable in size and distribution. Andreas Güttler retires from the company. Vega Manila Crewmanagement Inc. receives the International Innovation Award 2017 Category Organization & Culture and the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2017 Category Professional & Business Services.
Relocation of Vega Office to a larger premises in the traditional Bahrenpark Complex. Celebration of the 10th Anniversary of VEGA MANILA Crew Management Inc. and Conferment of Honoris Causa to Arend Brügge by John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University (JBLFMU), Ilo Ilo, Philippines. Opening of Vega Manila Crew Management Inc. to third party crew management services. Founding of Vega Amas Shanghai Ltd. in cooperation with Ms. Du Hui of Amas setting of for third party crew management after providing homogeneous Chinese crew on Vega Ships since 2010.
Secondhand purchases are compensating for market conditions based disposal of own built tonnage.
A series of secondhand tonnage under distress, due to the given market circumstances, is being bought and financed pushing the managed fleet to 46 vessels until 2015.
Last Bulkcarrier of the latest new-building series is being delivered to Vega.
First series of bulkcarriers are being delivered into longterm time charters with DS Norden, Copenhagen.
Arend Brügge's youngest daughter Inken joins Vega.
General market downturn after the Lehman Brothers crash and financial depression but was not affecting the delivery of the newbuilding series.
Further newbuilding series of 24 container feederships and 9 bulkcarriers ex Chinese yards are being ordered. Arne Brügge is being appointed as director and Arend Brügge's eldest daughter Ann-Katrin joins the company.
New Managing Partners Andreas Güttler and Daniel Velte, ex founders of Fondshaus Hamburg, join Vega and office is relocated to the Hamburger Fishmarket.
Vega takes delivery of 5 secondhand purchased Containerfeeder ships now internationally trading. Last remaining Coasters KÖSTERBERG and SÜLLBERG, are converted into product tanker in cooperation with F.G. Frommann, entering trade as bunker barges in the ARA-Hamburg Range in 2007 and 2008.
VEGA MANILA Crewmanagement Inc. is founded jointly with Capt. Vincente Fedelicio to build up own and exclusive crew management and supply Vega Ships with 100% homogeneous Filipino crew.
Arend Brügge's son Arne is joining the company. VEGA DIAMOND, first container ship, is being delivered ex Taizhou Kouan Shipbuilding Industry Co.
After many ups and downs and recovering secondhand prices Vega decides to sell off almost all coasters due to necessary fleet renewal with most of the tonnage being over 20 years of age. Secondhand Prices reaching almost 50% of paid newbuilding price and all vessels are sold at premiums within 2 years.
First CV 1100 Container Ship is ordered in China financed via the KG system following the Tonnage Tax Subsidization in Germany.
Vega takes over the management of four car carriers.
Torsten Brügge becomes Commercial Judge at the Commercial Courts of Hamburg, which lasts until today.
After sudden death of Uwe Brügge Arend and Torsten take over jointly and start newbuilding series with Dutch yard of improved coaster type.
MV SÜLLBERG is being delivered, company now managing 8 modern coasters named after Blankenese hills, POLTERBERG, MÜHLENBERG, KIEKEBERG, etc.
Collision of HEIDBERG with a Shell Refinery at Bordeaux, France threatening the existence of Vega Reederei with forced mortgage being imposed on the fleet, case has been finally decided in 2015 in favor of Vega.
Arend Brügge becomes Commercial Judge at the Commercial Courts of Hamburg, which lasts until today.
After the German Unification and opening of the border Vega took over Officers from the Eastern German Deutsche Seereederei. Starting of professional third party program for education of Ratings for Hapag Lloyd, Hamburg Süd, Leonhardt & Blumberg and others.
Uwe Brügge's younger son Torsten joins the company. Company renews part of the fleet with J.J. Sietas built coasters of the 110 Type.
Market in turmoil, causing significant losses to the company while last Basel Traders are being delivered.
UK coal miner strike boosted the boom market further, employing nearly the whole Vega fleet with British Steel importing coal from all over Europe until 1985. Vega receiving first newbuilding of a series of Basel Traders, designed for the Rhine Trade exporting steel cargoes from Duisburg mainly to UK.
Vega becomes partner in the South Pacific Marine Service, financing the education of Kiribati Seafarers and employing them on their vessels as ratings.
Uwe Brügge's eldest son Arend joins the company, now managing 10 modern coaster vessels.
Vega contracted a major wood pulp COA with Södra, Sweden, using shelterdeckers with maximized cubical below 500 GT, optimized for the cargo.
Second oil crisis hit boosting the shipping market significantly.
After the discovery of enormous oilfields in the North Sea from 1970 onwards and the first oil crisis in 1972 with quadrupled oil prices, the vessels with their favorable hatch dimensions were used for pipe transportation supplying the construction works of the new oil rigs.
Vega specialized in the trade of boilers and B + W Main Engines for Lindö Shipyard, Denmark using its extra wide hatchcovers in the absence of project cargo vessels.
With the death of Friedrich Dauber, Uwe Brügge become sole owner of the company. Company wins lucrative 5 year COA for transport of building material for the “Elbtunnel Project“ in Hamburg.
Uwe Brügge develops the first steel tanktop after facing significant problems with the common soft or hard wood ceilings in connection with copper residue cargoes transported.
New series of modernized vessels developed and built in cooperation with yard J.J. Sietas in Neuenfelde, delivering after the first UWE, 26 vessels for Vega until 1996.
Friedrich Dauber and Uwe Brügge, together with a leading Naval Architect office, develop the “Mini- Liberty- Ship” of which 96 vessel are being built until end of the year, combining the restrictions of the Allied Forces and limited financial options of the young German Bundesrepublik, only allowed to operate coastal ships after WW2.
Uwe Brügge, son of Blankenese based dentist family, joined the company as trainee and receives proxy. Fleet slowly recovering with x vessels trading under the Vega Flag.
Friedrich Dauber receives the coaster ENZ from the allied forces and sets for recovery with investing into two freighters BURKHARD and HUGBERT, curiously built from concrete.
The Allied Forces seized all vessels after the victory over Hitler´s Germany.
Friedrich Dauber, as sole owner of the Vega Reederei Friedrich Dauber GmbH & Co. KG, moved the office, after a major bombing from the Hamburg city center, to the outskirts in Blankenese.
Vega Reederei was officially deregistered from the Commercial Register in Vienna on 24.05.1938, after the Annexation of Austria through Hitler in March 1938.
Throughout the Great Depression the vessels sailed on, but due to comparably limited subsidies from the Austrian government, compared to other European Merchant Fleets, the company suffered financially. After two significant averages the Austrian partners decided to liquidate the company. Friedrich Dauber negotiated for the Hamburg Branch to take over the liabilities securing 100% ownership in the remaining vessels.
After enduring negotiations and minor subsidies granted the new Seeschifffahrtsgesetz signed on 16.02.1932 by Chancellor Schober.
Due to missing maritime framework educating seafarers and sailing under Austrian flag caused significant trouble, which prompted the headoffice in Vienna to convince the Trade Ministry to act and to subsidies the efforts to build up an Austrian merchant fleet.
In the following years the Hamburg branch added further schooner STELLA, ENZ , KÄRTEN, STEIERMARK and DONAU.
Branch office in Hamburg is founded with Friedrich Dauber receiving proxy, with first office at Stadthausbrücke. The bark TONI is bought with Otto von Bismarck, grandson of Reichskanzler Otto von Bismarck, as one of the shareholders.
Due to legal requirements Vega Reederei became officially registered with the Commercial Registry in Vienna on the 05.07.1921 and the first 600 tdw schooner GERTRUD is bought and flying the Austrian flag. Ritter from Trapp left Vega-Reederei / shipping in the twenties and earned world fame in the entertainment business as founded of the singing Trapp family, as seen in the musical Sound of Music.
After the decay of the Danube monarchy, Austria lost its access to the sea and the Austrian navy their profession and jobs from one day to the other.
To secure seafaring jobs for Austrian former navy personnel, Frigate Lieutnant Augustin Karl, Battleship Lieutenant Hermann Rigele and Corvette Captain Georg Ludwig Ritter von Trapp started intentions to found a shipping company.