„Postdam Ship“ Harald Schröder. This interesting model in a scale of 1:100 is displayed in our section on the History of modern maritime logistics, on deck 6 of the museum.
„Harald Schröder“ was among the first seagoing vessels built in West Germany after World War II. She was designed in accordance with the restrictions of the Postdam Agreement signed in August 1945. These concerned a maximum size of 1,500 GRT, a maximum speed of 12 knots and a ban on building motor ships.
The shipping company Richard Schröder, founded in Rostock in 1929, had to hand over three of its ships to the Allies as reparations after World War II. After the shipowner fled to Hamburg, he succeeded in obtaining funding from the German government’s „Reconstruction Program“. Richard Schröder ordered two steamers. The „Harald Schröder“, Control Council number „5042“, was completed in 1950 by Lübecker Maschinenbau AG.
The model of the „Harald Schröder“ shown here has another special feature: It flies the „Flag Charlie“ („C“: blue-white-red) of the International Signal Book. This interim flag was mandatory for German seagoing vessels according to Control Council Law No. 39 of November 12, 1946. It was not until the German Flag Law of February 8, 1951 that the colors black-red-gold were designated as the national flag. For this reason, the „Harald Schröder“ sailed under the flag „Charlie“ during the first months of her service. In 1960, the Schröder shipping company sold the ship to a group of investors from Liechtenstein, who sold her to Yugoslavian owners in 1963. From 1966, the ship was owned by several companies from Panama. It was finally scrapped in Keratsini, Greece in 1979.
This interesting model in a scale of 1:100 is displayed in our section on the History of modern maritime logistics, on deck 6 of the museum.