Oldendorff Centenary Book - Flipbook - Page 149
FROM FARMER’S
APPRENTICE
TO SHIPOWNER
Ambition and a keen sense of
business helped Egon Oldendorff to
a prominent position by the age of 21.
The German merchant fleet had lost 1.2 million GRT in World War I through
direct war action and another 1.5 million GRT had to be surrendered to the
victorious Allies. What was left were so many businessmen registered as
shipowners but without ships, and also seafarers (the latter included women
who had served as stokers during the final stages of the war) with very few
ships to sail in. German ships would mainly be found in the coastal and in the
Baltic trades, predominantly served by vessels under 1,600 GRT which did
not have to be surrendered to the Allies.
Numerous steamers of all sizes found employment in those trades, as did
sailships and barges. The Hamburg firm of Lilienfeld & Homuth was active
in the barge trade in the year 1920. The company hardly qualified as ship
owners at that very time and it cannot be traced in any of the registers as
owners of sea‑going or self-propelled vessels. However, the company was
in business which presumably tempted young Egon Oldendorff to apply for a
job. Egon Oldendorff was born at Dorum, situated in Land Wursten between
Cuxhaven and Bremerhaven, on 17 February 1900 as the youngest of three
children. His father, Ludolf, was an auctioneer and ran a private bank.
Egon went to school in Dorum and in Lehe (now known as Bremerhaven).
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