KD is closely linked to the history of the state
Over the past 200 years, the history of Köln-Düsseldorfer Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt GmbH has always been closely linked to the economic and social development of the cities and regions in its catchment areas, as well as to the prevailing political conditions there.
* applying the lettering “
” and “Düsseldorf” to the hull of the *
*, ca. 1953
The Cologne-Düsseldorf company had two predecessors: The Prussian-Rhenish Steamship Company (PRDG) was founded in Cologne in 1826. Ten years later, the Steamship Company for the Lower and Middle Rhine (DGNM), headquartered in Düsseldorf, began operations. At that time, both cities were part of the Prussian Rhine Province.
talers from the
in favor of
Mr. Johann David
Herstatt in Cologne, 1829
A Major Powerhouse
After the end of Napoleonic rule, the map of Europe was redrawn at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. The Rhineland became part of the Kingdom of Prussia. For Düsseldorf, this also marked the end of its time as the capital of the Grand Duchy of Berg; Cologne had already lost its status as a Free Imperial City in 1794. Economically, the Rhine Province was one of Germany’s powerhouses in the 19th century. The sectors of mechanical engineering, textile production, and the coal and mining industries flourished. Steam shipping and the railroad, as innovative modes of transportation by water and land, were key factors in the economic boom. Köln-Düsseldorfer, building on the legacy of its predecessors, developed into a major company for freight and passenger transport, particularly on the Rhine.
Selfies with the cathedral in the background
Ships operated by Köln-Düsseldorfer have been—and continue to be—an integral part of major social and cultural events. Among the shining examples—in the truest sense of the word—this season are the time-honored events aboard KD “Rhein in Flammen” in Bonn, Koblenz, and Oberwesel; the fireworks cruises in Boppard, Cochem, and Frankfurt; the Japanese Fireworks Festival in Düsseldorf; and the “Kölner Lichter” festival in Cologne. Speaking of the cathedral: Among the most popular photo opportunities for KD are selfies on the upper deck with the cathedral in the background.
First photo featuring a panoramic view of the Rhine
The image combining the ship and the cathedral was already popular by the mid-19th century. In the illustrated book *Der Dom* by cathedral architect Peter Füssenich and former cathedral architect Barbara Schock-Werner—who is now president of the Zentral-Dombau-Verein zu Köln, founded in 1842—there is a photograph by Charles Marville from 1853. The French photographer succeeded in capturing the first photograph of the Rhine panorama. Previously, only engravings and paintings of it existed. Marville captured the scene from the Deutz side. Visible are remnants of the city wall, the cathedral—which had been under construction since 1842—and a Rhine steamboat. With a little effort, one can make out the remains of the name on the ship’s hull. It is the Joseph Miller, a flat-deck steamship launched in 1847 on behalf of the Steamship Company for the Lower and Middle Rhine.
In 2005, the KD event catamaran MS RheinEnergie (now MS RheinMagie) took center stage at a major church event. As part of World Youth Day, Pope Benedict XVI took a short cruise on the Rhine aboard the ship and greeted thousands of pilgrims lining the banks of the Rhine from the deck.
*, published in 1921 as *
* by Hoursch & Bechstedt