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German Passenger Shipping Trivia Quiz

Twenty multiple-choice questions covering the period from 1871 to the present, including a bonus question on Austro-Hungarian shipping. Umlauts omitted, and it's "auf Englisch".

A multiple-choice quiz by ignotus. Estimated time: 8 mins.

Author
ignotus

Time
8 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
215,841

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
20

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
12 / 20

Plays
227

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 20

1. The home port of the Hamburg-Amerika Line was Hamburg; no surprise. What was the home port of its major rival, Norddeutscher Lloyd? Hint

Danzig - now Gdansk, Poland.

Hamburg - this town is big enough for the two of us.

Bremen - Germany had two major commercial ports.

Kiel - like the Imperial German fleet.

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Question 2 of 20

2. Founded in 1872, this short-lived line's ships included the Goethe, Herder, Klopstock, Lessing, Schiller and Wieland: Hint

That's easy, if you know German literature - the Dichter (Poet) Line.

That's impossible - the names are German, but there were no such ships in the 1870s.

That's easy, if you know German history - the Reich (National) Line, founded the year after German unification (1871).

That's tough - the Adler Line, which bears no relation to the ships' names.

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Question 3 of 20

3. The "German Decade" on the North Atlantic was: Hint

1897 to 1907, when German passenger ships held the transatlantic speed record

1900 to 1910, when the Deutschland was the largest passenger ship afloat.

1895 to 1905, when most of the immigrants to America came from Germany.

1925 to 1935, when the Bremen and Europa were the fastest ships in the world.

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Question 4 of 20

4. Most German four-funneled Atlantic liners were easily distinguishable from their British counterparts because the German four-stackers had: Hint

numerous cabins with balconies -- British ships did not.

gold-leaf eagle figureheads - British ships had no figureheads.

black hulls - British hulls were always white.

funnels in pairs - British funnels were evenly spaced.

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Question 5 of 20

5. The "Schnelldampfer" (fast steamer) Deutschland of 1900 won the Blue Riband. In 1911, she: Hint

Burned and sank in the great Hoboken Pier fire.

Was sold to the French Line; she was renamed SS Paris.

Was scrapped, to pay for the larger but slower liners Hamburg-Amerika was building.

Re-entered service as the cruise ship Victoria Luise, with her speed reduced to 17 knots.

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Question 6 of 20

6. The largest ship ordered by the Hamburg-Amerika Line never made a commercial voyage under the German flag. What was her name? Hint

Kaiser Friedrich der Grosse

Bismarck

Teutonica

Heimatland

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Question 7 of 20

7. In the years prior to World War I, Albert Ballin headed the: Hint

Norddeutscher Lloyd line.

Hamburg-Amerika Line.

Ballin Line.

Red Star Line.

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Question 8 of 20

8. Albert Ballin's high position in the German shipping industry was unusual, because he was: Hint

born in England.

all of these.

a banker with very little knowledge of ships and the sea.

Jewish.

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Question 9 of 20

9. As Britain and Imperial Germany drifted toward conflict, Albert Ballin: Hint

Began to equip German passenger ships with hidden guns.

Fled to the United States.

Became the head of German submarine production.

Attempted back-channel negotiations to limit the Anglo-German naval arms race.

10. At the turn of the 20th century, immigrants to the U.S. could be rejected if they appeared to be ill, "feeble-minded" or otherwise undesirable. How did some of the major German passenger lines deal with this problem? Hint

The lines did nothing. They paid in advance, so who cares?

By taking steerage passengers exclusively from hardy peasant families.

By employing doctors to screen immigrants before allowing them to board ship in Europe.

By charging much higher fares to "undesirable" passengers.

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Question 11 of 20

11. The Hamburg-Amerika Line had an aggressive-sounding motto. What was it? Hint

Vorwaerts - Forward.

Deutschland ueber Alles - Germany above everything.

Mein Feld ist die Welt - My Field is the World.

Morgen die Welt - Tomorrow the world.

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Question 12 of 20

12. The German liner Amerika (1905) -- really, she was German -- introduced a new feature to North Atlantic travel: Hint

The first a-la-carte restaurant - with a menu by C�sar Ritz.

The first permanent movie theater - silent movies; no language problem.

The first permanent swimming pool (Schwimmbad) - a simple indoor tank.

The first dining salon that was three decks in height - topped by a glass dome.

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Question 13 of 20

13. Johannes Poppe designed interiors for some of the great Norddeutscher Lloyd liners. His "style" was sometimes called: Hint

Jugendstil - Art Nouveau.

Cheeseburger - cheesy, Hamburg, get it?

Bremen Baroque -- not a compliment!

Luxusflotte - "Luxury Fleet."

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Question 14 of 20

14. The Norddeutscher Lloyd four-stacker Kronprinzessin Caecilie once entered Bar Harbor, Maine, to the amazement of the locals. What was she doing there? Hint

It was 1914, and she evaded capture by British cruisers.

She was about to founder, and her crew saved the ship.

The captain was lost in the fog, and needed directions.

She was quarantined during an influenza outbreak, and couldn't enter New York harbor.

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Question 15 of 20

15. In 1914, on the eve of World War I, the Hamburg-Amerika Line was: Hint

Second only to the Cunard Line in tonnage.

About 10th in tonnage and number of ships.

Third in tonnage and number of ships, behind Cunard and White Star.

The largest shipping line in the world.

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Question 16 of 20

16. Early in their careers, the sisters Bremen and Europa shared a dubious distinction: Hint

Docking at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, because the Hudson River piers were too small for them.

Running aground at Sandy Hook, though not simultaneously.

Getting stuck in the Gatun Locks of the Panama Canal, though not simultaneously.

Colliding with each other off Ambrose Lightship.

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Question 17 of 20

17. After World War II, Norddeutscher Lloyd re-entered the luxury North Atlantic passenger market in 1957 with the Bremen (V). This fifth Bremen was: Hint

The first large passenger ship built in Germany since 1939.

Bought from France - the ex-Libert�, which was originally the Europa.

Built in France in 1939, as the Pasteur.

Salvaged from Hamburg harbor - the fifth Bremen was also the fourth Bremen.

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Question 18 of 20

18. German companies operated passenger and cargo services to some unusual places. Which of the following was NOT a real shipping line: Hint

The German Australian Line (Deutsche Australische Dampfschiffs Gesellschaft).

The German East Africa (Deutsche Ost-Afrika) Line.

The German Samoa Line (Deutsche Samoische A.G.).

The German Levant (Deutsche Levante) Line.

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Question 19 of 20

19. True or false, and a bit more: in 2005, German passenger ships included the Deutschland, Hanseatic, Europa, Bremen - OK so far - and the Columbus. Really? Hint

False - the Columbus is an American steamboat on the Mississippi.

True - the Columbus even offers some bi-lingual cruises of the Great Lakes.

False - the Columbus is the first of two new American-built cruise ships; America is next.

True - the Columbus was the largest German passenger vessel in service in 2005.

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Question 20 of 20

20. Austria-Hungary was not a major presence on the world shipping scene. Nevertheless, beginning in 1904, this Austro-Hungarian line began passenger service to New York: Hint

The Magyar (Hungarian) Line - Hungary is land-locked, so it operated out of Hamburg.

The Unione Austriaca - of Trieste, which was then part of the Empire.

The K and K (Kaiserlich und Koeniglich) Line - Remember Captain Von Trapp from "The Sound of Music"?

The Alpenhof (Alpine Home) Line - arguably the silliest name ever devised for a shipping line.

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The home port of the Hamburg-Amerika Line was Hamburg; no surprise. What was the home port of its major rival, Norddeutscher Lloyd?

Answer: Bremen - Germany had two major commercial ports.

By the mid-19th century, the German states' role in seaborne trade had dwindled. Unification, steam and industrialization would see a reversal of fortune, for a few decades at least.

2. Founded in 1872, this short-lived line's ships included the Goethe, Herder, Klopstock, Lessing, Schiller and Wieland:

Answer: That's tough - the Adler Line, which bears no relation to the ships' names.

The Adler (Eagle) Line was formed for service between Hamburg and New York - actually, Hoboken, New Jersey. A dip in immigration in 1873-1874 and over-expansion doomed the fledgling company (bi-lingual pun intended). The Hamburg-America Line absorbed the Adler Line in 1875.

3. The "German Decade" on the North Atlantic was:

Answer: 1897 to 1907, when German passenger ships held the transatlantic speed record

For ten years, German passenger ships were the largest and fastest in the world, until the Cunard sisters Lusitania and Mauretania.

4. Most German four-funneled Atlantic liners were easily distinguishable from their British counterparts because the German four-stackers had:

Answer: funnels in pairs - British funnels were evenly spaced.

From 1897 to the start of World War I, many people regarded four funnels as a symbol of speed and safety. The British Olympic class had a few cabins with balconies, but they were difficult to spot. The big ships of both nations typically featured black hulls, though the British Mauretania sometimes sported a white hull while in cruise service.

The Imperator - which had only three funnels - originally sported a huge eagle figurehead. The tacky beast fell off in a storm and was never replaced.

5. The "Schnelldampfer" (fast steamer) Deutschland of 1900 won the Blue Riband. In 1911, she:

Answer: Re-entered service as the cruise ship Victoria Luise, with her speed reduced to 17 knots.

The Deutschland was fast, but in Atlantic crossings she rolled badly and had high operating costs. By 1911 her huge reciprocating steam engines were wearing out. The Hamburg-Amerika line turned away from speed toward size and luxury, as did its British competitor White Star. Hamburg-Amerika tapped into the small but growing cruise market by converting the Deutschland.

6. The largest ship ordered by the Hamburg-Amerika Line never made a commercial voyage under the German flag. What was her name?

Answer: Bismarck

The Bismarck was to be the third of three "largest ships in the world." Work on her was halted by World War I. Thereafter, she was completed in Germany and transferred to the White Star Line as compensation for the loss of Britannic. She sailed as the Majestic. Her two sister-ships also were seized and transferred to foreign ownership. Can you name them and their subsequent owners?

7. In the years prior to World War I, Albert Ballin headed the:

Answer: Hamburg-Amerika Line.

Ballin was a major figure in the field of international trade, who deserves to be better-remembered today.

8. Albert Ballin's high position in the German shipping industry was unusual, because he was:

Answer: Jewish.

Overcoming prejudices among the aristocracy, he became a trusted advisor to the Imperial German government. When Kaiser Wilhelm II (and the monarchs and princes ruling most of the German states) were forced to abdicate in November, 1918 he was so distressed that he committed suicide. (The contrast with all those royalist officers in the German armed forces is striking).

9. As Britain and Imperial Germany drifted toward conflict, Albert Ballin:

Answer: Attempted back-channel negotiations to limit the Anglo-German naval arms race.

He viewed seaborne commerce as a field of peaceful and productive international competition.

Answer: By employing doctors to screen immigrants before allowing them to board ship in Europe.

There was a commercial motive. If immigrants were turned away, the shipping line that brought them was required to return them to their port of embarkation - which cost money. Screening in Europe reduced the risk of rejection, avoided disease outbreaks on board, and was cheaper than back-hauling passengers.

11. The Hamburg-Amerika Line had an aggressive-sounding motto. What was it?

Answer: Mein Feld ist die Welt - My Field is the World.

It seemed even more aggressive when coupled with the predatory eagle figurehead on the Imperator.

12. The German liner Amerika (1905) -- really, she was German -- introduced a new feature to North Atlantic travel:

Answer: The first a-la-carte restaurant - with a menu by C�sar Ritz.

For about the cost of a steerage ticket across the Atlantic, first class passengers could enjoy even more sybaritic fare than was available in the dining salon. This feature is popular on modern cruise ships - restaurants that is; not steerage.

13. Johannes Poppe designed interiors for some of the great Norddeutscher Lloyd liners. His "style" was sometimes called:

Answer: Bremen Baroque -- not a compliment!

Heavy-handed, potted palms, fluted columns, an ocean of white paint ... actually, it was rather elegant. "Luxusflotte" was a derisive nickname for German naval expansion prior to World War I. "Jugendstil" is a legitimate artistic term, but it wasn't Poppe's style. Anyone buy "Cheeseburger"?

14. The Norddeutscher Lloyd four-stacker Kronprinzessin Caecilie once entered Bar Harbor, Maine, to the amazement of the locals. What was she doing there?

Answer: It was 1914, and she evaded capture by British cruisers.

She was carrying a shipment of German bullion - not the kind served on the Promenade Deck, either. Her crew disguised her as the British RMS Olympic by repainting her funnels. The townsfolk believed it - until they found out Olympic was docked in New York.

A few feared that she was the Titanic come back from the deep. The American authorities escorted her to Boston, where her crew was interned.

15. In 1914, on the eve of World War I, the Hamburg-Amerika Line was:

Answer: The largest shipping line in the world.

According to leading maritime author Arnold Kludas, in 1914 Hamburg-Amerika boasted some 194 ships in-service and building, totaling over 1.3 million tons. Norddeutscher Lloyd was second in tonnage at just over 900,000. White Star (33 ships / 473,000 tons) and Cunard (29 ships / 344,000 tons) were far smaller.

16. Early in their careers, the sisters Bremen and Europa shared a dubious distinction:

Answer: Docking at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, because the Hudson River piers were too small for them.

The Hudson piers were later enlarged for them. They were a tight fit in the locks, but didn't get stuck.

17. After World War II, Norddeutscher Lloyd re-entered the luxury North Atlantic passenger market in 1957 with the Bremen (V). This fifth Bremen was:

Answer: Built in France in 1939, as the Pasteur.

The Pasteur was completed in 1939, but the French never used her in civilian service. After the war, she served as a troop ship before being sold to the German line. The pre-war Europa was given to France and sailed as the Libert�, and never returned to German ownership.

18. German companies operated passenger and cargo services to some unusual places. Which of the following was NOT a real shipping line:

Answer: The German Samoa Line (Deutsche Samoische A.G.).

Please sir, can I have Samoa? Nein, Samoa was an American territory. Australia was British, but there really was a German Australian Line. Throw another bratwurst on the barbie, mate.

19. True or false, and a bit more: in 2005, German passenger ships included the Deutschland, Hanseatic, Europa, Bremen - OK so far - and the Columbus. Really?

Answer: True - the Columbus even offers some bi-lingual cruises of the Great Lakes.

The Germans originally used American-sounding names to attract immigrants - who thought they stood a better change of gaining admission to the U.S. from a ship named Columbus or George Washington. The current Columbus is about 10,000 tons; designed specifically to fit the locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway. She sails a world-wide schedule of cruises.

20. Austria-Hungary was not a major presence on the world shipping scene. Nevertheless, beginning in 1904, this Austro-Hungarian line began passenger service to New York:

Answer: The Unione Austriaca - of Trieste, which was then part of the Empire.

The Cosulich family of Trieste continued their maritime activities under the Italian flag after the war. Captain Von Trapp was a submarine commander in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. How about the very bogus Alpenhof Line? Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to sea we go.

Source: Author ignotus

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