paddlesteamers.info : The Internet's leading website for
Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers
Bismarck (later Freiherr vom Stein then Westmark)
Above : Bismarck in her original condition prior to her first conversion in 1926. Photo ex- wikicommons / public domain
Built
in 1883 by Berninghaus at Duisburg
Length : 68.6 m
Engines : Compound by Escher, Wyss of Zurich
Built as a flush-deck freight and passenger ship for the DGNM ("Dusseldorf" fleet)
Renamed Freiherr vom Stein in 1914 with her original name being allocated to a new steamer
Sold to the Reederei Gustav Stahlberg based at Magdeburg on the River Elbe in 1926
Converted for passenger use with small deck saloons added fore and aft and cranes removed
Returned to the Rhein in 1937 when she was bought by the Luwen Brothers shipping company based at Duisburg and renamed Westmark
Luwen rebuilt her with a complete upper deck to expand her passenger capacity and give her a modern appearance
Primarily used for Kraft durch Frieden (Strength through Happiness) cruises sponsored by the national government
Sank in March 1945, reportedly close to the famous wartime bridge at Remagen
Raised in 1949 and rebuilt
Caught fire on the night of 13th August 1951 whilst tied up at Duisburg and broken up in situ shortly afterwards
Above : At Magdeburg
Return
to
KD : Historical