An Efficient Story
Despite the fact that Danish shipping has expanded considerably in recent years Danish Shipowners’ Association has never counted a great number of members, and neither has the Association undergone any physical expansion. Since the start, the focal point has been the needs of the members – as employers, as companies and as international players. From the era of the sailing ships until today’s high-technology shipping the keyword has always been efficient protection of interests.

This was already the intention on 17. January 1884 when nine men met at Hotel Phoenix in Bredgade, Copenhagen. They all belonged to the group of industrious and enterprising shipowners, who ventured into the steamship age at a time when sailing ships were still a great majority. At the meeting they agreed to form the “Steamship Owners’ Association” to take care of their joint interests.

At that time Denmark had not yet fully adapted to the defeat and the loss of one third of the country’s area to Germany in 1864. Danish economy was to a large extent based on agriculture, and the country consequently “set all sails” to compensate the loss by developing and optimizing agricultural production on the soil that was left.

Urban enterprises, industry, trade and shipping were treated politically as stepchildren. The country focused primarily on the well-being of agriculture

In the years after 1850 the urban trades had, however, developed considerably, not least led by the renown business man, C.F. Tietgen, who did not approve of the official business policy. His great idea was to unite urban trade in a cooperation aimed at winning over the legislature as a comrade-in-arms in the upcoming competition.

The foundation of the Steamship Owners’ Association was clearly inspired by C.F. Tietgen, and, as a result, it became one of the country’s first lobbying organizations which grew out of the new political climate after the introduction of democracy.

After its first year of existence the Association had 20 members with 140 ships, of which DFDS (The United Steamship Company) alone had 84 ships entered.

The Employer Role
Except for one single case in December 1884 concerning payment to crews on laid-up ships, the Association dealt very little with salary and working conditions for seafarers during the first years. The Association did not act as a negotiating party in such issues and the attitude was that the individual ship owners should take care of the conditions of the employees.

This attitude, however, was not sustainable since Denmark, similar to the rest of Europe, became the centre of a growing social and political consciousness during the last years of the 19th centure. That triggered industrial conflicts, strikes and lock-outs, as well as the formation of trade unions. At the beginning of 1898 the Association consequently changed course and, after threats of strike, entered into its first trade agreement with the Stokers’ Union on 1. June 1898.

The function as negotiating organization for ship owners has since then been an important part of the activities of the Association.

The development of working conditions at sea entailed the formation – supported by legislation in 1906 - of a new company engaging in statutory accident insurance for seafarers. In the same year it was decided to discard the controversial “report book” for seafarers. Instead a medical office, which was to undertake examinations of seafarers signing on members’ ships, was established.

Difficult Act of Balance
During the Association’s first year of existence the secretarial duties were attended by Attorney at Law (Supreme Court), R. Strøm, but when he was appointed Director of the Danish National Bank in 1888, it became the incumbent chairman’s task to take of the Associations’s secretariat.

In view of the uncertain situation preceding World War One it was decided in 1914 to hire a paid secretary and rent meeting- and office space for the Assocation. On 1. October 1914 it moved into its first independent domicile in 1, Holbergsgade. The facilities were supplemented after a few years, when further space was rented in Sankt Annæ Plads.

World War One meant new challenges for shipping and thus, for the Association. Danish authorities wished to ensure the country’s supply chains and consequently introduced certain limitations to the “liberty of the seas”, and new taxes were imposed on the industry as well. The warring countries’ torpedoing of cargo ships and the presence of sea mines furthermore necessitated insurance of equipment and persons. Because of Denmark’s neutrality the years around the war were nevertheless a good period for Danish shipping from a business point of view.

Own Domicile
In 1919 the question of building a domicile was discussed for the first time. The rooms in Holbergsgade and Sankt Annæ Plads were no longer adequate for the activities of the Association, and it took an interest in a site in Amaliegade, which had become vacant after a hospital had relocated. After due consideration, a building project executed by the architect Emanuel Monberg was agreed upon.

The Association’s administration moved into the new offices in the autumn of 1922, and on 16. March the first general meeting was held in its own premises.

After its completion the house became a centre of attention as a characteristic, neo-classicistic building, gently adapted to the surrounding style dominated by buildings from the foundation of the “Frederiksstad” area. Emanuel Monberg was awarded the Eckersberg medal for his work.

Adversity and growth
The period between the two world wars was dominated by depression and crisis, and the size of the Associations’s administration was largely constant up to 1940.

At the outbreak of World War Two the Danish merchant fleet was split up, as a great number of ships chose to proceed to ports controlled by allied forces. Regulations of the industry imposed new tasks on the Association and therefore it was necessary to expand the staff. When the war was over and trade restrictions were abolished, the number of staff became somewhat reduced.

The standardization of maritime transport, which started in the 1960s and gained speed in the 1970s, has played a major role in globalization and the explosive growth in world trade seen over the last 25 years. As a logic consequence the Associations’s staff has again increased and today it employs some 55 people.

A Modern Trade Organization

The Association now includes a department that specializes in taking care of the insterests of Danish-owned ships under foreign flag. Furthermore, it is active internationally as advisor to government delegations and as a member of various international organizations (ECSA, ICS, ISF etc.)