HIS1

A little bit of History -

Skandinavien-Amerika Linien

	Beginnings When the name Skandinavien-Amerika Linien appeared for the first time in 1898, it was not the result of a new founded shipping company. The origins of the line which in the US simply was to be called Scandinavian-American Line date back to the year 1873, when the two Danish companies "Sejl- og Dampskibsselskabet af 1873" and

Beginnings
When the name Skandinavien-Amerika Linien appeared for the first time in 1898, it was not the result of a new founded shipping company.

The origins of the line which in the US simply was to be called Scandinavian-American Line date back to the year 1873, when the two Danish companies "Sejl- og Dampskibsselskabet af 1873" and

	"Det Danske Søfarts- selskab" merged together, naming the new line "Thingvalla Linien A/S". One of their steamships, the S/S Thingvalla, was the first Danish registered ship to specialise on emigration to the US in October 1879. The line held the monopoly until the year 1898, when financial reconstruction resulted in yet another merger with Denmark`s

DFDS`s Headquarter, St. Annæ Plads, Copenhagen, ca. 1910	most famous shipping company, "Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab A/S" (DFDS).
	The name was changed once again, this time calling the line "Skandinavien-Amerika Linien". Conquering the transatlantic New financial backup guarantueed, the company quickly disposed most of its rather inefficient sailships only retaining the S/S Thingvalla (until 1900), S/S Hekla and S/S Island (both until 1905) while ordering a trio of new steamships to be built in Glasgow by Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd., replacing the only leftovers from "Thingvalla Linien A/S" one after the other: First one was Oscar II entering service in 1902 followed by Hellig Olav and United States, both in 1903. In 1906, another steamer was added to this little fleet of three almost identical transatlantic liners: C.F. Tietgen, named after the company`s founder, Carl Frederik Tietgen. She was bought from the "Holland Amerika Lijn" for £75,000, her name being Rotterdam until then.

DFDS`s Headquarter, St. Annæ Plads, Copenhagen, ca. 1910

most famous shipping company, "Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab A/S" (DFDS).

The name was changed once again, this time calling the line "Skandinavien-Amerika Linien".

Conquering the transatlantic
New financial backup guarantueed, the company quickly disposed most of its rather inefficient sailships only retaining the S/S Thingvalla (until 1900), S/S Hekla and S/S Island (both until 1905) while ordering a trio of new steamships to be built in Glasgow by Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd., replacing the only leftovers from "Thingvalla Linien A/S" one after the other: First one was Oscar II entering service in 1902 followed by Hellig Olav and United States, both in 1903.

In 1906, another steamer was added to this little fleet of three almost identical transatlantic liners: C.F. Tietgen, named after the company`s founder, Carl Frederik Tietgen. She was bought from the "Holland Amerika Lijn" for £75,000, her name being Rotterdam until then.

	Finest acquisition On the hight of emigration to the United States and the edge of WWI, one of Scandinavia`s biggest passenger steamers entered service for Skandinavien- Amerika Linien in 1914, a two stacker called Frederik VIII. Built in Stettin in only 13 months, she immediately replaced the C.F. Tietgen which was sold to the Russian America Line. Frederik VIII was the only liner to see the factual end of the Scandinavian-American Line and its transatlantic passenger shipping in 1935 due to pre-war regression and limited emigration.

Finest acquisition
On the hight of emigration to the United States and the edge of WWI, one of Scandinavia`s biggest passenger steamers entered service for Skandinavien- Amerika Linien in 1914, a two stacker called Frederik VIII. Built in Stettin in only 13 months, she immediately replaced the C.F. Tietgen which was sold to the Russian America Line. Frederik VIII was the only liner to see the factual end of the Scandinavian-American Line and its transatlantic passenger shipping in 1935 due to pre-war regression and limited emigration.

	The end of the line Skandinavien-Amerika Linien actually ceased to exist when on December 17, 1935, its last remaining passenger liner Frederik VIII returned from New York for the last time. She was laid up the same year and sold for demolition in November 1936. Oscar II and Hellig Olav had already been laid up in 1931, and were sold in 1933 and 1934 to be both demolished in Blyth. United States left service in November 1934 to be sold for demolition in 1935 to Livorno. The history of the Skandinavien-Amerika Linie DFDS has recently published a book solely dedicated to the history of the ships of the Skandinavien-Amerika Linie. Anyone interested to get a copy should contact DFDS Group Communications at Sundkrogsgade 11, 2100 Copenhagen Ø. The edition is limited to 1.000 books only.
	©Petra Feyahn, August 2002 (last updated February 2005)

The end of the line
Skandinavien-Amerika Linien actually ceased to exist when on December 17, 1935, its last remaining passenger liner Frederik VIII returned from New York for the last time. She was laid up the same year and sold for demolition in November 1936.

Oscar II and Hellig Olav had already been laid up in 1931, and were sold in 1933 and 1934 to be both demolished in Blyth.

United States left service in November 1934 to be sold for demolition in 1935 to Livorno.

The history of the Skandinavien-Amerika Linie
DFDS has recently published a book solely dedicated to the history of the ships of the Skandinavien-Amerika Linie. Anyone interested to get a copy should contact DFDS Group Communications at Sundkrogsgade 11, 2100 Copenhagen Ø. The edition is limited to 1.000 books only.