A company
with tradition
„Gott mit uns seit 1861“
“God with us since 1861.”
These words are carved in stone on our office building. They have accompanied Schiffswerft Bolle through six generations — through every change the times have brought.
The same canal. The same family.
From 1861 to today
The founding
The shipyard is founded on the Parey canal near Derben — at that time under the name “Schiffswerft Gebrüder Bolle”.
Well placed on the water
Vessels could arrive via the Elbe-Havel canal from the direction of Berlin as well as via the Elbe. At the same time, the Parey lock protected the shipyard from the fluctuating water levels of the nearby Elbe.
Always mixed
Newbuilding, repair and conversion side by side: mostly motor cargo vessels were built — but ships for fishing in the Black Sea were launched here too.
Under the VEB
Until 1972 the shipyard remained in the private ownership of the Bolle family — then it was expropriated by the GDR and transferred into a state-owned enterprise (VEB).
Reprivatisation & innovation
With the end of the GDR, the shipyard returns to family ownership in 1990. Restructuring and modernisation build on the tradition — since then 258 newbuildings have been launched.
Sixth generation
Run by Mario Bolle, a graduate industrial engineer (Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Ing.), the shipyard builds today in two covered building halls with crane systems — steel construction entirely under roof through to the finished coating, plus a hall of its own for aluminium and stainless steel work. Design work is done in 3D CAD, and in 2019 the MS Schwielowsee received the Inland Navigation Innovation Award. This is how vessels with hybrid and electric propulsion are built here today.
Kept on record — number by number.
Since reprivatisation in 1990, every newbuilding has been given its hull number: name, client, dimensions, delivery. 258 newbuildings are listed in it — an unbroken line to this day.
- No. 140Belvedere2006
- No. 205Grand Bohemia2018
- No. 209MS Schwielowsee2019
- No. 239J. Hobrecht2022
- No. 243Anna Carolina2023
Pictures of a long history
Frequently asked questions about our history
How long has Schiffswerft Bolle been in business?
The shipyard was founded in 1861 on the Parey canal near Derben — at that time under the name “Schiffswerft Gebrüder Bolle”. Today it is run in its sixth generation by Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Ing. Mario Bolle.
What happened to the shipyard in the GDR era?
Until 1972 the shipyard remained in the private ownership of the Bolle family. It was then expropriated by the GDR and transferred into a state-owned enterprise (VEB) — in 1990, with the end of the GDR, it returned to family ownership.
How many vessels has Schiffswerft Bolle built?
Since reprivatisation in 1990, 258 newbuildings have been launched — from passenger vessels through work and government vessels to barges and pontoons. A selection is shown in the reference overview.
Why is the shipyard located in Derben?
The site on the Parey canal can be reached via the Elbe-Havel canal from the direction of Berlin and via the Elbe. At the same time, the Parey lock protects the shipyard from the fluctuating water levels of the Elbe.
What has Schiffswerft Bolle been awarded for?
For the MS Schwielowsee, one of the first hybrid passenger vessels in Germany, the shipyard received the Inland Navigation Innovation Award in 2019. Hybrid and electric propulsion has been a firm part of the building programme ever since.
Become part of the next chapter.
From the first design to the naming ceremony — tell us about your vision.