Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany

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Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency
Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie
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Logo of the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany
Abbreviation BSH
Formation 1868 as Norddeutsche Seewarte
Type Government agency
Purpose Maritime and navigational safety, environmental monitoring
Headquarters Hamburg
Region served
Germany
Official language
German
President
Monika Breuch-Moritz
Parent organization
Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure
Website www.bsh.de
File:BSH Hamburg 58.jpg
BSH buildings in Hamburg-St. Pauli, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße

The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany (German: Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie, BSH) is a German federal authority based in Hamburg and Rostock. With some 800 employees, the agency's tasks include maritime safety, hydrographic survey, maritime pollution monitoring, and approvals of offshore installations.

History

The agency can be traced back to Norddeutsche Seewarte (North German Naval Observatory), founded in 1867 by Wilhelm von Freeden, which issued individual sailing directions based on nautical and meteorological observations as early as 1868. After World War II, the Deutsches Hydrographisches Institut (DHI) [German Hydrographical Institute] was founded in 1945 and took over these tasks. While it was first active throughout all four zones of Allied-occupied Germany, operations in the Soviet zone ceased when the DHI became part of the Western Allies' unified zone which was to become the state of West Germany. After the German reunification of 1990, the DHI was merged with Bundesamt für Schiffsvermessung (BAS) [Federal Agency for Tonnage Measurement] to form the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency. At the same time, the Seehydrographischer Dienst [Maritime Hydrographical Service] of East Germany which was part of the People's Navy was taken over.[1]

Tasks

The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency provides maritime services for shipping, economy and marine environment. It is a federal agency within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development. The various tasks include:[2]

The agency is moreover represented in a number of national and international panels.

The head office of Federal Bureau for Maritime Casualty Investigation is in the BSH facility.[4][5]

Vessels

The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency maintains a fleet of five survey vessels.[6]

  • Atair, based in Hamburg
  • Deneb, based in Rostock
  • Wega, based in Hamburg
  • Capella, based in Hamburg
  • Komet, based in Hamburg

Messages in bottles

According to own accounts, the BSH's library presumably hosts the world's largest collection of messages in a bottle amounting to 660 items.[7]

References

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  4. "Imprint." Federal Bureau for Maritime Casualty Investigation. Retrieved on 16 January 2012. "Bundesstelle für Seeunfalluntersuchung (BSU) Bernhard-Nocht-Strasse 78 20359 Hamburg " - Map
  5. "Impressum." Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany. Retrieved on April 19, 2014. "Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH) Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 78 20359 Hamburg Postfach 30 12 20 20305 Hamburg"
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External links