Voss Werft

Voss Werft (Voß-Werft & Stahlbau GmbH) is a shipyard and steel construction company based in Westerende-Kirchloog, a district of the municipality of Ihlow in East Frisia, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is one of the few shipyards in the East Frisian inland that successfully transitioned from wooden to steel shipbuilding. The company traces its origins to the mid-19th century, when a boatbuilder named Voß, who had immigrated from the Netherlands, founded the first Voß shipyard in Ihlowerfehn. Over generations, the yard built peat ships, tjalks, and later a long series of shrimp cutters and passenger vessels. In 2005, Dirk and Lars Heyen took over the operation and continue it as Voß-Werft & Stahlbau GmbH. Today the yard offers new construction and repair services in steel, stainless steel, and aluminium. Its facilities include a slipway capable of pulling ships up to 45 metres long out of the water and a workshop hall for refits. The company also operates tugs, various pontoons, and barges that it rents out or uses for its own work on the water. It carries out major conversions on cutters, pontoons, and traditional ships, and manufactures bridges, lock gates, semi-finished parts for the fishing industry, and other constructions from aluminium, stainless steel, plastic, and steel. In the Aurich harbour, the yard built a 500 m² jetty facility founded on 11-metre-long piles, entirely rammed and assembled from the water. It also renovates and maintains ageing water regulation structures, producing new gates and installation parts, repairing concrete, and cleaning or dredging structures for five-year inspections. As a manufacturer of aluminium punts, Voss Werft helps customers access recreational waterways, and its aluminium crank ferries can connect footpaths and cycle paths across waters without constant supervision, linking villages. The company is a small, privately held enterprise rooted in the regional maritime economy of East Frisia. Its history reflects the broader shifts in German inland and coastal shipbuilding, from wooden peat barges to steel cutters and modern service work. Many of the over 140 ships built by the yard remain in service, including passenger vessels such as the Wappen von Juist (1968), Eilun (1970), Dollard (1972), Horizont (1982), and Spitzhörn (1990).

The history of the Voß shipyard begins in the mid-19th century, when a boatbuilder named Voß, who had immigrated from the Netherlands, founded the first Voß-Werft in Ihlowerfehn, East Frisia. His son Lübbe Voß continued the business until his death in 1896. At that time, Lübbe's eldest son Albert was only fourteen years old. After an abbreviated apprenticeship, Albert Voß received a special permit to continue his parents' business. Initially he carried out only smaller repairs, but in 1901 he built his first peat ship. The increasing use of coal as fuel, however, caused demand for such ships to decline in the early 20th century. After the First World War, only four Mutten (small barges) were built at the Voß-Werft, which were subsequently fitted with auxiliary engines. Albert Voß delivered his last ship, the tjalk Johanne, in 1936. The price at that time was 3,200 Reichsmark. The business was then taken over by his son Lübbe Voß (born 9 March 1912; died 16 March 2008). During the Second World War, he was conscripted for service at Abeking & Rasmussen in Lemwerder, and the yard in Ihlowerfehn was shut down during this period. After the war, smaller repairs were again carried out there. After the currency reform, Lübbe Voß relocated his operation to Westerende-Kirchloog on the Ems-Jade Canal. Initially, only wooden ships were repaired there. The first newbuild was an Oskar Teubert ship, delivered in 1956, and more followed. However, the dimensions of the Ems-Jade Canal and the Kesselschleuse did not allow larger inland vessels, so production was switched to excursion ships, yachts, and fishing vessels. The first shrimp cutter was delivered to Accumersiel in 1967. It was the beginning of a successful series of over 100 cutters along the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts. In 1985, prices for a cutter ranged between 600,000 and one million Deutsche Mark. In the summer of 2005, Dirk and Lars Heyen from Westerende-Kirchloog took over the operation and have since continued it as Voß-Werft & Stahlbau GmbH. Ships up to 45 metres long can be pulled out of the water with a slipway and reworked in the shipyard hall. In addition, newbuilds and repairs in steel, stainless steel, and aluminium are offered. Of the over 140 ships built by the yard, many are still in service. Among the passenger ships are the Wappen von Juist (built 1968) on Juist, the Eilun (1970) in Steenodde, the Dollard (1972) in Ditzum, the Horizont (1982) in Harlesiel, and the Spitzhörn (1990) in Barßel.

• 2005

  Dirk and Lars Heyen take over the operation as Voß-Werft & Stahlbau GmbH.

• 1967

  First shrimp cutter delivered to Accumersiel, starting a series of over 100 cutters.

• 1956

  First newbuild at the new Westerende-Kirchloog location, an Oskar Teubert ship, is delivered.

• 1936

  Albert Voß delivers his last ship, the tjalk Johanne, for 3,200 Reichsmark.

• 1901

  Albert Voß builds his first peat ship.

• 1896

  Lübbe Voß, son of the founder, dies; his eldest son Albert Voß takes over after an abbreviated apprenticeship.

• 1850

  First Voß shipyard founded in Ihlowerfehn by a Dutch immigrant boatbuilder named Voß.

Regional shipyard and steel construction specialist for inland and coastal vessels, known for its long tradition and versatility in steel, stainless steel and aluminium fabrication.

• 1968

  Wappen von Juist

• 1970

  Eilun

• 1972

  Dollard

• 1982

  Horizont

• 1990

  Spitzhörn

1. 1Voss-Werft official websitevoss-werft.de
2. 2Voß-Werft – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Voss Werft – Wikidatawikidata.org