Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany

The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency ( BSH ) is a German federal authority with service offices in Hamburg and Rostock with approximately 800 employees.

History

It has its historical roots in the North German Naval Observatory, founded by Wilhelm von Freeden. This had made a nautical and meteorological observations since 1868 individual sailing instructions. After the Second World War, founded in 1945, German Hydrographic Institute ( DHI) took over these tasks.

In 1990, the DHI with the Federal Office for ship survey ( BAS) was summarized for BSH. At the same time Seehydrographische service (SHD ) of the GDR, was formerly a part of the People's Navy were adopted.

Tasks

The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency has maritime service partner for marine, industry and marine environment. It is a federal authority for the Federal Ministry of Transport and digital infrastructure and has a wide range of tasks:

  • Promotion of the German merchant fleet
  • Measurement of vessels and flag law
  • Issue and registration of certificates for seafarers
  • Testing and approval of navigation equipment and radio equipment
  • Maritime security
  • Publication of official nautical charts, Seehandbüchern and other nautical publications (eg Need for Speed ​​) for the professional and recreational boating
  • Surveying in the North and Baltic
  • As tides, water level and storm surges
  • Monitoring of the marine environment with the help of Marine Environmental Monitoring Network ( MARNET ), which is currently operated with ten automatic measuring stations
  • Prosecution of environmental violations at sea
  • Tasks of marine spatial planning for marine uses in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Germany
  • Approval of offshore activities such as offshore wind farms, pipelines, submarine cables in the German EEZ of the North Sea and Baltic

The BSH is represented in many national and international bodies.

Fleet

For his work at sea, the BSH bereedert five workboats. The fleet of the BSH consists of:

  • Surveying, search and wreck research vessel Atair, port of Hamburg
  • Surveying, search and wreck research vessel Deneb, port of Rostock
  • Surveying, search and wreck research vessel Wega, port of Hamburg
  • Capella survey vessel, port of Rostock
  • Survey vessel comet, port of Hamburg

Message in a Bottle Collection

In the Library Archives of the BSH, the probably largest bottle collection in the world is (about 660 letters from the period 1864-1933 ).

Sailing Directions Bathymetry Tide table Offshore construction Deutscher Wetterdienst Federal Railway Authority Deutsche Flugsicherung
153098
de