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Albert Ballin

German businessman (1857-1918) · Founders · Died at 61

Albert Ballin was a German shipping magnate. He was the general director of the Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft (HAPAG) or Hamburg-America Line, which for a time was the world's largest shipping company.

Albert Ballin is read about 142 times a day, in 16 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 18 June 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.

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Also in Deutsch

Awards

Order of the Red Eagle 2nd Class
1st Class Order of the Crown
Red Cross Medal

About this person

Being the inventor of the concept of the cruise ship, he is known as the father of modern cruise ship travel. Albert Ballin was a risk-taker who was willing to challenge his colleagues, foreign competitors, and domestic politics in order to build a successful shipping company. He focused on British rivals and was determined to expand HAPAG's global reach, he also worked closely with the Kaiser and supported expansion of the German navy.

Category
Founders
Type
Founder
Status
Deceased
Dates
Lived 1857 to 1918 · aged 61