The two brothers Charles Marcel Keller-Gysin (1901-1992) and Paul Keller (1903-1968) from Delsberg, together with Charles' brother-in-law Hans Sackmann-Keller (born 1905), founded Keller Shipping Ltd. Basel in 1945, it being entered in the commercial register on 26.12.1945. Two years later, Keller Line Ltd. was founded. Over the years Charles Keller was the great, all-dominant head of the company, whilst his brother Paul managed the company office in Lisbon for many years. Hans Sackmann, the husband of Charles Keller's sister, Nelie Germaine Keller, had run a flour business in his property at Holbeinstrasse 68, Basel, but he gave up the flour trade and became head of finance at Keller Shipping. His building became the headquarters of the shipping company
The office building of Keller Shipping Ltd. in Basel
Charles Keller and his brother Paul completed their apprenticeships as forwarding agents and gained professional experience in various foreign cities, e.g. Antwerp. His good knowledge of the common commercial languages of Western Europe was an invaluable advantage. During the Second World War, he worked for the KTA (Kriegs Transport Amt = War Transport Office) in Bern and managed the lorry transit from Portugal and Spain to Switzerland. He was also a federal port commissioner in Bilbao. Charles Keller sat on the boards of various foreign shipping and insurance companies and was a member of the Swiss Maritime Commission and other maritime bodies, such as Membre titulaire of the Comité Maritime International. In his free time, Charles Keller was an enthusiastic carnival-goer, skier and golfer. Together with his business partners at the bank in Geneva, he is said to have gone skiing in the Valais, which probably also explains the Valais ship names.
Charles Keller, Senior
Charles Keller had a daughter and two sons, Charles and Alfred, who also joined the company. Charles studied in Zurich, obtained a doctorate and later ran the company, but unfortunately lacked his father's business acumen. In the military he rose to the rank of colonel and he represented the shipping company in the Swiss Shipping Association. In contrast to Schweizerische Reederei AG and other companies, military service did not play a large role in Keller Shipping and no one asked prospective seamen whether they had military service and in what capacity.
The two Keller brothers had first started out with a chartered Swedish coaster and their first own ship was the LAUPEN, which they commissioned from an Italian shipyard in Viareggio. They were able to take delivery of the new coastal motor freighter in July 1948. With the LAUPEN, Keller Shipping opened its liner service between Italy, North Africa and Portugal, the so-called Keller Lines. Two years later followed the MURTEN and in 1952 the SEMPACH, both ships being converted British Second World War naval trawlers. Unfortunately, the SEMPACH did not have a long life, sinking off the Algerian coast in April 1953.
The MISOX of BRAG Maritime AG, Basel (Basler Rheinschiffahrt AG), a sister ship of the LAUPEN, was acquired by Keller Shipping in August 1952 and re-named GRANDSON. She had already been chartered by Keller Lines, but unfortunately BRAG Maritime had not much luck in the technical operation of the small freighter and they were certainly happy to abandon their maritime plans in favour of Rhine shipping, which suited them better. The ARBEDO was taken over at the end of 1954. Until the end of Keller Lines in 1994, two LAUPEN, two GRANDSON and two MURTEN followed, as well as the DORNACH.
As early as 1953, Keller Shipping operated a liner service from Genoa to the Red Sea. Unfortunately, not much is known about it, but apparently this service was operated for a few years. The old coastal steamer GALLUS from Küstenschiffahrts AG, Goldach was chartered by Keller Shipping and sailed to the Red Sea in spring 1953. It called at the ports of Jeddah, Port Sudan, Aden, Assab and Massawa, and made a detour to Beirut on the way back. According to newspaper notes from Genoa, the ARBEDO, as well as the charter ships MASSAUA and the Norwegian INGRID H (2500 tons) sailed to the Red Sea in 1957. This liner service was abandoned at the beginning of the 1960s.
Other charter ships, such as the small freighters FRAMAR, GIOVANNI TOFFOLO, STELLA DEL MARE and SCHEDIR, which were sailing under the Italian flag, sailed on the traditional route to Portugal. The FRAMAR and the SCHEDIR were used in a fast service from Genoa to Portugal in 1957.
Some of the chartered vessels of Keller Shipping (FotoMar Leixões)
M/S FRAMAR
M/S GIOVANNI TOFFOLO
M/S SCHEDIR
M/S SERGIO P.
M/S STELLA DEL MARE
In its best years, Keller employed about 50 people in its offices at Holbeinstrasse 68 in Basel. Early on, Keller Shipping opened its own branch offices in Genoa, Milan, Lisbon, Porto, Marseille, Madrid, Malaga and Casablanca. Most seamen knew the Keller Marittima office at Piazza Campetto 10 in the old town of Genoa, as they usually had to report there before signing on. Keller Shipping also acted as Swiss agent for some foreign shipping companies and was Lloyd's agent (surveys and damage assessment for ships and cargo).
As early as 1951, Charles Keller was striving for larger ships, but unfortunately, he lacked the necessary capital. Together with the Geneva private bank Lombard, Odier & Cie, he founded Transoceanique S.A. Geneva (c/o Keller Shipping, Basel), whose board of directors consisted of Jean Ernst Bonna and Edmond Barbey, both of Lombard, Odier & Cie, and Charles Keller. The first ship acquired by the company was the new freighter GENERAL DUFOUR, which was registered in June 1951 under the Swiss flag and operated by Keller Shipping. In the first few years, the GENERAL DUFOUR sailed a few times to the west coast of South America and also to North America and South Africa until she began her liner service to West Africa in 1955.The crews of the ships were traditionally mainly Italians, but Keller Shipping also employed Swiss citizens. Later, of course, Spaniards, Yugoslavs and Africans also sailed on board. The Italians had good insurance cover from the Cassa Marittima, but the Swiss enjoyed only minimal cover in line with Swiss law. Keeping in touch with the family was quite a hassle at the time, you could send letters on board and the shipping company would send out address-lists of agents to relatives. This meant that you could send letters on board, but you had to be careful to send them in line with the ship's schedule. Many Swiss, however, used the telephone office in Genoa or Marseille to call home, often with great difficulty, as there were long waiting times before a telephone booth became available. For emergencies, only the telegram service was available. Catering on board, was always Italian style, provided by specialized catering companies, such as Ligabue, Venice.
An agency-list of Nautilus-Line from the 1960ties
Nautilus Line Timetable 1959
Advertisement in the February 1964 issue of Strom+See
On a trip to Genoa in August 1953, Charles Keller paid a courtesy call at the local office of Nautilus S.A., where he also met the Federal Finance Administration's advocate Bernhard Müller, who happened to be there. At that time, the Federal Finance Administration was trying to find a solution favourable to the Confederation for the shipping company, which had run into difficulties. Dr. Max Iklé, Director of the Federal Finance Administration, and Bernhard Müller, Head of the Legal Service of the Federal Department of Finance, were the main people involved with Nautilus S.A. Lugano. In the spring of 1954, the Confederation approached Transoceanique for the first time with the question of whether it would be willing to take over the Nautilus fleet in order to achieve a possible Swiss solution to the problem.
On 01.07.1954 Keller Shipping AG, Basel took over the full commercial and technical management of the Nautilus ships. At the time of this takeover, Nautilus S.A. owned five ships, the two old freighters ST. GOTTHARD and TICINO, which were sold immediately, presumably at the instigation of Charles Keller, while the HELVETIA, BADEN and SAENTIS continued to sail under the Keller Shipping flag for many years. According to an entry in the Swiss Gazette of Commerce of 9 August 1954, the board of directors of Nautilus S.A. was now filled with Charles Keller's confidants. Jean Bonna became the new chairman, followed by Edmond Barbey and Charles Keller became delegate. Bixio Bossi was allowedto remain on the board of directors, but now only had joint signature. In 1955, Transoceanique S.A. took over the shares and thus also the ships of Nautilus S.A. Lugano. Transoceanique S.A. agreed with the Confederation to pay 12.0 million Swiss francs for the ships, whereby the Confederation had to accept a substantial write-off, probably 19.0 million Swiss francs, although it is no longer possible to determine this exactly. On 17.02.1964, Transoceanique Suisse S.A. Geneva bought all the shares in Nautilus S.A., whose registered office had already been transferred to Geneva (total share capital: CHF 500,000).
Keller Shipping continued to run the Nautilus Line from Italy to West Africa (Dakar - Lobito Range) until the 1990s, when the last ship was sold and all shipping activities ceased. The fleet of conventional freighters transported general cargo from the western Mediterranean to Africa and on the way back the ships carried copper, wood, coffee, cocoa, peanuts, hides and other national products, as well as palm oil to Europe. The port of Genoa served as the shipping company's "home port"; and this is where the ships were usually equipped, crews changed and repairs carried out.
Most of the ships of the Nautilus-Line and the Keller-Lines also took passengers on board. The ships had cabins for two for up to 12 passengers (international legal requirement). Tourists could book a whole round trip, but other people also travelled by freighter at that time, e.g. from Europe to Africa or vice-versa.
to remain on the board of directors, but now only had joint signature. In 1955, Transoceanique S.A. took over the shares and thus also the ships of Nautilus S.A. Lugano. Transoceanique S.A. agreed with the Confederation to pay 12.0 million Swiss francs for the ships, whereby the Confederation had to accept a substantial write-off, probably 19.0 million Swiss francs, although it is no longer possible to determine this exactly. On 17.02.1964, Transoceanique Suisse S.A. Geneva bought all the shares in Nautilus S.A., whose registered office had already been transferred to Geneva (total share capital: CHF 500,000).
Keller Shipping continued to run the Nautilus Line from Italy to West Africa (Dakar - Lobito Range) until the 1990s, when the last ship was sold and all shipping activities ceased. The fleet of conventional freighters transported general cargo from the western Mediterranean to Africa and on the way back the ships carried copper, wood, coffee, cocoa, peanuts, hides and other national products, as well as palm oil to Europe. The port of Genoa served as the shipping company's "home port"; and this is where the ships were usually equipped, crews changed and repairs carried out.
Most of the ships of the Nautilus-Line and the Keller-Lines also took passengers on board. The ships had cabins for two for up to 12 passengers (international legal requirement). Tourists could book a whole round trip, but other people also travelled by freighter at that time, e.g. from Europe to Africa or vice-versa.
Passenger-Brochure from the early 1960ties
The first inspector to look after the maintenance of the ships was Hermann Reinhard, who had been with Nautilus S.A., then Fritz Rupprecht joined, a former aircraft engineer who had married the daughter of Charles Keller Senior. The following inspectors were former chief engineers, Gerhard Baumberger, Josef Bärtschi, Walter Brand and René Dollinger. These people were all well known to the ship’s crews.
In May 1978, the company took over the newly built ro-ro freighter ANZERE from a shipyard in the Netherlands and deployed her on the Nautilus Line, followed in 1985 by the ro-ro freighter VILLARS, which was bought from a Finnish shipping company and was to be the last ship in the history of Keller Shipping.
In the 1980s, fortunes turned around for the shipping company; the UNCTAD Code*) of 40:40:20, which came into force in 1983, stated that 40% of the cargo volume was to be allocated to industrialised countries, 40% to developing countries and 20% to the free market. This regulation had also been adopted and accepted by the OECD**). International shipping was depressed in the 1980s and had considerable overcapacity. French merchant shipping was also in a very difficult situation. Therefore, the French shipping companies, above all the long-established Delmas-Vieljeux, tried to force the unwelcome competition from Switzerland out of the market with "occult" agreements. Despite the Federal Council's intervention with the French government in Paris, no improvement in the situation could be achieved. The volume of freight continued to fall, and with it the revenue.
In 1985, the last two conventional freighters, DAVOS and GENÈVE, were sold and only the two RoRo ships, ANZÈRE and VILLARS, remained in the Nautilus Line to West Africa. The logistics for the containers and trailers standing around in the ports became a nightmare for a relatively small shipping company and also very expensive, so that the modern RoRo freighters were also sold. The long-established French agency companies in Africa probably also contributed to the decline of the shipping company, as they primarily support the large French shipping companies.
In April 1994, the shipping company sold the last coaster, the third MURTEN, and thus ended the Keller Lines. The new, large trucks and articulated lorries, as well as the freight ferries, destroyed the conventional coastal shipping business. Four years later, the very last ship to be disposed of was the VILLARS, which passed into foreign hands in May 1998, and the Nautilus Line also became history. Until its demise, the company only kept itself busy as an agent for Lloyd's and other foreign shipping companies. The company was deleted from the commercial register at the beginning of 2014.
Finally, we would like to add that some of the old Swiss Keller seafarers still get together occasionally for a convivial get-together in so-called Keller meetings. The last meeting took place in November 2017 at the clubhouse of the SCS (Swiss Club of Seamen), Section Aargau in Dottikon AG.
*) UNCTAD, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
**) OECD, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Sources:
SwissShips HPS June 2023
