Lürssen (or Lürssen Werft) is a German shipyard with headquarters in Bremen-Vegesack and shipbuilding facilities in Lemwerder, Berne and Bremen-Aumund
Lürssen designs and constructs yachts, naval ships and special vessels. Trading as Lürssen Yachts, it is one of the leading builders of custom superyachts such as Paul Allen‘s Octopus, David Geffen‘s Rising Sun, and Azzam, the second largest private yacht in the world at 180 m in length after the REV Ocean.
Business was difficult in the wake of the war (shipbuilding was initially completely banned in Germany). Everyone had to start from scratch and the Lürssen shipyard was no exception. Household items such as wooden tubs and pots were temporarily made in the shipyard. But soon the first repair orders came in and from 1946 fishing cutters were built.
After the owners returned from captivity in 1947, the company’s involvement in commercial shipbuilding began. During this time of change, the brothers Gert and Fritz-Otto Lürssen agreed on the division of shares in the company, which they held from then on jointly with their mother Frieda Lürssen
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In 1952 the shipyard was named “Lürssen-Werft“. and in the postwar period Lürssen set a new standard for fast patrol boats. They launched the Jaguar in 1959, especially developed for the German Navy. At 42 meters, the ships were larger than those built during WWII. They served as a model for future fast patrol boat designs.
In 1990, the United Arab Emirates received two complex naval vessels from the Murray JIB class equipped with helicopter landing pads and with an extensive array of weapon systems and sensor technology, not usual for ships of this size.
Eight years later, the Kiliç, with a total length of 62 meters was delivered to the Turkish Navy. This corvette has modern weapons and fire control systems integrated. The seafaring qualities of the new enlarged ship have been considerably improved. Also the Indonesian customs authorities have ordered five patrol boats with a top speed of 40 knots and ten with a top speed of 50 knots.
2000: One-and-a-quarter centuries after its founding by Friedrich Lürssen, the company celebrated an important anniversary. The small boatbuilding company on the Weser River had grown into a large shipyard that builds military vessels as well as modern megayachts. Lürssen delivered the Berlin, one of the key task force vessels, to the German Navy. This highly important vessel type ensures the ability of the entire fleet to perform in action.
In 2002: thirty years after Carinthia VI set new standards, Carinthia VII, at a length overall of 97 meters, is delivered. A year later, the superyacht Pelorus, designed by Tim Heywood is delivered. With its overall length of 115 meters it is one of the world’s largest private yachts.
In 2005 the 90 meter yacht ICE is delivered. It is the first yacht to be equipped with a compact Azipod drive system. This ultralow noise- and vibration propulsion system is especially effective in fulfilling the owner’s demands in terms of ecological operations.
A couple of years later, the last of a total of six minehunters are handed over to the Turkish Navy in cooperation with the consortium partner Abeking & Rasmussen. From 2010 on, also Brunei started sending orders to Lürssen for patrol boats and offshore vessels.
In 2012, two of the world’s top designers get involved in the construction of the 147.25 meter yacht Topaz: Tim Heywood; and Terence Disdale was responsible for her interior
In 2013 Lürssen delivers Azzam, once the longest yacht in the world. She not only set a record with regards to her length of 180 meters and speed of more than 30 knots but also her building time of less than three years is record-breaking. In 2016 Lürssen launched the 156 meter long yacht Dilbar. The yacht, with a width of more than 23 meters is the biggest yacht in the world in terms of gross tonnage (over 15,900 GT).
In 2016 Lürssen acquired shipbuilding company Blohm + Voss in a long-term partnership.
On 1 March 2018, a German consortium consisting of Thyssen Krupp and Luerssen was excluded by the German Government from the tender for the construction of the multi-purpose warship MKS 180 for the benefit of GNY (German Naval Yards), belonging to the Prinvinvest group, and the Dutch shipbuilder Damen
On 14 September 2018, a fire broke out in the floating dock at Fähr-Lobbendorf, burning the then-under construction structure of the yacht Sassi With around 900 emergency services deployed, it was the largest deployment of the Bremen fire brigade in the post-war period. The damage was estimated at more than 610 million euros.
