Thingvalla Line facts for kids
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The Thingvalla Line was a shipping company from Denmark. It was started in 1879 by a Danish businessman named Carl Frederik Tietgen. This company helped people travel by ship from Copenhagen, Denmark, to New York City in the United States. Their ships also stopped in Kristiania (now Oslo) and Kristiansand in Norway. At its busiest, the Thingvalla Line had ten ships. In 1898, another Danish shipping company called DFDS bought the Thingvalla Line. Its name then changed to the Scandinavian America Line.
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Journey Across the Atlantic
The Thingvalla Line was one of many big companies started by Carl Frederik Tietgen. The main goal of this company was to offer a direct way for people to travel from countries in Scandinavia to North America. Before the Thingvalla Line began, most Danish travelers used German shipping companies. These included companies like the Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actiengesellschaft and North German Lloyd.
Setting Sail from Copenhagen
The new company built a special ferry terminal in Copenhagen. It was located at Larsens Plads on the city's harbor. This spot used to be a shipyard and a place for lumber. From here, the Thingvalla Line ships would start their journeys. They would stop in Kristiania and Kristiansand in Norway. After these stops, they would cross the Atlantic to New York City.
Competing for Travelers
By including the Norwegian ports, the Thingvalla Line became a strong competitor. It competed not only with German companies but also with British companies. The Thingvalla Line had some clear advantages. It offered a direct route, which was very helpful. Also, their ships had Scandinavian crews. The passengers were mostly from Scandinavia, which made the journey feel more familiar.
However, the Thingvalla Line also had some challenges. Their ships were smaller and slower compared to the larger German and British ships. But this did not seem to bother the Scandinavian passengers much. The line quickly became very popular.
Challenges and Changes
What was much worse for the company were the accidents. The Thingvalla Line had a series of accidents that caused problems for the company. The most well-known accidents were the sinking of the S/S Danmark in 1889. Another big accident was the collision in 1888 between the S/S Geiser and the S/S Thingvalla. Both of these ships belonged to the Thingvalla Line.
In 1898, the company was bought by DFDS. DFDS was another Danish shipping company. After the purchase, the Thingvalla Line's name was changed to the Scandinavian America Line.
