Stenger, Geert.

Geert Stenger was born on 10 August 1858 in the town of Farnsum in the North East of the Dutch province of Groningen. The nearest larger town and also port is Delfzijl.

His Father was Johannes J. Stenger, also a sea captain and his mother Gesina Smit.

It is unknown where he attended a maritime school and where he did his cadetship but he must have been experienced enough to join Holland America on 29 December 1881 as 3rd. officer on the ss Edam (I). He stayed on this ship for 4 months and then transferred to the W.A Scholten. Had he remained longer, then he would have been on board when the Edam (I) sunk on 21 September 1882.

GAP other ships.

Geert Stenger married on 05 November 1883  Pieternella  Oelssen in Rotterdam. According to a genealogy search (to be confirmed) there were 11 children.

Dr. G.A Stenger,  A.J. Stenger, J.P. Stenger, P.G.M.  Nessel van Lissa – Stenger, Chr. G.F. Stenger, A.Stenger – Uiterwijk, F,G.J Koning – Stenger, G.A.F. Stenger, M.F. Stenger, A.F. Stenger, G.B.E Stenger.

GAP

In 1891 he received a price of 200 Dutch guilders for saving the crew of the Swedish bargue “Signe” (Captain Larsen) that had sunk on 23 May 1891. Captain Stenger took them all on board his ship the ss Amsterdam (I).

He also received a medal from the Dutch Lifesaving Society (Zuid-Hollandse maatschappij to het redden van schip breukelingen). The Chief Officer (C.W. Landman) received fl. 50,–

GAP

In January 1894, he saved the crew of the American Schooner “Mary (or Maggie) Wells”, which had sunk at sea. President Cleveland of the USA presented him with a gold watch.  (More information to follow) There was also an gift out of America of 500,– Dutch guilders.

He also received a gold medal from the “Life-Saving Benevolent Association of New York. This was handed to him during the next call of the ship in New York. The only sailor (crew of the lifeboat) Sailor A. de Wit still sailing on board the ss Amsterdam received a silver medal.

GAP

In 1897 while captain of the ss Veendam (I) the ship propellor breaks and he transfer all passengers safely to the passengership the ss St. Louis. (Inman line)

1898 ss Veendam (I) sinks. Story to follow. For saving passengers and crew he received a gold medal from the Dutch Lifesaving Society (Zuid-Hollandse maatschappij to het redden van schip breukelingen)

GAP

On 18 August 1899 it is announced that Stenger has made his 100rd round voyage as  captain. On his ship the ss Werkendam (I) a festive luncheon or dinner is held and he receives the 100 voyage medallion of the company and also a set of framed portraits of the Directors. As advised by the great grandson of the captain, he also received a inkstand set at this occasion from the company.  (b)

GAP

In December 1904 while in command of the ss Rotterdam (III) he saves the crew of the American schooner “Pioneer” registered in Newfoundland which had run into problems of the American coast. On behalf of the NewFoundland Government he receives a pair of binoculars (tba, as it might have been a long-view version)  with inscription. De crew of the ships lifeboat received a monetary recognition of £ 2,– and £ 5,– depending on rank.  (1 Br. pound in 1904 was the wage of an average skilled worker in England)

Date of promotion to Commdore TBD.

On 23 September 1910 he completed his 200th. crossing and apart from receiving the company coin/medallion commorating this, he also was made “Knight in the order of Orange Nassau”. (comparable to an OBE in the English system) He also received a painting made by the marine painted  Chr. Dommelshuizen, showing the  ss Rotterdam arriving in the City.

On 06 April 1914 he left Rotterdam for his 480th. crossing or 240th roundtrip.  This was voyage 45 of the ss Rotterdam (IV) and the ship sailed via Boulogne Sur Mer to New York and from there via Plymouth in England and Boulogne Sur mer in France, back to Rotterdam where the ship arrived on april 30.

He made his last crossing in command of the companies flagship the ss Rotterdam (IV) between 08 September and 15 October 1915 (voyage 59) with the ship calling at Falmouth (a 2 day call for contraband clearance), New York (20 – 23 October), then a deviation to Newport News for a quick dry dock. Return to Falmouth for the mail (30 October) and a call at the Downs (08 – 14 November) for contraband inspection. This stay took longer than expected as the ship had caught an anti submarine chain in the propellors.  Due to illness he then went ashoree and officially retired from the company on 01 March 1916) (c)

The reasons for his retirement are somewhat unclear as in 1916 he was 57 years old and the compulsory retirement age was 60. There is a letter in the archives, dated 16 February 1916 in which Capt. Stenger expresses his regret that the company had asked him to go, without any recognition whatsoever. The letterhead of this letter lists him then as Nautical Advisor – Expert based at the Mathenesserlaan 306 in Rotterdam.  The official sailing listing of the company (Stamboek) notes that he was “honorably dismissed”. Which in the language of that time means, honorably retired.

GAP: did he remain an “Expert” in this period between 1916 and 1927 ?

Commodore Stenger  passed away on 27 March 1927 and was buried on 30 March 1927 on Algemene Begraafplaats Crooswijk, Rotterdam. Nearly the complete management of the company was present and a large number of collegues and persons out of the maritime industry.

(Last known address was Spoorsingel 5 Rotterdam. This house was not bombed during the 2nd worldwar and still exists)

During his life he was at some time Chairman and  Boardmember of the “Vereeniging voor de Zeevaart” commonly known as “the captains club”,

Note: are there any family members out there, or people who knew the captain, who can tell more about his private life and maybe know what happened to all his medals. If so please contact me at Captalbert1@aol.com.

Sailing List: (e)

Date:                    Function:                            Ship:                                    Wages and/or remarks.

29 Dec. 1881      3^rd Officer                           Edam                                   40,–

22 May. 1882     2^nd Officer                          Scholten                             60,–

06 Jun. 1883       Temporary  dismissed due to exam

22 Sep. 1883       Chief Officer                      Scholten                                            Rosestraat Rotterdam

08 Sep. 1886       Act. Captain                       Scholten

28 Sep. 1886       Chief Officer                      Rotterdam                         100,–

05 Mar. 1887      Captain                               Leerdam                             200,–

05 Apr.  1889      Ashore on standby

19 Jun. 1889       Captain                               Amsterdam                        200,–

28 Sep. 1890       Captain                               Edam                                   200,–

21 Mar. 1891      Relieved from command

29 Mar. 1891      Captain                               Amsterdam                        200,–

26 Nov. 1894      Temporary dismissed

01 Jan. 1895       Captain                               Amsterdam                       200,–

10 Oct. 1896       Captain                               Veendam                            200,–    handed over at new York

16 Nov. 1896      Temporary dismissed

19 Dec. 1896      Captain                               Veendam                            200,–

After sinking of the Veendam on 7 february 1898 arrives on 12 Febr. Per ss St.louis at New York. From there with the Spaarndam on 13 Febr, as passenger  back to Holland. Arrived 25 feb.

16 May. 1898     Captain                               Spaarndam                         200,-

13 Dec. 1898      Temporary  ashore and available

23 Jan. 1899       Captain                               Spaarndam                         200,–

02 Jun. 1901       Captain                               Rotterdam                         200,–

17 Feb.  1904      Captain                               Potsdam                             200,–

21 Dec. 1904      Captain                               Statendam                         200,–

01 Mar. 1905      Captain                               Potsdam                             200,–

13 Dec. 1905      Captain                               Noordam                            200,–

10 Jan. 1908       Captain                              Potsdam                             200,–

19 Feb. 1908       Captain                               Noordam                            200,–

22 Mar. 1910      Captain                               Rotterdam                         200,–

01 Jan. 1911       Due to the review of the renumeration wages put at 400,–

19 Oct. 1915       Temporary dismissed due to illness

01 Mar. 1916      Honorable discharge.

Sources:

(a) Holland America Line Photo Archive.

(b) Mr. Tim Stenger, Great Grandson of Captain Stenger.

(c) Mr. Laurens van der Laan. Hal Historian.

(d) Captain Albert collection.

(e) Stamboeken and mouvement boeken of the Holland America Line archives as held by the Municiple Archives of the City of Rotterdam.

Last updated: 06 October 2025