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Who we are

Our heritage

A. W. Niemeyer was founded in 1745 and can look back on a rich company history. For several generations, awn was a family business up until 1862, when the ironware dealer was bought by entrepreneur Amandus Wilhelm Niemeyer, which ultimately gave the company his name.

By then, the company was already mainly selling equipment for sailing boats and the upcoming steam ships in Hamburg, Germany. The former ironware dealer developed into an internationally renowned boat equipment retailer.

Today, awn has become an integral part of the watersports industry and has secured its place as a European market leader.

How it all started with awn

In 1745 Johann Daniel Wuppermann from Wuppertal founded a hardware store in Hamburg. His customers were craftsmen, shipwrights and sailmakers, and he also ran a blacksmith's shop just outside the town.
In the days of the large fleets of freighters handling goods in the Hanseatic city and the countless barges they distributed along the canals in the city, business grew steadily.
In 1779 Wuppermann's son-in-law joined the firm as a partner, which was then renamed Wuppermann & Schmilinsky.

How A.W. Niemeyer got its name

For several generations, the family business remained on the road to success until, in the first half of the 19th century, the onset of industrialisation required the company to concentrate on supplying the shipyards. At this time, awn also came to its present name through a change of ownership: in 1862, the businessman Amandus Wilhelm Niemeyer took over the company and renamed it A.W. Niemeyer, sucessor of Wuppermann & Schmilinsky.

In times of population growth due to the influx of industrial workers, awn concentrated on equipping sailing ships and later the emerging steamships in the fast-growing port of Hamburg. 

The company quickly rose to become Hamburg's most important international equipment supplier. 

In order to provide space for the rapidly growing business, a new nine-story company headquarters was built at Rödingsmarkt between 1908 and 1910, an architectural showpiece at the time.

Nine floors of boat accessories

In times of population growth due to the influx of industrial workers, awn concentrates on equipping sailing and steamships in the fast-growing port of Hamburg. The company quickly rises to become Hamburg's most important international outfitter.
In 1910, a new nine-story company headquarters was opened on Rödingsmarkt, an architectural showpiece of the time.

Of falling and rising again: The war years

World War I put a sharp damper on the success story of awn. After the end of the war, the company quickly got back on the road to success.
The company succeeded in securing orders for important ships of the time, including sophisticated luxury yachts, large passenger steamers and many more.
At the end of World War II in 1945, large parts of Hamburg lay in ruins, including Rödingsmarkt and the buildings of A.W. Niemeyer. Once again, the company rose from the ashes. Headquarters were rebuilt and awn returned to the path of success. We became a supplier to the growing fleets of cargo ships, including the first large oil tankers
At the same time, a whole new market emerged: business with private yachts and boats. From 1960 onwards, Gerd Niemeyer, grandson of founder Amandus Wilhelm, recognizes the potential of this market and concentrates the company's focus on this target group. Since then, awn became a byword among hobby skippers for boat accessories with outstanding quality.

The boom years: water sports become popular to the masses

Over the next few decades, awn expanded by taking over companies like the hardware specialist HSB and later the engineering company Bösch.

In 1973 the entrepreneur Peter Flammang acquired awn. He recognised the potential of the water sports industry and launched Niemeyer's very first mail-order catalogue with the simple but ingenious title "Der Ausrüster" (English: the supplier).

In addition to equipment, awn offered technical services, such as rigging work or motor services.

In the following years, the catalog became very popular amongst countless water sports enthusiasts in Germany. The phrase "If Niemeyer doesn't have it, it doesn't exist!" made the rounds on various harbors. The company became a guide for sailors and motorboat drivers at the same time, as it included the entire range of products for the whole water sports sector.

Modern times

In 1992, a new logistics center was opened in Hamburg's Holstenkamp, which was able to ship 2000 orders per day to customers all over Europe.

In 1999, a spatial caesura followed: after more than 250 years at Rödingsmarkt, A.W. Niemeyer had to move to new premises for reasons of space. Peter Flammang built the new company headquarters in Hamburg-Bahrenfeld, where the company is still at home today. In 2001, the "flagship store" is opened there on more than 2500 square meters to meet modern customer demands. At the same time, a massive expansion of the branch network begins in order to reach customers nationwide.

The range of boat-related services has been significantly expanded: In addition to rigging work, sail repairs, maintenance of life jackets and life rafts as well as a skipper academy with driving license courses and further training are now part of the awn offer.

awn today

In July 2023, the awn brand will move to Jägerwirth near Fürstenzell in Lower Bavaria, where online trading will continue under the E-SCALE group GmbH umbrella brand.

Our core segments

Sailing gear, boating accessories and casual maritime clothing

As the German saying goes: 

There is no wrong weather, only wrong clothes!

DISCOVER

Especially on water, it is important to be prepared for everything. Good sailing gear is characterised by its durability, waterproofness and windproofness. But comfort and fashion should not be neglected either. That's why the top brands in our range, such as Musto, Helly Hansen and Gill, focus on high quality standards and trend awareness in their sailing clothing. But also those who cultivate a sporty-chic clothing style will find what they are looking for at awn watersports.

In addition to the water-repellent and trendy soft shell jackets, you can also find swimwear, shorts, nice blouses or shirts for her and him in maritime style at awn watersports.

Whether for the sea or leisure, in our online shop you will find the right maritime fashion for every occasion.

Equipment

Safety equipment, lik elctronic systems, navigation devices, etc.

DISCOVER

To give your boat the finishing touches in terms of safety, on-board electrics, navigation and care, the awn watersports online shop stocks high-quality boat accessories, such as a large selection of fenders as well as various boat anchors, matching tarpaulins and antifouling paint. These are all indispensable boat accessories.
Boat fenders and boat anchors guarantee the protection of the boat, the right tarpaulin offers the necessary comfort and protection of the boat and regular antifouling ensures the economy of the boat. The awn watersports online shop also stocks engines and electric motors. The economical Honda engines and the lightweight but powerful Mercury engines ensure great sailing pleasure. The various electric motor models from ePropulsion and Torqeedo are also particularly environmentally friendly.

Safety accessories for boats and yachts

We carry a wide range of boat and yacht accessories that guarantee safety on board

DISCOVER

Safety on board is the be-all and end-all of boating. An indispensable boating accessory is the life jacket. Especially on rough seas, life jackets should be worn, and small children should always wear a waistcoat as a preventive measure.
awn has a wide range of comfortable and high quality life jackets for adults, children and also for pets. We also offer maintenance of the waistcoats. In addition to lifejackets, life-saving equipment such as lifelines, distress signals, fire extinguishers and lifebelts are important boat accessories that ensure safety on board. Flags, life rafts and prohibition signs complete our product range in terms of safety.

Comfort on board

We have all you need to make you feel at home when you're at sea

DISCOVER

Do you want to feel at home on board?
With the awn watersports store, you get a partner on board who offers innovative comfort solutions for your boat based on many years of experience.
A versatile range of comfort boat accessories transform your boat into a place of well-being.
Our range includes products for sleeping comfort, sun sails that provide pleasant shade in the summer, folding tables made of high-quality teak wood and boat cushions with pleasant seating comfort. Feel at home when you're on the sea!

Over 250 top brands

The awn watersport online shop offers a wide variety of brands of boat and yacht accessories. With more than 400 brands, ranging from our own brand awn, OceanTec and OceanPro to Musto and Torqeedo, every water sports enthusiast will find what they are looking for.

Each brand has its own special features and individual product range, so by providing a vast range of brands we help cover the individual needs of every skipper.

An online shop you can trust

In 2019, the readers of Yacht magazine and boote magazine voted us as best online seller of the year 2019/2020, and in 2021/2022 we received the same award as well.
Every day we try to make our customers happy, and if there's ever something wrong with your order, don't hesitate to contact us immediately.