The White Cross
The White Cross as Company Housemark
Since the start in 1866 the logo of DFDS has been a white cross on a blue background in various designs used in connection with the company name. The present logo was designed and introduced in 1993.
The DFDS "house flag," as it is known in nautical language, has remained unchanged since the start of DFDS. The white cross on a blue background is used as a symbol on the Company's printed stationery, linen, upholstery, buildings, and many other things. DFDS' ships and transport equipment, trailers, and containers all bear the white cross today.
The white cross was first seen in use in 1862 What made the founders choose the white cross on a blue background from Koch & Henderson's flag, instead of Prior's or one of the other partner's, is uncertain. Tietgen presumably saw some sort of national symbolism in this cross and its resemblance to the white cross in the Danish flag, as it was in the years of defeat after the war in 1864. He used the cross in various forms as a symbol for some of his companies.
The first visible proof of the use of the white cross by DFDS is on the marine artist Carl Neumann's painting of Koch & Henderson's and The General Danish Steamship Company's fleets assembled at Copenhagen in 1862, four years prior to the founding of DFDS. Here the white cross is clearly shown on a blue background.
The 19 ships from Koch & Henderson, H.P. Prior, and The General Danish Steamship Company formed the foundation of DFDS' first fleet. It was C.P.A. Koch who, when Koch & Henderson was founded in 1856, took the blue flag with the white cross, while Prior's ships had a red flag with a white star.