Rudolf Arnold Gelpke Inducted into the Hall of Fame

Rudolf Arnold Gelpke is posthumously inducted as the 25th member into the Swiss Logistics Hall of Fame. Gelpke is regarded as a pioneer of Swiss Rhine shipping.

Gelpke, born on October 5, 1873, in Basel, was a significant figure in the history of Rhine shipping and Swiss logistics. He passed away on January 12, 1940, in Waldenburg. He developed a close connection to river shipping in his youth by working as a machinist on barges and ships navigating the Rhine. After attending high school and the Upper Secondary School in Basel, he studied from 1892 to 1896 at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, where he graduated as a civil engineer.

Gelpke began his professional career as a civil engineer in civil engineering, working in both domestic and international shipping. A significant milestone in his career was the journey of the tugboat *Knipscheer IX* and the towboat *Christina* to Basel on June 2, 1904, which confirmed the navigability of the Upper Rhine. This journey served to supply the St. Johann gasworks with coal. Gelpke played a crucial role in the construction of the Rhine ports of St. Johann (1906–1911) and Kleinhüningen (until 1922) in collaboration with the Association for Shipping on the Upper Rhine.

Commitment to Shipping and Politics

Gelpke dedicated his life to shipping and was a co-founder of the Basel Passenger Shipping Company, established in 1924. However, this cooperative could not withstand the competitive pressure from the Basel Rhine Shipping Joint-Stock Company and was liquidated after four years. A re-establishment of the company only occurred in 1968 as a joint-stock company.

Politically, Gelpke was active in the Civic Progressive Party and, from 1919, in the Farmers‘, Tradesmen’s, and Citizens‘ Party. He served as a member of the Basel Grand Council from 1908 to 1912 and, after the parliamentary elections in 1917, as a member of the National Council until 1935. In 1920, he received an honorary doctorate from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

In his honor, the Gelpke Fountain was created by Willy Hege at the Swiss Transport Hub Museum. The fountain, unveiled in 1945 at the Kleinhüningen Rhine port, features a figurehead symbolizing Gelpke’s determination to fight against the current. The inscription on the fountain honors Gelpke as a pioneer of Swiss Rhine shipping.

Legacy and Influence on Logistics

Gelpke’s commitment secured shipping on the Upper Rhine and prevented its displacement in favor of the emerging railway. He was a co-founder of the Swiss Shipping Association and significantly contributed to the development of Rhine shipping, which today plays an important role in Swiss foreign trade. Gelpke is regarded as the architect of modern Swiss logistics infrastructure. At a time when Switzerland was considered a landlocked country without access to the world’s oceans, he recognized the potential of the Rhine as a global trade route.

His life’s work forms the foundation for today’s supply security and international competitiveness of Switzerland as a business location. Rudolf Arnold Gelpke is remembered as a significant promoter of large shipping on the Upper Rhine.

The induction ceremony for Rudolf Arnold Gelpke will take place on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne. The identity of the 26th member will remain a secret until the evening of the gala. The induction into the Swiss Supply Chain Hall of Fame will take place immediately following the ceremony honoring Rudolf Arnold Gelpke. The benefit gala is open to the public and requires a ticket. Partners and guests traditionally support the charitable projects of the Logistics Switzerland Foundation by attending the event.

Tickets and registration for the gala are available at: www.shof.ch/gala2026

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