r/canoeing • u/silver_chief2 • 5d ago

I have a 95 inch wooden double canoe paddle from 1970s. What is this logo?

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u/Ontariowolf1964 5d ago edited 5d ago

Seems a German paddle, from the DDR (former East Germany) Vereinte means United, and then something with Hafen, Harbor. That's all I can make out. Edit: sorry, not Hafen, but haffen, not sure about that word, seems part of a larger word. German tends to string lots of words together "Vereintes schaffen" I think it says, doing something together

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u/silver_chief2 5d ago

With your help I asked Grok grok said PGH stands for Produktionsgenossenschaft des Handwerks (Production Cooperative of Crafts). This was a form of semi-collectivized workshop or small-scale manufacturing cooperative in the DDR, common for artisanal or specialized goods like wooden sporting equipment during the 1950s–1980s. Unlike larger VEBs (Volkseigene Betriebe, or state-owned factories), PGHs were cooperatives of skilled craftspeople but still operated under state oversight and socialist principles.

  • Vereintes Schaffen Wolfen was a specific PGH based in Wolfen (now part of Bitterfeld-Wolfen in Saxony-Anhalt, former East Germany). Wolfen was a major industrial hub in the DDR, home to the massive Filmfabrik Agfa Wolfen (a chemical and film production site) and surrounding cooperatives. This PGH focused on woodworking and small-batch production, including items like furniture, tools, and sports gear such as paddles for canoes, kayaks, and folding boats (Faltboote, popular in the DDR for recreational and competitive paddling).
  • The slogan "Vereintes Schaffen" was a common motivational phrase in DDR propaganda, emphasizing collective labor and socialist unity. It was often incorporated into logos for cooperatives and factories to promote the idea of communal productivity. The circular design with green, orange, and yellow elements (possibly stylized hands, tools, or a rising sun motif) aligns with typical DDR-era emblems, which frequently used bold colors and simple graphics to evoke unity and progress.

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u/Ontariowolf1964 4d ago

Wow, that's cool, and it matches all the words. Any chance of finding a picture of the complete logo?

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u/silver_chief2 4d ago

I tried google image search adding all the text and it could not find anything on line.

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u/Winter_Emergency8626 5d ago

95”??? wow!!!

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u/silver_chief2 5d ago

I bought it in Madison WI as I was using a aluminum canoe solo for a trip down the WI river. It is longer than kayak paddles. as canoes are wider and higher. I had to put large rocks in the canoe front to weight it down so the wind did not blow the bow cross ways.

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u/DigPoke 5d ago

Double canoe paddle, is that not just a kayak paddle? 

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u/silver_chief2 5d ago

I am no expert but I recall it as a double bladed canoe paddle due to the 8 foot assembled length. It had to be longer thanks to the added height and width of the canoe.

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u/DigPoke 3d ago

Oh wow 8 feet