In peacetime, Deutsche Werft built merchant ships, such as the HAPAG turbo-electric cargo ships Antilla and Orizaba.
In World War II Deutsche Werft built 113 Type IX and XXIIIU-boats for the Kriegsmarine. To this end, it operated three camps directly on the company premises (the Deutsche Werft construction site camp, Deutsche Werft Finkenwärder camp and the Rüschkanal Eastern workers' camp),[1] was involved in five camps in the Finkenwerder district and six in the port area, as well as nine camps in the city area. In addition, there were the camps at the Reiherstiegwerft shipyard, which also belonged to Deutsche Werft.[1]