I believe first heard "A hundred years ago" sung by Bernd Gerken, a German who served his national service on the Gorch Fock (the German Navy School Ship). It wasn't until I played with an old German seaman, Ernst Richter, that I became interested in this song.
Ernst and I played together, he an accordionist and myself on concertina, for a folk-dance group, "De Blomenthaler" for some 9 months in 1993 and one evening he suggested a number of German sea songs that I should sing. Without further ado I acquired Hiev Rund and Die Seemannskiste Volume 1. Lo an behold, "A hundred years ago" was one the first songs that I recognised and so took into my repertoire.
It may be of interest to people outside Germany or indeed some Germans, to know that there are many English language German sea songs, this is one of them. This song may be found in the Tyneside Maritime Chorus songbook but not yet in my personal repertoire

Lyrics