Magdeburg Hauptbahnhof
Encyclopedia
is the main railway station in the city of Magdeburg
in the northern part of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt
.
the centre of long-distance rail transport in Saxony-Anhalt. It is also connected with the Magdeburg S-Bahn network and the HarzElbeExpress regional rail network.
, on reclaimed land. With the increasing industrialisation and growing importance of Magdeburg, the need for space at stations grew. A central station, however, was not feasible at first.
As the existing railway facilities in Magdeburg became more inadequate the construction of a central station became more urgent. Both the city of Magdeburg and various railway companies conducted lengthy negotiations with the military in regard to buying the grounds of the disused fortress. 1870, the three railway companies, the Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg Railway, the Magdeburg-Halberstädt Railway, Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway finally reached an agreement to buy the 33 hectares of the fortifications.
Each of the two companies built their own entrance building. The Magdeburg-Leipzig built between 1872 and 1882 the eastern entrance building in the style of a Tuscan
palace. Its cladding consisted of sandstone
obtained from Königslutter
. The western entrance building was built by the Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg Railway and was shared with the Magdeburg-Halberstädt Railway. In contrast to the eastern building, Nebra
sandstone was used for the north facade of the western building: its walls were made of bricks faced with stone. Both buildings were of equal length and connected by a passenger and a baggage tunnel.
On 15 May 1873 the first train ran between the new station and the town of Burg
. The official opening took place in 18 August 1873. Construction works continued until 1893. In addition to the passenger station there were also extensive freight facilities.
On 1 July 1923 the first electric train ran from Zerbst to Magdeburg Hauptbahnhof. Electrification had begun in 1910, but had been interrupted by World War I
. From 7 October 1934 electric trains also ran to Halle.
military authorities then demanded the removal of the overhead line equipment and the transfer of the electrical rolling stock as reparations
to the Soviet Union, which was partly returned in the early 1950s in need of repair. The rail network was then electrified for the third time, and electric train operation resumed in 1956. Reconstructed of the main station started in 1946, but without the roof of the historical station was omitted.
In 1974 was the Magdeburg S-Bahn was established. More extensive alterations were made in 1984. In 1992, platforms were altered to allow Intercity-Express operation. In 2003, the pedestrian tunnel was extended to connect the various platforms to an entrance on the western side of the station. The station is being modernised again between 2008 and 2015 at a cost of about €300 million.
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
in the northern part of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
.
Importance
The station is the main station of Magdeburg and along with Halle HauptbahnhofHalle (Saale) Hauptbahnhof
Halle Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in the city of Halle in southern part of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt...
the centre of long-distance rail transport in Saxony-Anhalt. It is also connected with the Magdeburg S-Bahn network and the HarzElbeExpress regional rail network.
History
The current main station is built on the site the Magdeburg Fortress. Several railway companies built lines to Magdeburg between 1839 and 1849, each with their own stations. They were built on the west bank of the ElbeElbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
, on reclaimed land. With the increasing industrialisation and growing importance of Magdeburg, the need for space at stations grew. A central station, however, was not feasible at first.
As the existing railway facilities in Magdeburg became more inadequate the construction of a central station became more urgent. Both the city of Magdeburg and various railway companies conducted lengthy negotiations with the military in regard to buying the grounds of the disused fortress. 1870, the three railway companies, the Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg Railway, the Magdeburg-Halberstädt Railway, Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway finally reached an agreement to buy the 33 hectares of the fortifications.
Construction from 1870
The foundation stone for the new Magdeburg central station was laid in 1870. The companies involved were the Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg Railway and the Magdeburg-Halberstädt Railway, which had been strongly affected by the confined spaces of the stations on the banks of the Elbe. The Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway Company showed no great interest in the new development, however, since its existing situation led to few problems.Each of the two companies built their own entrance building. The Magdeburg-Leipzig built between 1872 and 1882 the eastern entrance building in the style of a Tuscan
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
palace. Its cladding consisted of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
obtained from Königslutter
Königslutter
-External links:*...
. The western entrance building was built by the Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg Railway and was shared with the Magdeburg-Halberstädt Railway. In contrast to the eastern building, Nebra
Nebra
Nebra is a town in the district of Burgenlandkreis of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Unstrut....
sandstone was used for the north facade of the western building: its walls were made of bricks faced with stone. Both buildings were of equal length and connected by a passenger and a baggage tunnel.
On 15 May 1873 the first train ran between the new station and the town of Burg
Burg bei Magdeburg
Burg bei Magdeburg is a town of about 24,700 inhabitants on the Elbe-Havel-Canal in Germany, northeast of Magdeburg. It is situated around a former weir, the Sachsenschleusen...
. The official opening took place in 18 August 1873. Construction works continued until 1893. In addition to the passenger station there were also extensive freight facilities.
On 1 July 1923 the first electric train ran from Zerbst to Magdeburg Hauptbahnhof. Electrification had begun in 1910, but had been interrupted by World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. From 7 October 1934 electric trains also ran to Halle.
Destruction in 1945
On 16 January 1945 the station was hit in a severe air raid on the town. The central station building was completely destroyed and never rebuilt. The eastern entrance building was heavily damaged and the platform halls were partially collapsed. The tracks were littered with bomb craters and the signal boxes were partially destroyed by the bomb.Reconstruction after 1945
At the end of March 1946, the restoration of the electrification was completed on the rail networks in the Soviet occupation zone. The SovietSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
military authorities then demanded the removal of the overhead line equipment and the transfer of the electrical rolling stock as reparations
War reparations
War reparations are payments intended to cover damage or injury during a war. Generally, the term war reparations refers to money or goods changing hands, rather than such property transfers as the annexation of land.- History :...
to the Soviet Union, which was partly returned in the early 1950s in need of repair. The rail network was then electrified for the third time, and electric train operation resumed in 1956. Reconstructed of the main station started in 1946, but without the roof of the historical station was omitted.
In 1974 was the Magdeburg S-Bahn was established. More extensive alterations were made in 1984. In 1992, platforms were altered to allow Intercity-Express operation. In 2003, the pedestrian tunnel was extended to connect the various platforms to an entrance on the western side of the station. The station is being modernised again between 2008 and 2015 at a cost of about €300 million.