Upper Hessian Railway Company
Encyclopedia
The Upper Hessian Railway Company (Oberhessische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft) was a private concern whose aim was to build and run railway lines in the province of Upper Hesse
in the Grand Duchy of Hesse
, a state within the German Empire
in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Whilst the Main-Weser railway
had linked Wetterau
, a town in the western part of the province of Upper Hesse, to the new mode of transport as early as 1850-1852, much of the area, around the Vogelsberg
, remained without any railway connexions for years. Not until 1868/69 was the Upper Hessian Railway Company founded with assistance from the Frankfurt banking house, Erlanger & Söhne, and with the financial support of the state of Hesse.
It contracted a Belgian company to build routes from the railway hub of Giessen to Gelnhausen
(Lahn-Kinzig railway) and Fulda
(Vogelsbergbahn). On 29 December 1869 services were opened from Giessen to Hungen
, on 29 June 1870 to Nidda
and on 30 October 1870 to Büdingen. The entire route of the Lahn-Kinzig railway to Gelnhausen, that comprised a link line of 70 km length along the western perimeter of the Vogelsberg
to the Kinzigtalbahn, was completed on 30 November 1870.
The 106 km long link from Giessen to Fulda ran through the northern foothills of the Vogelsberg, the first section of which was opened to traffic as far as Grünberg
on 29 December 1869. But further construction on the railway was delayed by the Franco-Prussian War
so that Alsfeld
was not reached until 29 July 1870, Lauterbach
until 30 October 1870 and Bad Salzschlirf
by the end of the same year. The remainder of the Vogelsbergbahn was not completed until 31 July 1871. Twenty-eight kilometres of the two routes lay in Prussian
territory.
The demand for services turned out to be below expectations for both passenger and goods traffic. As a result, the company reached an agreement with the Grand Duchy of Hesse
whereby the state became the owner of the railway from 1 January 1876. The state set up a railway division for the Upper Hessian Railways in the provincial capital of Giessen. This formed the cornerstone for the subsequent Grand Duchy of Hesse State Railways
.
Upper Hesse
The province of Upper Hesse was one of three provinces in the Grand Duchy of Hesse and later the People's State of Hesse. Its territory covers the area of land north of the River Main in the historic region of Upper Hesse...
in the Grand Duchy of Hesse
Grand Duchy of Hesse
The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine , or, between 1806 and 1816, Grand Duchy of Hesse —as it was also known after 1816—was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German...
, a state within the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Whilst the Main-Weser railway
Main-Weser Railway
The Main-Weser Railway is the railway line in central Germany that runs from Frankfurt am Main via Gießen to Kassel and named after the railway company that built the line and also operated it until 1880. It was opened between 1849 and 1852 and was one of the first railways in Germany.- Route...
had linked Wetterau
Wetterau
The Wetterau is a fertile undulating tract, watered by the Wetter, a tributary of the Nidda River, in the western German state of Hesse, between the hilly province Oberhessen and the north-western Taunus mountains....
, a town in the western part of the province of Upper Hesse, to the new mode of transport as early as 1850-1852, much of the area, around the Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany....
, remained without any railway connexions for years. Not until 1868/69 was the Upper Hessian Railway Company founded with assistance from the Frankfurt banking house, Erlanger & Söhne, and with the financial support of the state of Hesse.
It contracted a Belgian company to build routes from the railway hub of Giessen to Gelnhausen
Gelnhausen
Gelnhausen is a town and the capital of the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located approx. 40 kilometers east of Frankfurt am Main, between the Vogelsberg mountains and the Spessart range at the river Kinzig...
(Lahn-Kinzig railway) and Fulda
Fulda
Fulda is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district .- Early Middle Ages :...
(Vogelsbergbahn). On 29 December 1869 services were opened from Giessen to Hungen
Hungen
-Hungen:Hungen is a town in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 20 km southeast of Gießen, and 18 km northeast of Friedberg. Surrounding towns are Laubach to the north, Nidda to the east, Wölfersheim to the south, and Münzenberg and Lich to the west.The history of Hungen...
, on 29 June 1870 to Nidda
Nidda
Nidda could refer to:*Niddah, a concept in Judaism*Niddah , a tractate in the Mishna and Talmud*Nidda, Hesse, a town in Germany*Nidda , a river in Germany...
and on 30 October 1870 to Büdingen. The entire route of the Lahn-Kinzig railway to Gelnhausen, that comprised a link line of 70 km length along the western perimeter of the Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg is a municipality in the Sömmerda district of Thuringia, Germany....
to the Kinzigtalbahn, was completed on 30 November 1870.
The 106 km long link from Giessen to Fulda ran through the northern foothills of the Vogelsberg, the first section of which was opened to traffic as far as Grünberg
Grünberg
Grünberg is a town in the district of Gießen, in Hesse, Germany.- Neighbouring communities :To the north Grünberg borders the municipality Rabenau and the town Homberg , to the east the municipality Mücke , to the south the town Laubach and to the west the municipality Reiskirchen.- Constituent...
on 29 December 1869. But further construction on the railway was delayed by the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
so that Alsfeld
Alsfeld
Alsfeld is a town in the center of Hesse, somewhere in Germany. Large towns nearby are Bad Hersfeld about 33 km to the east, Fulda 36 km to the southeast, Gießen 47 km to the west and Marburg an der Lahn about 36 km to the northwest...
was not reached until 29 July 1870, Lauterbach
Lauterbach
-Places:Austria* Lauterbach, Austria, a village in Brixen im Thale in the Kitzbühel MountainsGermany* Lauterbach, Baden-Württemberg in the district of Rottweil* Lauterbach, Hesse in Vogelsberg district* Lauterbach, Thuringia in the district of Wartburgkreis...
until 30 October 1870 and Bad Salzschlirf
Bad Salzschlirf
Bad Salzschlirf is a municipality in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany....
by the end of the same year. The remainder of the Vogelsbergbahn was not completed until 31 July 1871. Twenty-eight kilometres of the two routes lay in Prussian
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
territory.
The demand for services turned out to be below expectations for both passenger and goods traffic. As a result, the company reached an agreement with the Grand Duchy of Hesse
Grand Duchy of Hesse
The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine , or, between 1806 and 1816, Grand Duchy of Hesse —as it was also known after 1816—was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German...
whereby the state became the owner of the railway from 1 January 1876. The state set up a railway division for the Upper Hessian Railways in the provincial capital of Giessen. This formed the cornerstone for the subsequent Grand Duchy of Hesse State Railways
Grand Duchy of Hesse State Railways
The Grand Duchy of Hesse State Railways belonged to the Länderbahnen at the time of the German Empire. In the 19th century, the Grand Duchy of Hesse consisted of three provinces. Between the rivers Rhine, Main and Neckar the province of Starkenburg embraced the Odenwald and the Hessian Ried...
.
Literature
- Arthur von Mayer: Geschichte und Geographie der Deutschen Eisenbahnen, Berlin 1894
See also
- Grand Duchy of HesseGrand Duchy of HesseThe Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine , or, between 1806 and 1816, Grand Duchy of Hesse —as it was also known after 1816—was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German...
- Grand Duchy of Hesse State RailwaysGrand Duchy of Hesse State RailwaysThe Grand Duchy of Hesse State Railways belonged to the Länderbahnen at the time of the German Empire. In the 19th century, the Grand Duchy of Hesse consisted of three provinces. Between the rivers Rhine, Main and Neckar the province of Starkenburg embraced the Odenwald and the Hessian Ried...
- History of rail transport in GermanyHistory of rail transport in GermanyGerman Railway history began with the opening of the steam-hauled Bavarian Ludwig Railway between Nuremberg and Fürth on 7 December 1835. This had been preceded by the opening of the horse-hauled Prince William Railway on 20 September 1831...
- Prussian state railwaysPrussian state railwaysThe term Prussian state railways encompasses those railway organisations that were owned or managed by the State of Prussia...
External links
- There is an English-language discussion forum at Railways of Germany