Berlin-Anhaltische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft
Encyclopedia
The Berlin-Anhalt Railway Company (German
: Berlin-Anhaltische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, BAE) was a railway company in Prussia
. The railway connection between Berlin
and Köthen, built by the BAE, was one of the first long-distance railways in Germany
.
, the BAE built a network of important railway connections between Berlin and the northern parts of the Kingdom of Saxony
, the Prussian Province of Saxony
, and the duchy of Anhalt
, with a total length of 430 kilometers at its apex.
An initial plan to build a railway between Berlin and Riesa
, which would have connected to the Leipzig-Dresden Railway, failed due to the railway politics of the state of Prussia
. Therefore, in 1836 the company decided to pursue an alternative route in the direction of the duchy of Anhalt, and in 1839 changed its name from Berlin-Sächsische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft to Berlin-Anhaltische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft.
The first railway constructed by the BAE was the 21-kilometer-long line between Köthen and the ducal residency of Dessau
, which opened on the 1 September 1840. In mid-August 1841, this line was then extended by another 37 kilometers to Wittenberg
, made famous by Martin Luther
.
On the 1 July 1841, the railway ran from the northern terminus of the line, at the Anhalter Bahnhof
in Berlin, for a distance of 63 kilometers to Jüterbog
. The 32-kilometer-long gap between Jüterbog and Wittenberg was closed on the 10 September 1841. This meant that Köthen became the first railway node in Germany, where the new BAE line met with the Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway, which had opened for service on 9 June 1840.
It took until 1848 before the company was able to complete the original plan of running a rail line from Jüterbog via Falkenberg
to Riesa. On the 2 July 1848 trains started to travel to Herzberg
an der Elster, and on the 1 October 1848 they reached Röderau/Riesa.
About 10 years later the railways of the Berlin-Anhaltische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft reached the railway nodes of Halle (Saale) and Leipzig. From the 17 August 1857, a line ran initially from Dessau to Bitterfeld. From the 1 February 1859, two lines traveled from there to Halle and Leipzig. On the 3rd of August 1859, when Wittenberg was connected to Bitterfeld, the railway network of the BAE had grown by another 125 kilometers.
The construction of new lines, as well as the growth of competition from other railway companies, forced the constant adjustment of railway services to correspond with the needs of the day. This meant that the initial railway connection Berlin–Wittenberg–Dessau–Köthen faded in significance and became a branch line (Nebenbahn). At the time, passenger rail traffic experienced steady growth, and with the continued expansion of industrialization, which required reliable supply of fuel and raw material, especially brown coal from the central German strip mines, rail transport saw a growth period.
It was not until the 1870s, however, before the network was further expanded. On the 1 October 1871, the BAE purchased the 13-kilometer-long Anhaltischen Leopoldsbahn, which travels from Rosslau to Zerbst
, and which had originally opened on the 1st of November 1863. On the 1 July 1874, the BAE completed an expansion to Magdeburg, and managed the 5-kilometer-long section to the Anhalt-Prussian border.
On the 15 October 1875, the line between Wittenberg and Falkenberg was put into service, which completed the railway network of the Berlin-Anhaltische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft. The BAE did expand its influence again when it acquired the management rights of the tracks of the Oberlausitzer Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft on the 1 July 1878, which ran from Falkenberg via Elsterwerda
–Hoyerswerda
, and across the Lausitzer Neiße river to Kohlfurt. This line had been opened on the 1 June 1874 and was 148 kilometers in length.
Service opening dates:
At the beginning of 1882, the Prussian state assumed the management of the rail lines of the Berlin-Anhaltische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, and when Prussia also assumed the ownership of the lines four years later, the company dissolved.
The Anhalt railway was one of the most important long-distance railways in Germany at the time of its opening. Some of the first express trains traveled from Berlin via Köthen to Halle, Leipzig, Frankfurt am Main and Munich
, as well as to Dresden, Prague
, and Vienna
via Jüterbog-Röderau. A direct result of these connections was the construction of the monumental Berlin Anhalter Bahnhof.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Berlin-Anhaltische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, BAE) was a railway company in Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. The railway connection between Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Köthen, built by the BAE, was one of the first long-distance railways in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
History
The Berlin-Anhalt Railway Company was one of the most important railway companies in Germany for about four decades in the 19th century. In addition to the main Anhalt RailwayAnhalt Railway
The Anhalt railway , most commonly referred to as the Berlin-Halle railway , is a twin-track, electrified main line found in the German city-state of Berlin, and the states of Brandenburg and Sachsen-Anhalt...
, the BAE built a network of important railway connections between Berlin and the northern parts of the Kingdom of Saxony
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...
, the Prussian Province of Saxony
Province of Saxony
The Province of Saxony was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1945. Its capital was Magdeburg.-History:The province was created in 1816 out of the following territories:...
, and the duchy of Anhalt
Anhalt
Anhalt was a sovereign county in Germany, located between the Harz Mountains and the river Elbe in Middle Germany. It now forms part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.- Dukes of Anhalt :...
, with a total length of 430 kilometers at its apex.
An initial plan to build a railway between Berlin and Riesa
Riesa
Riesa is a town in the district of Meißen in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is located at the river Elbe, approx. 40 km northwest of Dresden.The world's first 110 kV power line was inaugurated between Riesa and Lauchhammer in 1912....
, which would have connected to the Leipzig-Dresden Railway, failed due to the railway politics of the state of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. Therefore, in 1836 the company decided to pursue an alternative route in the direction of the duchy of Anhalt, and in 1839 changed its name from Berlin-Sächsische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft to Berlin-Anhaltische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft.
The first railway constructed by the BAE was the 21-kilometer-long line between Köthen and the ducal residency of Dessau
Dessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
, which opened on the 1 September 1840. In mid-August 1841, this line was then extended by another 37 kilometers to Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
, made famous by Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
.
On the 1 July 1841, the railway ran from the northern terminus of the line, at the Anhalter Bahnhof
Anhalter Bahnhof
The Anhalter Bahnhof is a former railway terminus in Berlin, Germany, approximately 600 metres southeast of Potsdamer Platz. Although the station was closed in 1952, the name lives on in the Berlin S-Bahn station of the same name.- Early days :...
in Berlin, for a distance of 63 kilometers to Jüterbog
Jüterbog
Jüterbog is a historic town in north-eastern Germany, located in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg. It is located on the Nuthe river at the northern slope of the Fläming hill range, about southwest of Berlin.-History:...
. The 32-kilometer-long gap between Jüterbog and Wittenberg was closed on the 10 September 1841. This meant that Köthen became the first railway node in Germany, where the new BAE line met with the Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway, which had opened for service on 9 June 1840.
It took until 1848 before the company was able to complete the original plan of running a rail line from Jüterbog via Falkenberg
Falkenberg
Falkenberg is a locality and the seat of Falkenberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 18,972 inhabitants in 2005.The town has a population of 19,000 and is located at the mouth of the river Ätran. The name consists of the Swedish words for falcon and mountain...
to Riesa. On the 2 July 1848 trains started to travel to Herzberg
Herzberg (Elster)
Herzberg is a town in the Elbe-Elster district of the German federal state of Brandenburg.-Overview:As of 2004, its population is 10,968 and the mayor is Michael Oecknigk of the Christian Democratic Union....
an der Elster, and on the 1 October 1848 they reached Röderau/Riesa.
About 10 years later the railways of the Berlin-Anhaltische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft reached the railway nodes of Halle (Saale) and Leipzig. From the 17 August 1857, a line ran initially from Dessau to Bitterfeld. From the 1 February 1859, two lines traveled from there to Halle and Leipzig. On the 3rd of August 1859, when Wittenberg was connected to Bitterfeld, the railway network of the BAE had grown by another 125 kilometers.
The construction of new lines, as well as the growth of competition from other railway companies, forced the constant adjustment of railway services to correspond with the needs of the day. This meant that the initial railway connection Berlin–Wittenberg–Dessau–Köthen faded in significance and became a branch line (Nebenbahn). At the time, passenger rail traffic experienced steady growth, and with the continued expansion of industrialization, which required reliable supply of fuel and raw material, especially brown coal from the central German strip mines, rail transport saw a growth period.
It was not until the 1870s, however, before the network was further expanded. On the 1 October 1871, the BAE purchased the 13-kilometer-long Anhaltischen Leopoldsbahn, which travels from Rosslau to Zerbst
Zerbst
Zerbst is a town in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until the administrative reform of 2007, Zerbst was the capital of the Anhalt-Zerbst district. Since the 1 January 2010 local government reform, Zerbst has about 24,000 inhabitants.It is not clear when was it founded;...
, and which had originally opened on the 1st of November 1863. On the 1 July 1874, the BAE completed an expansion to Magdeburg, and managed the 5-kilometer-long section to the Anhalt-Prussian border.
On the 15 October 1875, the line between Wittenberg and Falkenberg was put into service, which completed the railway network of the Berlin-Anhaltische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft. The BAE did expand its influence again when it acquired the management rights of the tracks of the Oberlausitzer Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft on the 1 July 1878, which ran from Falkenberg via Elsterwerda
Elsterwerda
Elsterwerda is a town in the Elbe-Elster district, in southwestern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, 48 km northwest of Dresden, and 11 km southeast of Bad Liebenwerda.-External links:...
–Hoyerswerda
Hoyerswerda
Hoyerswerda is the largest city in the district of Bautzen in the German state of Saxony. It is located in Lusatia, a region where many people speak the Sorbian languages in addition to German.-Geography:...
, and across the Lausitzer Neiße river to Kohlfurt. This line had been opened on the 1 June 1874 and was 148 kilometers in length.
Service opening dates:
- Berlin–Wittenberg–KöthenAnhalt RailwayThe Anhalt railway , most commonly referred to as the Berlin-Halle railway , is a twin-track, electrified main line found in the German city-state of Berlin, and the states of Brandenburg and Sachsen-Anhalt...
(10 September 1841) - Jüterbog–Riesa (1 October 1848)
- Bitterfeld–Leipzig (1 February 1859)
- Bitterfeld–HalleAnhalt RailwayThe Anhalt railway , most commonly referred to as the Berlin-Halle railway , is a twin-track, electrified main line found in the German city-state of Berlin, and the states of Brandenburg and Sachsen-Anhalt...
(1 February 1859) - Zerbst-MagdeburgBiederitz–Dessau railwayThe Biederitz–Dessau railway is a double-tracked, standard gauge, electrified railway line in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt timetabled as 254 and 256. The line begins in Biederitz near Magdeburg and runs via Güterglück and Zerbst to Dessau Hauptbahnhof in Dessau-Roßlau...
(1 July 1874) - Wittenberg–Falkenberg/Elster (15 October 1875)
At the beginning of 1882, the Prussian state assumed the management of the rail lines of the Berlin-Anhaltische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, and when Prussia also assumed the ownership of the lines four years later, the company dissolved.
The Anhalt railway was one of the most important long-distance railways in Germany at the time of its opening. Some of the first express trains traveled from Berlin via Köthen to Halle, Leipzig, Frankfurt am Main and Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, as well as to Dresden, Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
via Jüterbog-Röderau. A direct result of these connections was the construction of the monumental Berlin Anhalter Bahnhof.
External links
- Anhalter Bahn from bahnstrecken.de - in German
- Bahnstrecken im Süden Berlins (includes historical and current information about the Anhalter Bahn) - in German