Austria (ship)

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Austria
Austria after the renovation in 2019 (Michael Häfner)
Austria after the renovation in 2019 (Michael Häfner)
Ship data
flag AustriaAustria Austria
Ship type Passenger ship
home port Bregenz (since 1945)
Lindau (1938–1945)
Shipping company Museumsschiff Oesterreich GmbH (since 2016)
Vorarlberg Lines-Bodenseeschifffahrt (2006–2015)
Austrian Federal Railways (1947–2006)
Deutsche Reichsbahn (1938–1945)
Austrian Federal Railways (1928–1938)
Shipyard Korneuburg shipyard
Commissioning July 29, 1928
Ship dimensions and crew
length
54.4 m ( Lüa )
width 9.8 m
Draft Max. 1.75 m
displacement 366
Machine system
Machine
performance
600 hp (441 kW)
Top
speed
15.7 kn (29 km / h)
propeller 2 × Zeise propellers
Transport capacities
Permitted number of passengers 600
from 2015 to 2019 the ship was dismantled to the state of 1928 (Photo: Michael Häfner)
The MS Oesterreich before dismantling in regular passenger traffic in front of the Pfänder (2009)

The motor ship Austria is a passenger ship that was used in inland waterway traffic on Lake Constance until 2009 . Since 2016 it has been called "Museumsschiff OESTERREICH" and is used for excursions and charter trips.

history

The extremely luxuriously furnished Art Deco style ship was manufactured, prefabricated, assembled on a trial basis in the Korneuburg shipyard , transported dismantled by train to Bregenz and finally assembled in a dry dock . Construction work in Bregenz began on February 20, 1928. In spring, the hull was towed from the Bludenz steamship to Romanshorn and the engines installed. Then, after the return to Bregenz, the final assembly took place. On June 22, 1928, the water was washed out. Commissioned as Austria on July 29, 1928 and inaugurated by the abbot of the Mehrerau monastery , Kassian Haid . She was the first Austrian Lake Constance passenger ship with a diesel engine and twin screw drive. She sailed under the Austrian flag , her home port was Bregenz.

After Austria was annexed to the German Reich , Austria was located in Lindau from 1938 to 1945 , was initially operated by the Deutsche Reichsbahn and confiscated in 1941 by the German Navy , which used it as a torpedo test ship and, equipped with two anti-aircraft guns, for air defense off Immenstaad began. In the last days of the war the ship was moved to Bregenz and was involved in internment in Switzerland. After the end of the war, the ship passed into the possession of the French Navy and was used for the same purpose. In 1948 it was completely dilapidated and handed over to the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), which overhauled it from 1951 to 1953 and put it back into service with modern superstructures under the name of Austria . Since the commissioning until 2006, with the interruption from 1938 to 1948, the ship was operated by the ÖBB. Since then it has belonged to Vorarlberg Lines-Bodenseeschifffahrt (VLB) and was the oldest ship in the fleet.

The Austria was also the subject of a postage stamp to the Austrian Stamp Day 2009, marked M. Rosenfeld. On the white edge of the stamp sheet is the box vöph in the upper right corner , above "Schiffspost in Österreich", on the right a round stamp "Bregenz: Österr (.) Bodensee-Schiffahrt: 13 (.) 9 (.) (19) 56 - 18 (Clock), the value of the mark is 265 + 130 cents.

The ship had been in need of overhaul in the Fußach shipyard since autumn 2009 , but the owner had not yet made a decision about its future. An initiative to “rescue” Austria was started in 2010. An association founded for this purpose, Freundeskreis Museumsschiff Österreich , acquired the ship at the beginning of 2015. The future of the ship initially remained uncertain.

On March 6, 2019, shortly before 2 p.m., the Österreich left the port of Fussach for the first test run after the renovation. On April 18, 2019, the new ship was christened at a press conference by Bishop Benno Elbs and the official maiden voyage after the renovation and dismantling.

Technical specifications

The renovation and dismantling from 2015 took 33 months (pure construction time). Since then, the motor ship (MS) Austria has had the following technical data:

  • Overall length: 54.40 meters
  • Width overall: 9.90 meters
  • Maximum draft: 1.60 meters
  • Seats: 282, 140 of them below deck
  • Top speed: 15.7  knots (29  km / h )
  • Machines: 2x8 cylinder Scania truck engines V-Diesel DI16 080 with exhaust gas afterburning
  • Machine power: 2 x 385 kW
  • Electric generator power: 180  kVA

From the entire original ship from 1913, the hull as well as the drive shafts and their bearings have been preserved. Most of the parts had to be replaced. Originally the MS Austria had two submarine diesel engines from the Grazer Waggonfabrik , which were later replaced by two engines from locomotives. The 2015 renovation made it possible to significantly reduce the space required for the drive engines (now two Scania truck engines).

The MS Austria can only be used to a limited extent by people with limited mobility; bicycles and dogs are not allowed. Heeled shoes are not permitted on the MS Austria.

costs

The total investment costs for the renovation were over 9.5 million euros. Of this, around 8.5 million euros for ship renovation, which would roughly correspond to the construction of a new ship. 800,000 euros were spent on the country kitchen. The renovation and dismantling of the MS Austria was financed by private funds and public subsidies (e.g. State of Vorarlberg , Interreg ). The public funding totaled 2.2 million euros, of which 1.2 million came from Interreg.

The costs for the further operation of the ship are partly covered by sponsorships by private individuals and companies.

business

The paddle steamer Hohentwiel and MS Austria are marketed together under the umbrella brand: Historische Schifffahrt Bodensee and charter trips are also carried out with both ships (e.g. for weddings ). The MS Österreich is operated (shipping company) by Museumsschiff Oesterreich GmbH . The ship is owned by the Förderverein Museumsschiff OESTERREICH supported by the Freundeskreis MS Oesterreich e. V.

See also

literature

  • Klaus von Rudloff, Claude Jeanmaire a. a .: Shipping on Lake Constance Vol 3: Start of motor shipping. Verlag Eisenbahn, Villigen AG 1987, ISBN 3-85649-072-8 .

Web links

Commons : Austria  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Width empty: 7.4 m
  2. Empty weight: 241 t
  3. According to other information, 700 people
  4. Friends of the Museum Ship OESTERREICH
  5. According to the Schiffszeitung der Historischen Schifffahrt Bodensee , 2019, the interior furnishings were designed and delivered by the Viennese company Portois & Fix according to their own designs.
  6. Schiffszeitung der Historischen Schifffahrt Bodensee , 2019.
  7. ^ Die Österreich on bodenseeschifffahrt.de , accessed on November 27, 2010
  8. ^ Austria on postage stamp ( Memento from January 13, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  9. Austria, 11.9. 2009, postfr, * °, Stamp Day 2009 - DDSG, RO ebay.at, September 9, 2020, remaining time until August 9, 2020, accessed August 8, 2020.
  10. ^ Association of Friends of the Museum Ship Austria
  11. IBV , future of the MS Austria , evening trip for the MS Austria , trouble around the Bodensee ship
  12. Florian Scholz: Shipyard in Fussach. Retrieved March 23, 2019 .
  13. A happy day for everyone. In: Vorarlberger Nachrichten of April 19, 2019, p. C10.
  14. Information according to the press conference on April 18, 2019 and press kit and brochure: Austria - Bodensee-Motorschifffahrten 2019 .
  15. Brochure: Austria - Bodensee Motorschifffahrt 2019 .
  16. a b Information according to the press conference on April 18, 2019 and press kit and brochure: Austria - Bodensee-Motorschifffahrten 2019 .
  17. Commercial register number: 455287s, VAT number: ATU71147458, start date of the legal form: June 13, 2016.
  18. ZVR number 097879045, seat in Hard, chairman Jürgen Zimmermann, delivery address: Scheffelstraße 8, 6900 Bregenz.