Great International Horse Railroad Company

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The Große Internationale Pferdebahn-Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft was a Berlin horse-drawn railway company in the early stages of the history of the tram in Berlin . The company existed from 1872 to 1886 and owned a five-kilometer route, but had neither its own horses, wagons nor its own staff.

history

The Danish engineer A. W. Møller, who was simultaneously working on the installation of horse- drawn trams in Copenhagen and Hamburg , received permission from the Prussian Minister of Commerce von Itzenplitz to construct and operate a horse-drawn tram from Berlin to Charlottenburg for five years on December 11, 1863 . After a detailed examination of the project, there were minor changes in the course of the project. Møller also expressed the wish to extend the concession to ten years and to add another line from Dönhoffplatz through Leipziger Strasse and Potsdamer Strasse to Schöneberg . Both projects were complied with in the concession granted on March 23, 1864. On April 11 of the same year, the ministry approved the transfer of the concession to a company in order to facilitate the financing of the project. The then founded Berlin Horse Railway Company E. Besckow was to set up both routes, for which costs of 510,000  thalers (1,530,000  marks ) were planned. Since the company could only raise the 280,000 thalers (840,000 marks) for the Charlottenburg line, Møller retained the concession for the Schöneberger line. For the construction of the line, there should also have been objections from residents and road law and road construction problems. Among other things, it was necessary to uncover and widen Potsdamer Platz , Potsdamer Strasse and Potsdamer Brücke .

Together with Hermann Geber , Møller asked the Berlin city council in 1872 to approve the construction of the Schöneberg line. As compensation for the costs to be raised, they also asked for the concession for another line. The Berlin magistrate rejected the project in agreement with the city council. Møller sold the concession to the Great International Horse Railway Company. This was founded on March 9 or 15, 1872.

In the years that followed, the “Internationale” was unable to raise the funds required to build the Dönhoffplatz - Leipziger Platz - Potsdamer Platz - Schöneberg line. At the beginning of 1878 the Berlin police chief demanded the deposit of 510,000 marks within four weeks if the license expired in the event of incapacity. The company therefore approached the Great Berlin Horse Railway (GBPfE), which then took over the construction on its own account. On April 1, 1879, the line went into operation from Leipziger Platz via Potsdamer Platz to Lützowstrasse . The GBPfE tracks were used between Potsdamer Platz and Leipziger Platz. On April 24, 1879, the section from Lützowstrasse to Schöneberger Dorfanger followed on the main road . The GBPfE provided staff and vehicles.

On July 1, 1879, the “Internationale” concluded a company leasing contract with the “Große Berliner”, as a result of which the first company was liquidated in 1886. The section from Dönhoffplatz to Leipziger Platz, which was initially included in the concession, went into operation on November 7, 1880 and was owned by GBPfE from the start.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Arne Hengsbach: The first Berlin horse tram and its prehistory . In: Berliner Verkehrsblätter . 23rd year, no. November 11 , 1976, p. 220-224 .
  2. ^ A b c Eduard Buchmann: The development of the great Berlin tram and its significance for the development of traffic in Berlin . Julius Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg 1910, p. 2-9 .
  3. ↑ a b Michael Kochems: trams and light rail in Germany. Volume 14: Berlin - Part 2. Tram, trolleybus . EK-Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau 2013, ISBN 978-3-88255-395-6 , p. 57 .
  4. ^ Author collective: Tram Archive 5. Berlin and the surrounding area . transpress VEB Verlag for Transport, Berlin 1987, ISBN 3-344-00172-8 , p. 52 .