Hindenburg candle
The Hindenburg light , named after Paul von Hindenburg (as commander-in-chief of the German army), was used in the trenches of the First World War , but also in the air raid shelter during the Second World War or as emergency lighting when the electricity was blocked or darkened.
It consists of a flat cardboard bowl approx. 5 to 8 cm in diameter with a 1 to 1.5 cm high rim. The shape is similar to the lid of a screw-top jar. The cardboard was soaked in grease , which made it water-repellent and somewhat dimensionally stable. This flat bowl was filled with a wax-like fat ( sebum ). A short, wide wick in the middle was lit and brought light for a few hours. After a short time the fat had melted. To prevent the wick from falling over, it was placed in a foot made of suitable material.
The Hindenburg light found a late successor in the “can light”. A holder with two wicks stands in a wax-filled tin can . If both are ignited, a common, tongue-shaped flame forms above the can light, which is significantly brighter than the flame of a single wick. This can light has proven itself for emergency lighting and is still available from the manufacturer. The canned light was introduced to the German armed forces for a long time and was part of the "standard lantern ".
The well-known successor to the Hindenburg candle is the tea light that is widely used today .
