Main ferry ride

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The ferry in Fahr am Main

The Main ferry Fahr is a free-moving passenger, cyclist and car ferry on the Main , which operates all year round between the Volkach district of Fahr in the Lower Franconian district of Kitzingen and the Eisenheim district of Kaltenhausen in the district of Würzburg. The ferry is the only free-moving one on the Volkacher Mainschleife.

history

The history of the ferry is closely linked to that of Fahr. Fahr was already a traffic junction of the Mainschleife in prehistoric times , as the two crossed oars in the town seal indicate. Likewise, the relevant village name Fahr , as the crossing with the ferry, is an indication of the central importance of Fahr and the early start of the ferry service on site.

The ferry was first mentioned on September 5, 1479. An arbitration ruling by the Hauger Stift , village lord of Fahr, reorganized the ferry rights: From then on, the men from Untereisenheim were also to be brought across the Main. In the period that followed, the monastery increasingly gave ferry rights to the local mayor and another citizen, both of whom had to pay interest to the Haug monastery.

The driver's coat of arms with the two crossed oars indicates the early existence of the ferry

In the course of secularization, the village came to the Kingdom of Bavaria . The new masters sold the ferry rights to private individuals soon afterwards, so that Philipp Scheuring from Hirschfeld received the ferry in 1803. In 1825 his sons Kaspar and Georg Scheuring inherited the ferry rights. The next generation of ferrymen, Christoph Scheuring, received the right to use the ferry in the village in 1852. Christoph Scheuring was the last of his family to hold the ferry rights.

The correction of the Main in 1865 resulted in gravel islands forming at the Main crossing. In the course of the German War in 1866, the islands were removed. Two years later, in 1868, the drivers wrote to the royal Bavarian government asking the ferrymen to set up a flying bridge . The number of crossings had previously increased sharply and the ferrymen were visibly overwhelmed. After some hesitation, Christoph Scheuring received approval on August 31, 1869.

In 1910, between June 20th and July 2nd, the Bogtnachen ferry was converted into a high-wire ferry. The state took over the construction costs, with the ferrymen having to bear all future repair costs. Again the ferry was renewed in 1928. The ferryman Michael Nicola ordered a new ferry with an iron hull from the Bayerische Schiffbaugesellschaft in Erlenbach am Main .

The ferry survived World War II without major damage, although it was more frequently the target of attacks as the bombing war expanded in the final years of the war. After the war, the number of crossings, especially commuters to Würzburg , rose again. In 1957, an inspection by the TÜV revealed serious defects in the ferry, which should be remedied immediately. The ferrymen hesitated and the ferry service was subsequently discontinued.

The frequent complaints from commuters and farmers who owned fields on the other side of the Main led to the issue of a ferry permit to the municipality of Fahr on February 25, 1958. A new ferry was purchased by July 1958. In 1960 the ferry was rebuilt. Today the ferry between Fahr and Kaltenhausen runs all year round, it is only closed during major floods and ice drifts in the Main.

technology

The ferry in Fahr has undergone several changes over the centuries. On the basis of the ferry, the perfection of the river crossing can also be seen. At the beginning of the 20th century, the bar ferry was converted into a high-wire ferry. Previously, a simple boat had brought people across the Main for centuries . Already in 1869 the ferry was equipped with a rope and changed to a yaw ferry .

Further improvements quickly followed. In 1928 an iron ferry came to the Main crossing. The boat was 14.5 m long, 4.4 m wide and 1.1 m high. In 1958 Fahr received the ferry, which is still commuting today. It was a boat made in 1945 that was previously used in Frickenhausen . Initially, it was again designed as a high-wire ferry, in 1960 it was equipped with a motor and is now the only free-moving ferry on the Mainschleife.

See also

literature

  • Stefan Meusert: The ferry system in Fahr . In: Ute Feuerbach (Ed.): Our Main Loop 1993-2007 . Volkach 2008. pp. 115-121.
  • Herbert Meyer: Fahr am Main 800-1500 . In: Ute Feuerbach (Ed.): Our Main Loop 1978–1992 . Volkach 2008. pp. 247-255.

Web links

Commons : Mainfähre Fahr  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Meyer, Herbert: Fahr am Main 800-1500 . P. 251.
  2. Meusert, Stefan: The ferry system in driving . P. 115.
  3. a b Meusert, Stefan: The Fährwesen in driving . P. 118.

Coordinates: 49 ° 52 ′ 31.8 "  N , 10 ° 9 ′ 47.8"  E