The Future of Travel - Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei Company

Frankfurt on Main Historic Images in Public Domain

This exhibition of photographs from The National Archives was produced in 2000 as part of a larger exhibition put together by partners in the Safeguarding European Photographic Images for Access (SEPIA) project. Institutions from across Europe provided images from their own holdings showing transport of all kinds across the Continent. The collection shows the technical development; the marvels of design and construction that improvements in transport spawned. Transport has fundamentally altered the world in which we live and these images cover everything from horsepower to airpower.

The main types of airship are non-rigid, semi-rigid, and rigid. Non-rigid airships, often called "blimps", rely on internal pressure to maintain the shape of the airship. Semi-rigid airships maintain the envelope shape by internal pressure but have a supporting structure. Rigid airships have an outer structural framework which maintains the shape and carries all structural loads, while the lifting gas is contained in internal gas bags or cells. Rigid airships were first flown by Count Zeppelin and the vast majority of rigid airships built were manufactured by the firm he founded. As a result, all rigid airships are sometimes called zeppelins. In early dirigibles, the lifting gas used was hydrogen, due to its high lifting capacity and ready availability. Helium gas has almost the same lifting capacity and is not flammable, unlike hydrogen, but is rare and relatively expensive. Airships were most commonly used before the 1940s, but their use decreased over time as their capabilities were surpassed by those of aeroplanes.

The LZ 129 Hindenburg was a German passenger airship that was built in the 1930s. It was the largest aircraft of its time and was one of the most advanced airships ever built. It was named after the former German President Paul von Hindenburg and was often referred to simply as the "Hindenburg." The airship was used for transatlantic flights and made several successful journeys between Germany and the United States. However, it is most famous for its tragic end: on May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg caught fire and crashed in New Jersey, killing 36 people. The disaster marked the end of the era of passenger-carrying airships. Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH best known for its leading role in the design and manufacture of rigid airships, commonly referred to as Zeppelins, was founded by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in 1908. Luftschiffbau Zeppelin became the leading manufacturer of large lighter-than-air vehicles. During the First World War, Zeppelins were employed as the first long-distance strategic bombers. After World War One all remaining zeppelins were claimed by the Allies as war reparations. Following Count von Zeppelin's death in 1917, control of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin fell to Dr. Hugo Eckener, an enthusiastic proponent of the civil value of airships who led the construction of the largest rigid airships in history, including the LZ 129 Hindenburg. The LZ Group's capital contribution came primarily from its two airships LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin and LZ 129 Hindenburg. A transatlantic airline Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei (German Zeppelin Transport Company) was incorporated on 22 March 1935 as a joint venture between Zeppelin Luftschiffbau, the Ministry of Aviation, and Deutsche Luft Hansa. In the mid-1930s it operated commercial passenger zeppelin flights including regular transatlantic service to South and North America. Hugo Eckener intended to run against Hitler in the 1932 presidential election and after the Nazis won, Reich Minister of Aviation Hermann Göring created a special agency to extend Party control over LZ Group. On 6 May 1937, the LZ 129 Hindenburg caught fire and exploded while mooring in Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 35 people as well as Ernst Lehmann, the Company director. Hindenburg was covered by insurance of 6 million RM, which was paid in full, but the loss of future passenger revenue was not. Public confidence in Zeppelin travel had also been shattered and the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was immediately grounded on its return flight from Brazil on 8 May 1937. The last pre-war german airship LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin II was launched in September 1938. Over the next 11 months, Graf Zeppelin II made 30 test, promotional, and propaganda tours around Europe. With the advent of World War II, it flew for the last time on 20 August 1939 and never entered the transatlantic passenger service for which it was built. All airships were scrapped in 1940 to produce combat aircraft. On 6 May 1940, a Wehrmacht demolition team destroyed the hangar complexes at Frankfurt Airport. During the Second World War, the company facilities were hit by Allied bombing raids.