175 years of the Leipzig-Dresden railway
The dawn of a new era
"On 19 July 1838, the regular railway service between Dresden and Weintraube was ceremoniously opened." At least that's how simple it is in a publication issued by the German Model Railway Association of the GDR / Traditionsbahn Radebeul-Radeburg in 1988 to mark the 150th anniversary.
What this event meant for the future development of our Radebeul can only be estimated today.
The private initiative of the national economist Dr Friedrich List (1789-1846), who succeeded in gaining the support of the public and inspiring the Saxon government for this project with a paper printed in 1833 "On a Saxon railway system as the basis of a general German railway system and in particular on the construction of a railway from Leipzig to Dresden", must be acknowledged. To this end, the new form of public limited company was introduced in Saxony.
Radebeul, at that time still a small, insignificant village on the outskirts of Dresden, suddenly found itself in the catchment area of Germany's first long-distance railway. Many technical and organisational problems had to be solved during the construction phase, such as the expropriation of the necessary land or the construction of numerous bridges, etc. In the beginning, for example, there was no manufacturer for important materials in Germany, so that rails, locomotives and even coke had to be imported from England. With the advent of the railway age, distances shrank to just a few hours, which not only simplified the transport of goods, but also meant that more and more people were able to embark on a travelling adventure.
On 9 April 1839, regular passenger and freight services began on the entire line with 16 locomotives, 87 passenger carriages and 47 freight wagons. Initially, only 2 trains travelled in each direction every day, covering the distance in 3 to 4 hours. This would not have been possible with a horse-drawn carriage.
The first and only stop in Lößnitz was at today's Radebeul-Weintraube stop in the Serkowitz area. The small house next to it became a waiting hall with a bar where travellers and day-trippers from Dresden and the surrounding area could enjoy gastronomic delicacies while waiting for their train to depart. This was the start of a development that led to the Lößnitz becoming a popular destination for hikes and walks. Numerous restaurants sprang up and many a visitor and hiker harboured the desire to buy a summer residence in these beautiful surroundings. The construction of villas increased and the population grew. In addition, the railway made it possible for a growing and flourishing industry to move into Radebeul in the 1970s thanks to the transport of goods.
Eventually, the one stop at the Weintraube was no longer sufficient and so the trains also stopped in Kötzschenbroda from 1845 and in Radebeul from 1860. The construction of railway station buildings became increasingly urgent. The first waiting hall was built in Kötzschenbroda in 1868 and the current ensemble of buildings was inaugurated in 1896. Radebeul then built its railway station between 1898 and 1901.
The opening of the Leipzig-Dresden line was commemorated 100 years ago, as the Kötzschenbrodaer Generalanzeiger and the Radebeuler Tageblatt let us know. On the maiden voyage in 1839, three festively decorated trains passed through Lößnitz, consisting of a total of 46 carriages, each with two locomotives, and received a jubilant welcome from the locals. There had been two days of festivities in Dresden and on the return journey to Leipzig, the wagons accommodated King Friedrich August II and his brother, Prince Johann, together with their wives as the most distinguished passengers. Once regular passenger services had begun, tickets could be purchased in three classes. The first year saw 411,000 passengers, a decade later 520,000, and in 1869 over 2 million.
On 7 April 1914, a commemorative event was held at the Kaufmännisches Vereinshaus Leipzig.
Annette Karnatz and Maren Gündel
Published in: Official Gazette Radebeul in April 2014