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Hohentwiel
Operating Area : Bodensee
(Lake Constance) : Germany / Austria /
Switzerland
In
a remarkable story of
preservation, Hohentwiel, which served on Lake Constance (Bodensee) for the
German Railway operators from 1913 to 1962 and did not return to
service until 1990, is now the only paddle steamer on the lake. . Threatened with scrapping after
1979, an international organisation was formed to maintain and
preserve the ship which had been used as a Sailing Club HQ at Bregenz
on the Austrian shore of the lake, and between 1986 and 1989 she was almost totally rebuilt.
Now based in Hard (Austria),
provides special sailings and charters.
Hohentwiel is seen in 2016
at in a photo by Malcolm Oliver.
In Operation : 1913-1962 and
1990-date
Builders : Escher, Wyss (Zurich, Switzerland)
Length : 56.9 m x 6.5 / 13.0 m
Tonnage : Displacement - 365.
Engines : Compound Diagonal : 950 HP
- Escher, Wyss, Zurich - 1913
Top speed : 16.7 knots
Built for the Royal
Wurrtemberg Railways
Two fleet mates sunk in air attack at Fridrichshafen in April 1944.
Hohentwiel remained at Konstanz, escaping damage.
Withdrawn in 1962
In use as a Sailing Club HQ at Bregenz (Austria) with machinery remaining
intact
International Preservation Society established to save vessel from
disposal led to renovation from 1986-1989
The society included German, Swiss and Austrian local authority and
business interests
Two new boilers were installed and the superstructure returned to its
original form
In operation for special sailings and charters since
1990
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Approaching Lindau in 2006 by Andreas Heene
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At Lindau in 2006 by Andreas Heene
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Hohentwiel engines by Andreas Heene : more
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Hohentwiel in 2016 : Photos by kind courtesy of Malcolm Oliver
Above : Aboard Hohentwiel. Click here for more of Malcolm Oliver's photos
HISTORICAL
PADDLE STEAMERS
Go
to Historical Database : Vessels of the German State of
Wurttemberg
Internet Links
:
Hohentwiel
- Official Website
Bodenseeschifffahrt.de
: The internet site with everything about Lake Constance ships, past
and present
LAKE
CONSTANCE
Cruise and ferry
services on Lake Constance have, until recent privatisations, been provided by the fleets of the German,
Swiss and Austrian railways. The German operators, who along with
their international partners, ended paddle steam operation in the
1960s, continue to run large motor vessels of traditional design,
including MV Baden (of 1935) and MV Schwaben (1937) which were
substantially renovated for continued use in the winter of
1998-99.
Two large motor vessels, Kempten and Allgau were scrapped in 2001 and
2002. Allgau , which entered service in 1929 and was taken out of
service after the 1999 season was a landmark vessel to the extent
that it represented German railways moving away from paddle and steam
propulsion for its major vessels, the paddler Stadt Uberlingen also
of 1929 being the last of her type on the lake. Despite her
historical importance, the cost of renovation of Allgau was felt to
be too much and she was broken up at
Fussach. At the end of 2005, the 1935-built Uberlingen was taken out of service
and scrapped shortly afterwards, leaving even fewer of the classically-styled
motor vessels in the German fleet.
Return
to
Paddle Steamer List
Bodensee German Fleet -Historical
Historical
Database - details of Swiss and Austrian fleets
