Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz Railway

The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich- Franz Railway ( MFFE ) was the national railway company in Mecklenburg -Schwerin and Mecklenburg- Strelitz. From their second nationalization in 1890 until the transfer of the regional railways on the German Reich in 1920 she was the director of the Grand Ducal General Railway Direction in Schwerin.

• 2.1 Mecklenburg railway ferries on the Baltic Sea
• 2.2 War, November Revolution, Empire Railway

Way to the state railway

First Railroads in Mecklenburg

The first railway in Mecklenburg was the Prussian Berlin- Hamburg Railway, which opened in 1846. Stations were built, among others, in Ludwig lust and Hagenow. On March 10, 1846 was awarded the " Mecklenburg railway company" the concession to build a stretch of Hagenow to Schwerin and Wismar and Rostock on Biitzow with a branch line to Güstrow. On May 13, 1850, the route was completed.

The Friedrich- Franz Railway

After the Mecklenburg railway company had built their range, needed an east-west link which should open up the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg -Strelitz.

Teterow - - Malchin - Since financially strong investors missed the route Güstrow Neubrandenburg was built on the initiative of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg -Schwerin as delightful country property. The opening of the line took place on November 11, 1864 at the station Teterow in the presence of both the Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg. 1867 saw the connection of the web over the Prussian border to Strasburg (Uckermark). In Malchin the Directorate set up their headquarters. To pursuing the path to Lübeck, the " Lübeck- Kleinener railway company" that got the concession on December 20, 1865 founded. After 1868 the building had to be discontinued due to lack of funds, the state took over on April 24, 1870, the railroad and commenced operations on July 1, 1870 between small and Lübeck. In Lübeck, the Friedrich -Franz Railway built its own freight station, called Lübeck Mecklenburgischer Rangi (s) rbahnhof. For passenger transport, the Lübeck- Büchener railway station was shared.

First nationalization

The desire for government control of railway construction and railway operations led in 1873 to the nationalization of the railways in Mecklenburg. The Mecklenburg government wanted to forestall a purchase of the railways by the Imperial Railways planned by Bismarck. The operating surplus of the Mecklenburg Railway Company were a result of the acquisition.

On April 20, 1873, the state government acquired the Mecklenburg railway company and united it with the Friedrich- Franz Railway to the " Grand-Ducal -Friedrich- Franz Railway ". The headquarters of the Directorate was moved from Malchin in the state capital Schwerin.

Again private railway

In 1875 the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich- Franz Railway was privatized. Reason was a dispute between the former railway shareholders and the government, since these debts of around 10 million thalers (30 million dollars) could not pay off the purchase path. Outcome of the dispute was the formation of the " Mecklenburg Friedrich -Franz Railway Company " ( MFFE ) as a public company on April 2, 1875. These private-sector railway company existed until the second nationalization on 1 February 1890. Through the MFFE was the construction of a spur track of Malchin for goods.

Between 1875 and 1890, was created by private railway companies a variety of new railway lines.

The Parchim - Ludwigsluster Railway built a line between the eponymous places. By Güstrow Plau railroad a distance of about Plaaz Güstrow was built up by Meyenburg to the Prussian border. The Wismar - Rostock railway provided the direct connection between the two port cities ago. The Gnoien - Teterower railroad closed the city Gnoien on to the rail network. By the Mecklenburg Southern Railway, the construction of the connection between Parchim, Lübz, goods carried (Müritz), Penzlin and Neubrandenburg. The German - Nordic Lloyd built a connection from Neustrelitz about goods to Rostock and Warnemünde. The Wismar - Karow train would connect to the railway junction in Karow, where Southern Railway and Güstrow Plau Railway cruised. Finally, there was the construction of the narrow- Doberan - Heiligendamm railroad.

Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich - Franz Railway

With the second nationalization of 1889/1890 the administration of the State Railway was transferred to the Grand Ducal General Railroad Direction ( GGED ). The train was called since then " Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich- Franz Railway ( MFFE ) "

As a result, all existing nine private railways were acquired by the State, with the acquisition of the larger, more profitable, companies dragged on a little longer. The Lloyd web Parchim - Ludwigsluster Railway and the Southern Railway Mecklenburg until 1894 were incorporated.

The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich- Franz Railway built around the turn of the 20th century a number of routes new. The network of MFFE in Mecklenburg grew from 1890 to 1908 from 1013.2 to 1050.9 kilometers, the whole network of MFFE including their routes in neighboring countries comprised 1908 1148.55 kilometers.

Specifically, at this time the following routes emerged:

• Rostock - ( Bad ) aspic - Tribsees ( with connections to the " Franzburger Southern Railway " and the track Tribsees - Pommern Greifswald (1895 ),
• Schwerin Rehna (1897 )
• Ganzlin - Robel (1899 )
• Crivitz Parchim (1899 )
• Grevesmühlen - Klutz (1905 ),
• Schoenberg Dassow (1905 ),
• Malchin - Dargun (1907 ),
• Heiligendamm Arendsee (now Kühlungsborn West) ( 1910).

Mecklenburg railway ferries on the Baltic Sea

1903, existing since 1886 Postdampfer connection Warnemünde-Nykøbing/Falster was replaced by a railway ferry from Warnemünde to Gedser. The M.F.F.E. built for a new railway station in Warnemünde and a harbor with two Fährbetten. For ferry transport the two ferries Friedrich Franz IV of Mecklenburg and were purchased. The ferry was operated jointly with the Danish State Railways. The ferry made ​​direct through trains from Berlin to Copenhagen possible.

War, November Revolution, Empire Railway

With the First World War, the final chapter of MFFE begins The train service will be switched to the requirements of the war. Train staff to be convened in like never before scope for military service. Railway material had to be given to other railroads, and railway operations was country-and thus coordinated ground across under the supervision of the military.

After the November Revolution and the abdication of the Grand Duke on 13 November 1918 the train was renamed " Mecklenburg country railway " and went, according to the provisions of the Weimar Constitution, 1920 in the Imperial Railways on. Managing Authority for the Imperial Railways in Mecklenburg was the Reichsbahndirektion Schwerin.

Locomotives in Mecklenburg

Mecklenburg was oriented in the procurement of locomotives at the big neighbor Prussia. As far as possible, Prussian pattern were taken. A real Mecklenburg -house development is the T 4, a tank locomotive for branch line operation. Unlike other German railway administrations were of the MFFE no express locomotives procured. The promotion of international trains Berlin - Warnemünde - Gedser - Copenhagen and the fast trains Rostock - Hamburg took over P8, with 100 km / h reached a sufficiently high speed.

An overview of the machines displays the list of Mecklenburg locomotives.

Remembering the M.F.F.E. today

Only little remembered today Mecklenburg former railway: In Schwerin the building of the " Grand Ducal General Railroad Direction", which the railway administration Schwerin housed until its dissolution, on the routes some level indicator with the characteristic MFFE in the middle and the functional but attractive old station building from the early days of the railroad, for example, in Teterow, Malchin and Stavenhagen. Memorabilia of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich - Franz Railway also houses the Museum of the Mecklenburg baths Molli railway "Molli " in the cooling Born- West railway station.