Qingdao–Jinan Railway

The Shandong -Bahn ( in German literature also Shantung Shantung or ), is a railway line in China, which connects Qingdao with some 400 kilometers west nearby provincial capital of Jinan in Shandong province, China.

History

It was built by the Shantung Railway Company, a consortium of several German banks, shipping companies and mining companies, 1899-1904. Technical Director of the company was the first railway engineer Alfred Gaedertz, who had been entrusted with planning tasks. The goal was the development of the hinterland of the German " model colony " Jiaozhou Bay and the improvement of the transport of goods, especially coal and iron ore, which were intended for export to the German Reich. From Jinan they had access to the entire Chinese railway network and thus also on the Siberian railway. In twelve to fourteen days, you could travel from Berlin to Qingdao.

The construction of the railway line provoked strong opposition in the Chinese population. Thus, the construction of the railway line was progressing swiftly, without clarifying the ownership of sufficient and to take the partially sensitive ecosystem of the area regardless of the native population as well. The Company also paid unpunctual or a below-average price for land. In order to break the resistance, let the governor of Jiaozhou Bay, Paul Jaeschke, military in the corresponding regions, among others by Gaomi send. Ongoing disputes and flare-up of the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 led to multiple destruction of the railroad and telegraph lines, which caused further punitive actions on the part of the governor and the joint stock company. After the permanent stationing of soldiers to build a barracks and the systematic destruction of villages and the rural population, it finally came out with no further resistance against the construction of the railway line. The distance between Tsingtao (now Qingdao) and Tsinanfu (today Jinan) was taken in 1904 in operation.