Eisenbahn-Romantik
Encyclopedia
Eisenbahn-Romantik is a German television programme, broadcast by SWR
. It portrays railway-related reports, whose content covers modern railway systems, museum railways and their facilities as well as items on model railway layouts. Politics and criticism is not left out; the series reports on closures, controversial model ideas, delays to reconstruction plans or smart commuter transport concepts. The broadcast has been presented since its inception by
Hagen von Ortloff
.
as a filler between programmes on their third channel, Südwest 3
. Although the first broadcast was especially for railway fans, it was so well received by the public that the programme length was increased from half an hour to 45 minutes.
From 1994 Eisenbahn-Romantik had a fixed half-hour slot. Since autumn 2008 Eisenbahn-Romantik has been broadcast in alternating quarters with the SWR series Rasthaus (literally: "motorway restaurant"). During the winter and summer seasons, Eisenbahn-Romantik is shown weekly; in spring and autumn this slot is taken by Rasthaus.
After the merger of SDR and SWF into SWR in 1998, the whole editing function had to move from Stuttgart
to Baden-Baden
.
Eisenbahn-Romantik is not just broadcast on SWR Fernsehen
, but also on SR Fernsehen, NDR Fernsehen
, hr-fernsehen, MDR Fernsehen and rbb Fernsehen programmes. 3sat
shows several programmes per week on an irregular basis. The average number of viewers is about one million.
The programmes are mainly recorded today by Jo Jung, who shared this task in earlier series with Peter Schurr.
Since the anniversary in December 2006 the programme has been produced and broadcast in 16:9
format.
" by Les Brown
is always played at the beginning of the broadcast and sometimes at the end during the credits. The steam locomotive
99 633
, which is homed at Ochsenhausen
today, has featured in the introduction since the first broadcast in 1991. In addition it appears in the programme logo.
, to the motherland of all steam engines or through the French, Swiss, Italian and Austrian Alps as well as into neighbouring countries of the former Eastern Bloc
.
under the title Bahnzeit
.
Südwestrundfunk
The Südwestrundfunk is a public broadcasting company for the southwest of Germany, specifically the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The company has main offices in three cities: Stuttgart, Baden-Baden and Mainz, with the director's office being in Stuttgart. It is an...
. It portrays railway-related reports, whose content covers modern railway systems, museum railways and their facilities as well as items on model railway layouts. Politics and criticism is not left out; the series reports on closures, controversial model ideas, delays to reconstruction plans or smart commuter transport concepts. The broadcast has been presented since its inception by
Hagen von Ortloff
Hagen von Ortloff
Hagen von Ortloff is a German TV presenter. He is most famous for Eisenbahn-Romantik, a television programme about historical rail travel produced by the television company SWR.After the death of his father in 1957 he spent his childhood with his grandmother in Dresden...
.
History
The series began on 7 April 1991 on SDRSüddeutscher Rundfunk
The Süddeutscher Rundfunk was a German radio and television station operating in the northern part of the state of Baden-Württemberg. It existed from 1949 to 1998, when it was merged with the then Südwestfunk to form the Südwestrundfunk....
as a filler between programmes on their third channel, Südwest 3
SWR Fernsehen
SWR Fernsehen is a German regional television channel targeting the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. It is produced by Südwestrundfunk and is one of eight regional "third channels" broadcast by the ARD members....
. Although the first broadcast was especially for railway fans, it was so well received by the public that the programme length was increased from half an hour to 45 minutes.
From 1994 Eisenbahn-Romantik had a fixed half-hour slot. Since autumn 2008 Eisenbahn-Romantik has been broadcast in alternating quarters with the SWR series Rasthaus (literally: "motorway restaurant"). During the winter and summer seasons, Eisenbahn-Romantik is shown weekly; in spring and autumn this slot is taken by Rasthaus.
After the merger of SDR and SWF into SWR in 1998, the whole editing function had to move from Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
to Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
.
Eisenbahn-Romantik is not just broadcast on SWR Fernsehen
SWR Fernsehen
SWR Fernsehen is a German regional television channel targeting the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. It is produced by Südwestrundfunk and is one of eight regional "third channels" broadcast by the ARD members....
, but also on SR Fernsehen, NDR Fernsehen
NDR Fernsehen
NDR Fernsehen is a regional television channel targeting northern Germany, specifically the states of Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Hamburg and Bremen. It is broadcast by both Norddeutscher Rundfunk and Radio Bremen, although NDR provides most of the output as they are...
, hr-fernsehen, MDR Fernsehen and rbb Fernsehen programmes. 3sat
3sat
3sat is the name of a public, advertising-free, television network in Central Europe. The programming is in German and is broadcast primarily within Germany, Austria and Switzerland .3sat was established for cultural...
shows several programmes per week on an irregular basis. The average number of viewers is about one million.
Production
As a rule the series are pre-recorded. The occasional special broadcast Lange Nacht der Eisenbahn-Romantik ("Long night of railway romance"), an extended version lasting several hours, is transmitted live. In addition to the usual presentation of short reports, Hagen von Ortloff talks to interesting railway fans and railway modellers in the studio.The programmes are mainly recorded today by Jo Jung, who shared this task in earlier series with Peter Schurr.
Since the anniversary in December 2006 the programme has been produced and broadcast in 16:9
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
format.
Themes
A selection of the themes covered to date is given below:- Sauschwänzlebahn
- Glacier ExpressGlacier ExpressThe Glacier Express is an express train connecting railway stations of the two major mountain resorts of St. Moritz and Zermatt in the Swiss Alps. The train is operated jointly by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and Rhaetian Railway...
- ' Zug der Wunder - von Nizza in die Seealpen- "The Wonder Train - Nice to the Maritime Alps"
- EisenbahnausbesserungswerkAusbesserungswerkAn Ausbesserungswerk is a railway facility in German-speaking countries, the primary function of which is the repair of railway vehicles or their components. It is thus equivalent to a 'repair shop' or 'works'...
- Railway repair depots - Das KrokodilCrocodile (locomotive)Crocodile electric locomotives are so called because they have long "noses" at each end, reminiscent of the snout of a crocodile . These contain the motors and drive axles, and are connected by an articulated center section. The center section usually contains the crew compartments, pantographs...
- the Crocodile locomotive - Materialbahn - Goods lines in various countries e. g. in CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
or in the Eastern BlocEastern blocThe term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact... - Miniatur WunderlandMiniatur WunderlandMiniatur Wunderland is a model railway attraction in Hamburg, Germany and the largest of its kind in the world. , the railway consists of of track in HO scale, divided into seven sections: Harz, the fictitious city of Knuffingen, the Alps and Austria, Hamburg, America, Scandinavia, and Switzerland...
– the world's largest H0 model railway layout in the SpeicherstadtSpeicherstadtThe Speicherstadt in Hamburg, Germany is the largest timber-pile founded warehouse district in the world. It is located in the port of Hamburg—within the HafenCity quarter—and was built from 1883 to 1927.The district was built as a free zone to transfer goods without paying customs...
at HamburgHamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... - The SchienenzeppelinSchienenzeppelinThe ' or rail zeppelin was an experimental railcar which resembles a zeppelin airship in appearance. It was designed and developed by the German aircraft engineer Franz Kruckenberg in 1929. Propulsion was by means of a propeller located at the rear, it accelerated the railcar to setting the land...
and the MO187 model railway show in Bad DriburgBad DriburgBad Driburg is a town and spa in Höxter district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, pleasantly situated on the Aa and the historic railway Soest-Höxter-Berlin.... - Pontonbrücke - pontoon bridge at Speyer over the Rhine
- Salzkammergut-Lokalbahn - the branch line at SalzkammergutSalzkammergutThe Salzkammergut is a resort area located in Austria. It stretches from City of Salzburg to the Dachstein mountain range, spanning the federal states of Upper Austria , Salzburg , and Styria . The main river of the region is the Traun, a tributary of the Danube...
- The show reports annually on the new railway models appearing at the Nuremberg International Toy FairNuremberg International Toy FairSpielwarenmesse International Toy Fair Nürnberg is the largest international trade fair for toys and games. Only trade visitors associated with the toy business, journalists and invited guests are admitted...
Title music and logo
The song "Sentimental JourneySentimental Journey (song)
"Sentimental Journey" is a popular song, published in 1944. The music was written by Les Brown and Ben Homer, and the lyrics were written by Arthur Green.-History:...
" by Les Brown
Les Brown (bandleader)
Les Brown, Sr. and the Band of Renown are a big band that began in the late 1930s, initially as the group Les Brown and His Blue Devils that Brown led while a student at Duke University. He was the first president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences...
is always played at the beginning of the broadcast and sometimes at the end during the credits. The steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
99 633
Württemberg Tssd
The Württemberg Tssd was a class of German, narrow gauge, steam locomotive operated by the Royal Württemberg State Railways. They were initially deployed on the Öchsle Railway in 1899 between Biberach an der Riß and Ochsenhausen...
, which is homed at Ochsenhausen
Ochsenhausen
Ochsenhausen is a city in the district of Biberach, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located between the city of Biberach and Memmingen. it has a population of 8,916...
today, has featured in the introduction since the first broadcast in 1991. In addition it appears in the programme logo.
Eisenbahn-Romantik Club
For dedicated fans (including family members for a minimal surcharge) the Eisenbahn-Romantik-Club was founded. It has a magazine and a fan shop.Special rail journeys
On occasions, special railway trips - usually with historic trains and steam traction− are organised and run in Germany and abroad. The film material produced on these trips is then used in the following programme(s). Journeys lasting one or more days have been run, for example, to north of the Arctic CircleArctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
, to the motherland of all steam engines or through the French, Swiss, Italian and Austrian Alps as well as into neighbouring countries of the former Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
.
Similar programmes
A monthly programme, also half-an-hour long and along similar lines, but especially focussed on central Germany, is produced and broadcast by MDRMitteldeutscher Rundfunk
Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk is the public broadcaster for the federal states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt...
under the title Bahnzeit
Bahnzeit
Bahnzeit is a colloquial German term for the 24-hour clock method of timekeeping, long practised by railways in Germany.Bahnzeit may also refer to:...
.