Magdeburg-Halberstadt Railway Company
Encyclopedia
The Magdeburg-Halberstadt Railway Company was a railway in Prussia
. It was nationalized in 1879.
it had already secured the right to continue the line to Brunswick
and Hanover
. The MHE was one of the most profitable German private railways, and two-digit dividends were the rule in the 1860s; it even paid dividends to its shareholders of over 20 percent at times.
The expansion phase of the railway began in 1863 when—at first as a defence against growing competition—it acquired the adjacent lines of the Magdeburg-Wittenberge Railway (Magdeburg-Wittenbergesche Eisenbahn). Critical to the competitiveness of the railway within Prussia was the connection from Berlin
to Hamburg
and Bremen
. In 1867, it obtained the concession for the construction of a line from Berlin via Stendal
to Lehrte
, known as the Lehrter Bahn (Lehrte Railway). It completed the line on 1 December 1871, including the Lehrter Bahnhof (station) in Berlin. Acquisition of the Hanover-Altenbeken Railway Company
(Hannover-Altenbekener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft) gave the MHE access to the Westphalian line and thus to the Ruhr
. With the purchase of more railways—including the highly profitable Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway—the line grew to a length of 1,024 kilometres in 1879. Thus the Magdeburg-Halberstadt Railway was at the time of its nationalization the largest private railway company in Germany.
In 1870, the MHE together with the Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg Railway Company and the Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway Company acquired 55-hectares of land for the construction of Magdeburg station
. The western entrance building built by the Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg Railway was shared by the MHE.
In 1873, the MHE opened the Uelzen–Stendal section of the America Line
, and assumed responsibility for the management of the whole line. The MHE acquired of the Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway Company on 17 March 1876.
In December 1879 the Magdeburg-Halberstadt Railway Company was acquired by the Prussian state after shareholders had approved the takeover bid with the necessary two-thirds majority (13,140 to 6,441 votes).
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. It was nationalized in 1879.
History
The Magdeburg-Halberstadt Railway Company received a concession on 14 January 1842 from the Prussian government to build the 58 km long railway line from Magdeburg–Oschersleben–Halberstadt line, which opened on 15 July 1843. Under a treaty between Prussia and the Kingdom of HanoverKingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
it had already secured the right to continue the line to Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
and Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
. The MHE was one of the most profitable German private railways, and two-digit dividends were the rule in the 1860s; it even paid dividends to its shareholders of over 20 percent at times.
The expansion phase of the railway began in 1863 when—at first as a defence against growing competition—it acquired the adjacent lines of the Magdeburg-Wittenberge Railway (Magdeburg-Wittenbergesche Eisenbahn). Critical to the competitiveness of the railway within Prussia was the connection from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
to Hamburg
Hamburg
-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...
and Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
. In 1867, it obtained the concession for the construction of a line from Berlin via Stendal
Stendal
Stendal is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is the capital of Stendal District and unofficial capital of the Altmark. Its population in 2001 was 38,900. It is located some west of Berlin and around east of Hanover...
to Lehrte
Lehrte
Lehrte is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 17 km east of Hanover. Lehrte is a picturesque town with a population of 45,000 and a modern infrastructure, combined with local culture and an interesting history.-History:The first documented...
, known as the Lehrter Bahn (Lehrte Railway). It completed the line on 1 December 1871, including the Lehrter Bahnhof (station) in Berlin. Acquisition of the Hanover-Altenbeken Railway Company
Hanover-Altenbeken Railway Company
The Hanover-Altenbekener Railway Company was among the companies of the German "railway king" Bethel Henry Strousberg. Its route network at the end of the first phase consisted of two lines, Hanover–Altenbeken and Weetzen–Haste . In addition, a branch line was opened from Linden-Küchengarten to...
(Hannover-Altenbekener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft) gave the MHE access to the Westphalian line and thus to the Ruhr
Ruhr
The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany , a right tributary of the Rhine.-Description:The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet...
. With the purchase of more railways—including the highly profitable Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway—the line grew to a length of 1,024 kilometres in 1879. Thus the Magdeburg-Halberstadt Railway was at the time of its nationalization the largest private railway company in Germany.
In 1870, the MHE together with the Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg Railway Company and the Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway Company acquired 55-hectares of land for the construction of Magdeburg station
Magdeburg Hauptbahnhof
is the main railway station in the city of Magdeburg in the northern part of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.-Importance :The station is the main station of Magdeburg and along with Halle Hauptbahnhof the centre of long-distance rail transport in Saxony-Anhalt...
. The western entrance building built by the Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg Railway was shared by the MHE.
In 1873, the MHE opened the Uelzen–Stendal section of the America Line
America Line
The America Line is the unofficial name of a railway line in northern Germany which is mainly of regional importance today...
, and assumed responsibility for the management of the whole line. The MHE acquired of the Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway Company on 17 March 1876.
In December 1879 the Magdeburg-Halberstadt Railway Company was acquired by the Prussian state after shareholders had approved the takeover bid with the necessary two-thirds majority (13,140 to 6,441 votes).
See also
- Adolph von HansemannAdolph von HansemannAdolph von Hansemann was an Imperial German businessman and banker.- Life :Born in Aachen in 1826 to German banker and railroad entrepreneur David Hansemann, Adolph Hansemann developed an early interest in business administration. He left home for Hamburg in 1841...
, who directed the construction of the Berlin–Lehrte railway