Mitropa
Encyclopedia
Mitropa is a catering
company best known for having managed sleeping
and dining car
s of different German railways for most of the 20th century. Since its reorganization in 2002, the company only provides stationary food services for rail and road customers. The name Mitropa is a derivative of "" (German, for Central Europe
). The railway carriages displayed a distinct burgundy-red livery with the Mitropa logo.
on 24 November 1916, as . Its founders included different railway companies in German
and Austro-Hungarian Empires, who discontinued the service provided by the enemy-owned Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL). After the war, CIWL was able to take over most routes in Central Europe outside of Germany, while Mitropa maintained most of its routes within Germany as well as routes to the Netherlands
and Scandinavia
. The company prospered between the wars
and managed about 750 coaches by 1940, however never came close to the size of CIWL.
After World War II
and the division of Germany, Mitropa AG became the catering company for the Deutsche Reichsbahn, the national railway of East Germany. Mitropa AG was one of the very few stock companies
that remained in existence during the Communist era in East Germany. The Western section of Mitropa split off and named itself Deutsche Schlafwagen- und Speisewagengesellschaft (DSG) to manage the sleeping and dining coaches of the Deutsche Bundesbahn
in the Federal Republic of Germany.
After the reunification of Germany in October 1990, both Mitropa and DSG continued to operate in their respective areas of Germany until 1 January 1994, when the Reichsbahn and Bundesbahn were merged to form Deutsche Bahn AG. Mitropa and DSG were also merged under the Mitropa logo. This was one of the very few instances, and the most prominent, in which a West German company was "taken over" by an East German one, as Mitropa was the surviving entity after the merger.
The new Mitropa initially catered to travellers on rail, road, and water and provided services at railway stations. As expenses could not be met, in 1999/2000, the on-board ship catering business was sold to Scandlines
. On 1 July 2002, the traditional core business of railway catering was handed over to DB Reise & Touristik AG, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn.
In 2004 the remainder of Mitropa was sold to the Compass Group
and Mitropa AG became Mitropa GmbH. It operates food services at railway stations and Autobahn service stations. Sleeper-coaches on Deutsche Bahn trains are managed by CityNightLine
.
", Major Erwin König is shown in a plush Mitropa dining car
en route to Stalingrad
when he notices on the opposite track returning Mitropa couchette car
s full of wounded soldiers.
In the movie Europa by Lars von Trier
, a company called Zentropa runs the railway network in which the story unfolds; the company is based on Mitropa, according to the director's commentary on the DVD.
In the movie "Goodbye Lenin" the lead character, Alex Kerner (Daniel Brühl), instructs his co-worker and friend Denis Domaschke (Florian Lukas) to lie about his employment and claim that he is a food purchaser for a Mitropa restaurant.
Mitropa model railway coaches have been manufactured by many companies including Märklin
, Fleischmann
, Trix
, and others.
Catering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
company best known for having managed sleeping
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
and dining car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
s of different German railways for most of the 20th century. Since its reorganization in 2002, the company only provides stationary food services for rail and road customers. The name Mitropa is a derivative of "" (German, for Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
). The railway carriages displayed a distinct burgundy-red livery with the Mitropa logo.
History
The company was founded during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
on 24 November 1916, as . Its founders included different railway companies in German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
and Austro-Hungarian Empires, who discontinued the service provided by the enemy-owned Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL). After the war, CIWL was able to take over most routes in Central Europe outside of Germany, while Mitropa maintained most of its routes within Germany as well as routes to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. The company prospered between the wars
Between the Wars
Between the Wars is the thirteenth studio album by Al Stewart, recorded with Laurence Juber. Its major theme is of the period 1918 to 1939 - "Between the Wars"...
and managed about 750 coaches by 1940, however never came close to the size of CIWL.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the division of Germany, Mitropa AG became the catering company for the Deutsche Reichsbahn, the national railway of East Germany. Mitropa AG was one of the very few stock companies
Joint stock company
A joint-stock company is a type of corporation or partnership involving two or more individuals that own shares of stock in the company...
that remained in existence during the Communist era in East Germany. The Western section of Mitropa split off and named itself Deutsche Schlafwagen- und Speisewagengesellschaft (DSG) to manage the sleeping and dining coaches of the Deutsche Bundesbahn
Deutsche Bundesbahn
The Deutsche Bundesbahn or DB was formed as the state railway of the newly established Federal Republic of Germany on September 7, 1949 as a successor of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft '...
in the Federal Republic of Germany.
After the reunification of Germany in October 1990, both Mitropa and DSG continued to operate in their respective areas of Germany until 1 January 1994, when the Reichsbahn and Bundesbahn were merged to form Deutsche Bahn AG. Mitropa and DSG were also merged under the Mitropa logo. This was one of the very few instances, and the most prominent, in which a West German company was "taken over" by an East German one, as Mitropa was the surviving entity after the merger.
The new Mitropa initially catered to travellers on rail, road, and water and provided services at railway stations. As expenses could not be met, in 1999/2000, the on-board ship catering business was sold to Scandlines
Scandlines
Scandlines is a major German-Danish ferry operator.It consists of a parent company, Scandlines AG, and under this parent company a German subsidiary named Scandlines Deutschland GmbH and a Danish subsidiary named Scandlines Danmark A/S...
. On 1 July 2002, the traditional core business of railway catering was handed over to DB Reise & Touristik AG, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn.
In 2004 the remainder of Mitropa was sold to the Compass Group
Compass Group
Compass Group plc is a global contract foodservice and support services company headquartered near London, United Kingdom. It is the largest contract foodservice company in the world and has operations in over 50 countries...
and Mitropa AG became Mitropa GmbH. It operates food services at railway stations and Autobahn service stations. Sleeper-coaches on Deutsche Bahn trains are managed by CityNightLine
CityNightLine
CityNightLine AG was a Swiss night train service. CNL had right of passage grants in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Denmark. It served stations in Belgium, France, Italy and the Czech Republic...
.
Movies
In the movie "Enemy at the GatesEnemy at the Gates
Enemy at the Gates is a 2001 war film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, starring Joseph Fiennes, Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Bob Hoskins and Ed Harris set during the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II....
", Major Erwin König is shown in a plush Mitropa dining car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
en route to Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
when he notices on the opposite track returning Mitropa couchette car
Couchette car
The couchette car is a railroad car conveying basic non-private sleeping accommodation.The car is divided into a number of compartments accessed from the side corridor of the car, which in daytime are configured with a bench seat along each long side of the compartment...
s full of wounded soldiers.
In the movie Europa by Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is closely associated with the Dogme 95 collective, although his own films have taken a variety of different approaches, and have frequently received strongly divided critical opinion....
, a company called Zentropa runs the railway network in which the story unfolds; the company is based on Mitropa, according to the director's commentary on the DVD.
In the movie "Goodbye Lenin" the lead character, Alex Kerner (Daniel Brühl), instructs his co-worker and friend Denis Domaschke (Florian Lukas) to lie about his employment and claim that he is a food purchaser for a Mitropa restaurant.
Other
"Friends of Mitropa" (Freunde der Mitropa) was founded on 28 November 1996.Mitropa model railway coaches have been manufactured by many companies including Märklin
Märklin
Gebr. Märklin & Cie. GmbH or Märklin is a German toy company. The company was founded in 1859 and is based at Göppingen in Baden-Wurttemberg. Although it originally specialised in doll house accessories, today it is best known for model railways and technical toys...
, Fleischmann
Fleischmann (model railroads)
Fleischmann is a German manufacturer of model railway products.Fleischmann was founded in Nuremberg in 1887 by Jean Fleischmann, as a toy company. Their first model train, in O scale, was produced in 1938...
, Trix
Trix (company)
Trix is a German company that originally made Trix metal construction sets. In 1935 it began producing the electrically powered model trains that it became famous for, under the Trix Express label...
, and others.