Probstzella station
Encyclopedia
Probstzella station is the station of the Thuringia
n town of Probstzella
in the district of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt
. It is located at the southeastern edge of Probstzella and since 1 October 1885 it has been a through station on the Franconian Forest Railway
. The station is 1.3 km from the Bavaria
n-Thuringian border and after the Second World War until German reunification
in 1990, it served as the point of entry for traffic passing from West Germany
to East Germany and is considered the last remaining border station on the Inner German border.
) to Probstzella as one of the Prussian state railways
. On 1 October 1885 the Royal Bavarian State Railways
opened the Ludwigsstadt
–Probstzella section, completing the line from Bavaria, following the earlier opening of the Stockheim–Ludwigsstadt section. Probstzella is the southernmost station on the line in Thuringia.
The Probstzella–Schmiedefeld line opened at the end of 1898 and it was extended to Sonnenberg
in 1913.
The Franconian Forest line was of great importance as the main line between Bavaria and central Germany. It was electrified on 15 May 1939. In 1939 it was served each day by two long-distance express trains, up to eleven regional express trains, two semi-fast trains and eight local trains.
In April 1945, traffic was interrupted by the Second World War, but it was soon resumed and in November 1945 the overhead lines were also restored. Continuous electrical operations between Thuringia and Bavaria were delayed due to problems in guaranteeing power supply, because Thuringia was in the Soviet
occupation zone and Bavaria was in the American zone. In 1946, the overhead lines were removed in the Soviet zone for war reparations
. In 1950, the section of the line from the border to Probstzella station was re-electrified so that steam locomotives did not have to run up the steep climb to Steinbach am Wald. As a result, the change point between the electrical locomotives of Deutsche Bundesbahn
(DB) and the locomotives of Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) was moved to Probstzella from Ludwigsstadt. This section was the only transition between DB and DR that was operated electrically. In addition to the locomotive transfer operations, border controls on freight trains were carried out at Probstzella and immigration formalities, which had previously been carried out on the trains, moved to Probstzella station.
The second track between Saalfeld and the border was dismantled in 1946. As a result rail services were limited. In 1947 an express train and three freight trains ran over the border each day.
On 20 September 1961, DR decided to build a 347 metres long connecting curve between the Franconian Forest line and the line to Sonnenberg. This had been planned since 1936, to avoid the need to reverse in Probstzella. The curve would have an advantage for border security as internal traffic would no longer have to run to the border station. On 2 October 1961, construction work began north of the station. On 9 December 1961 the new line was opened. Probstzella halt was opened on 2 November 1964 on this single-track curve. On 23 May 1993, the curve was closed.
In 1995, double track and electrification was restored on the Franconian Forest line. Since then, only regional trains stop in Probstzella. Freight trains also stop there when they need an extra locomotive to climb the ramp to Steinbach.
building. On the ground floor of the building there were rooms for border control and a 20 metre-long “control” path, through which all those leaving had to pass. In addition, it housed the offices of the East German border troops, passport control and customs.
Since German reunification, the building has been abandoned. In May 2007, it was bought by the town of Probstzella for € 3,500, with the intention of demolishing it. The Thuringian Conservation Office informed the community in August 2008 that due to its dilapidated condition it would not be heritage listed.
Historians of the period spoke out against the demolition proposal. There were plans to establish a museum in part of the former border station. In December 2008 the building was finally torn down. On 6 November 2010, a border station museum opened in the historic station building, covering the history of border controls at the border stations on the Inner German border.
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
n town of Probstzella
Probstzella
Probstzella is a municipality in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, in Thuringia, Germany.-History:Between 1945 and 1990 Probstzella station served as East German inner German border crossing for rail transport...
in the district of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt
Saalfeld-Rudolstadt
Saalfeld-Rudolstadt is a Kreis in the south of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are the districts Weimarer Land, Saale-Holzland, Saale-Orla, the district Kronach in Bavaria, and the districts Sonneberg, Hildburghausen and Ilm-Kreis.-History:The district dates back to the Landratsamt...
. It is located at the southeastern edge of Probstzella and since 1 October 1885 it has been a through station on the Franconian Forest Railway
Franconian Forest Railway
The Franconian Forest Railway , route no. KBS 840, is an 88 kilometre long, electrified, double-tracked main line from Lichtenfels via Kronach to Saalfeld. It is part of the Munich–Nuremberg–Bamberg–Jena–Halle/Leipzig–Berlin trunk route...
. The station is 1.3 km from the Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n-Thuringian border and after the Second World War until German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
in 1990, it served as the point of entry for traffic passing from West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
to East Germany and is considered the last remaining border station on the Inner German border.
History
The station was opened on 8 August 1885 with the completion of the section of the Franconian Forest Railway from Eichicht (now part of KaulsdorfKaulsdorf (Saale)
Kaulsdorf is a municipality in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, in Thuringia, Germany....
) to Probstzella as one of the Prussian state railways
Prussian state railways
The term Prussian state railways encompasses those railway organisations that were owned or managed by the State of Prussia...
. On 1 October 1885 the Royal Bavarian State Railways
Royal Bavarian State Railways
As a nation-state, Germany did not come into being until the creation of the German Empire in 1871 from the various German-speaking states such as Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Baden and Württemberg. By then each of the major states had formed its own state railway and these continued to remain...
opened the Ludwigsstadt
Ludwigsstadt
Ludwigsstadt is a municipality in the district of Kronach, in the Upper Franconian region of Bavaria, Germany. It is situated at the state's northern border in the Franconian Forest mountain range, north of Kronach, and south of Saalfeld in Thuringia, the only Bavarian municipality north of the...
–Probstzella section, completing the line from Bavaria, following the earlier opening of the Stockheim–Ludwigsstadt section. Probstzella is the southernmost station on the line in Thuringia.
The Probstzella–Schmiedefeld line opened at the end of 1898 and it was extended to Sonnenberg
Sonneberg Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Sonneberg in the German state of Thuringia and is on the Coburg–Sonneberg line. The station was built as part of the construction of the Hinterland Railway and still plays a central role in public transport of Sonneberg and the surrounding area...
in 1913.
The Franconian Forest line was of great importance as the main line between Bavaria and central Germany. It was electrified on 15 May 1939. In 1939 it was served each day by two long-distance express trains, up to eleven regional express trains, two semi-fast trains and eight local trains.
In April 1945, traffic was interrupted by the Second World War, but it was soon resumed and in November 1945 the overhead lines were also restored. Continuous electrical operations between Thuringia and Bavaria were delayed due to problems in guaranteeing power supply, because Thuringia was in the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
occupation zone and Bavaria was in the American zone. In 1946, the overhead lines were removed in the Soviet zone for war reparations
War reparations
War reparations are payments intended to cover damage or injury during a war. Generally, the term war reparations refers to money or goods changing hands, rather than such property transfers as the annexation of land.- History :...
. In 1950, the section of the line from the border to Probstzella station was re-electrified so that steam locomotives did not have to run up the steep climb to Steinbach am Wald. As a result, the change point between the electrical locomotives of 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 '...
(DB) and the locomotives of Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) was moved to Probstzella from Ludwigsstadt. This section was the only transition between DB and DR that was operated electrically. In addition to the locomotive transfer operations, border controls on freight trains were carried out at Probstzella and immigration formalities, which had previously been carried out on the trains, moved to Probstzella station.
The second track between Saalfeld and the border was dismantled in 1946. As a result rail services were limited. In 1947 an express train and three freight trains ran over the border each day.
On 20 September 1961, DR decided to build a 347 metres long connecting curve between the Franconian Forest line and the line to Sonnenberg. This had been planned since 1936, to avoid the need to reverse in Probstzella. The curve would have an advantage for border security as internal traffic would no longer have to run to the border station. On 2 October 1961, construction work began north of the station. On 9 December 1961 the new line was opened. Probstzella halt was opened on 2 November 1964 on this single-track curve. On 23 May 1993, the curve was closed.
In 1995, double track and electrification was restored on the Franconian Forest line. Since then, only regional trains stop in Probstzella. Freight trains also stop there when they need an extra locomotive to climb the ramp to Steinbach.
Border control offices
A separate building for border control was built at Probstzella station in 1976. It is a four-storey masonryMasonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
building. On the ground floor of the building there were rooms for border control and a 20 metre-long “control” path, through which all those leaving had to pass. In addition, it housed the offices of the East German border troops, passport control and customs.
Since German reunification, the building has been abandoned. In May 2007, it was bought by the town of Probstzella for € 3,500, with the intention of demolishing it. The Thuringian Conservation Office informed the community in August 2008 that due to its dilapidated condition it would not be heritage listed.
Historians of the period spoke out against the demolition proposal. There were plans to establish a museum in part of the former border station. In December 2008 the building was finally torn down. On 6 November 2010, a border station museum opened in the historic station building, covering the history of border controls at the border stations on the Inner German border.