Travelling with the Reichsbahn - memories of an improvised culture

TU Ilmenau Citizens’ Campus

Topic: Traveling with the Reichsbahn - Memories of an improvised culture.

Speaker: Dr. Franz Rittig, Ilmenau, Lektor in the publishing group Bahn GmbH Munich and author

Time: Friday, 26.05.2023, 3:00 p.m.

Place: TU Ilmenau, Faraday Building, Weimarer Straße 32

Admission: 5 Euro

Those who traveled by train in the GDR remember little comfort and overcrowded trains, but also low fares, punctual rush-hour traffic and dense long-distance train service. Fond memories are evoked of exemplary special train programs to attractive vacation destinations, of modernized express steam locomotives and D train cars for GDR exports, and also of the "Städteexpress" (city express), which as a GDR intercity made daily visits to Berlin possible.

In his lecture as part of the TU Ilmenau Citizens’ Campus, Franz Rittig recalls trips with the Reichsbahn. And the expert has a lot to tell, as he worked for more than 25 years as an author, editor and proofreader in the publishing industry, since 2001 in the publishing group Bahn GmbH Munich. He has published books, brochures and magazine articles on the history and technology of the railroads and produced film and television reports. The passionate Reichsbahn connoisseur accompanies his lecture with historical photos and films, timetables and reports - memories of a time when the railroad was still the most important means of transport.