paddlesteamers.info : The Internet's leading website for
Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers
Bodensee
(Lake Constance), German
Fleet
A Mr J Bodmer
of Konstanz built the 21.4 metre long PS Stephanie in
1817/18 but it was not successful. It was not until 1824 when two separate companies
introduced steamers, that continuous service was established on the
German shore of Lake Constance.
Eventually, operations came under the control of the state railway
companies representing the three German states which bordered the
lake : Baden, Wurttemberg and Bayern. In 1920, the Deutsche
Reichsbahn assumed control after the separate state railways were
amalgamated although the previous state administrations continued as
regional management centres and little changed with respect to the
ships, with operational bases at Konstanz (Baden), Friedrichshafen
(Wurttemberg) and Lindau (Bayern).
The
main route was from Konstanz across to Meersburg and along the German
shore to Friedrichshafen, Lindau and ultimately Bregenz in Austria,
with a separate service to Uberlingen in the upper arm of the lake. The
Baden administration also operated a short service in the Untersee to
Radolfzell.
Paddle Steamer Hohentwiel
(1913) remains in service, based at Bregenz in Austria after being
restored by a preservation society and is now privately operated
Above;
Stadt Uberlingen, of 1929, the last paddle steamer for lake Constance
(Bodensee) and the only paddle steamer ordered by the combined German
Railways (Deutsche Reichsbahn).
It was also the last paddle steamer ordered for alpine or pre-alpine lakes.
Source : BSB Archiv / Wikicommons : Published under CC https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
Paddle Steamer Operators -
click on company name for vessels ordered by the
company
Wurttemberg
Friedrichshafener
Dampfbootgesellschaft
From 1839: Württembergische Bodensee-Dampfschiffgesellschaft
From 1854 : Königliche Württembergische
Staatseisenbahnen
Baden
1817
- 1818 Schiffahrtsunternehmen des Herrn Bodmer, Konstanz
1830
Dampschiffahrtsgesellschaft für den Bodensee und Rhein,
Konstanz
From 1863 : Großherzogliche Badische Staatseisenbahnen
Bayern (Bavaria)
1824 - 1830
Schiffahrtsunternehmen der Herren Cotta und
Church,
Lindau
1835
Dampfboot-Aktiengesellschaft in Lindau
From 1862 : Königlich Bayrische Staatseisenbahnen
Germany
Deutsche
Reichsbahngesellschaft (From 1920)
Internet
Links
Bodenseeschifffahrt.de
: The internet site with everything about Lake Constance ships, past
and present
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Historical Database