Hamburg optical telegraph – Wikipedia

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Tree house in the port of Hamburg with a telegraf on the roof, around 1850

The end station of the Schmidtschen telegraph at the pilot’s house in Cuxhaven

The Hamburg optical telegraph (also referred to as the “Hamburg Altonaer Telegraph” and “Hamburg Altonaer Telegraphe line”) was a privately operated telegraph line between Hamburg and Cuxhaven using optical telegraph. It existed from 1838 to 1849 and was primarily used to transmit information that concerned shipping.

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Based on reports on the establishment of an optical telegraph system in France (after Chappe), the Hamburg Senator Günther on October 30, 1794 suggested the construction of such a system to be transferred between Hamburg and the Hamburg Amt Ritzbüttel (now Cuxhaven) at the mouth of the Elbe) at. Although the usefulness of such a connection for the port city, especially the early reporting of the emerging ships, was seen, for cost reasons, the realization is rejected.

A second input to the Commerz deputation by Edward Roß in 1818 was also unsuccessful because the investment and operating costs were still considered too high. One continued to be content with a now existing registration service through a rider relay.

A third application by Johann Ludwig Schmidt, [first] A merchant and vinegar manufacturer in the then Holstein-Danish Altona was successful in 1836. The Commerz deputation was willing to finance the operation through grants.

The towers of the Berlin train station in Hamburg were originally supposed to record an optical telegraph. Instead, an antenna for the electromagnetic successor can be seen on the back of the building.

In 1836 the entrepreneur Schmidt received a concession of the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, and on March 18, 1838 the telegraph line between Hamburg and Cuxhaven was opened [2] .

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There were six intermediate stations on the route between Hamburg and Altona and the Ritzebüttel-Cuxhaven, which is about 120 kilometers away ( Blankness , School , Brunshausen/Stade , Hechthausen , Dobrock , Otterndorf ) selected and suitable, increased locations were equipped with semaphor. The end stations of the line were the “Belvedere” hotel in Cuxhaven and the “Baumhaus” on the Baumwall in Hamburg, later the tower of the new postal building (Alte Post). From 1846 there was an extension by the connection from Hechthausen to Bremerhaven, to the Optical Telegraph line Bremen – Bremerhaven.

The task of this optical telegraph line was to carry out a ship registration service on the Lower Elbe. The optical telegraph was also used effectively at the Hamburg fire from May 1842, when at the instigation of Friedrich Clemens Gerke Hilfs teams and fire brigades from Hamburg’s surrounding area.

The Hamburg Altonaer Telegraph Required considerable financial means to be able to pay the staff at the eight stations. A total of 32 telegraphists were employed in a two -layer operation, two people each at the ward performed the service, one observed the opposite stations, while the other served the semaphors. The operating costs were significant and could only be covered inadequate by the income. The conversion to a stock corporation and the inflow of private capital also brought no significant improvement. Schmidt was able to win subscribers to the ship registration service, but despite the grants granted by the Commerz deputation, it remained a difficult undertaking to maintain the operation.

During the time, Friedrich Clemens Gerke joined the greatest difficulties Hamburg Altonaer Telegraph to reform the company.

Succession: Electromagnetic Telegraf [ Edit | Edit the source text ]

In the middle of 1847 a competing system came up. On June 28, 1847, the Americans William Robinson, accompanied by his stepson Charles Robinson and Charles Chapin in Hamburg, had relegated to the Zingg’s Hotel. [3] The next day appeared in the Hamburger messages On the first page a short article in which the functioning of an electromagnetic telegraph was briefly explained. [4] On July 1, 1847, a first advertisement appeared in which William Robinson announced a presentation of the telegraph in the stock market arcades. This ad was repeated several times. On July 17th, Schmidt’s statements appeared, in which he questioned the advantages of the electromagnetic system. [5] This was the beginning of a publicly conducted discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of the other system. By the end of November 1847, numerous articles appeared in the Hamburg Nice n.

In general, it was recognized that this system had to be operated more economically. It worked in any weather, day and night and came out with fewer staff (a total of only eight employees were necessary). Due to Schmidt’s great merits, the Senate was undecided in relation to the Hamburg fire, how to proceed and unsuccessfully urged him to work with the new society.

Efforts to bring the competing systems into a common society failed. [6] On October 9, 1848, the directorate of the Electro -Magnetic Telegraph Compagnie , [7] that had now established itself in ads their tariffs in the Börsen-Halle and the Privileged weekly non -profit news And started operating on October 15th. [8] Gerke recognized the advantages of the system and switched to Electro -Magnetic Telegraph Compagnie And became their inspector. [9] The management consisted of the Senator Carl Möring, the merchant Adolph Godeffroy and A.W. Hüpeden.

For about 9 months, both systems were operated side by side until Johann Ludwig Schmidt, who attempted the Hamburg Altonaer Telegraph To save, lost all his assets, had to stop operating on August 19, 1849.

  • Horst A. Wessel: The optical telegraph line from Hamburg to Cuxhaven . In: As far as the eye can see. The history of optical telegraphy. (Publication of the Museum für Post and Communication, Frankfurt am Main, on the occasion of the exhibition of the same name from April 27 to July 30, 1995), ISBN 3-7650-8150-7.
  1. ↑ * March 1, 1791 in Wildeshausen; † March 29, 1854 in Oldenburg, see Wolfgang Haubold: The district of Oldenburg. People, history, landscape, Holzberg, Oldenburg 1992, p. 275
  2. ↑ Detlev Kasten: 100 years of the Hamburg Telegraph Office . Post -historical leaves, Hamburg 1968.
  3. ↑ Arrived strangers . In: Privileged weekly non -profit news [Hamburger Nachrichten]. June 28, 1847, p. [4]
  4. ↑ American Electro -Magnetic Telegraph. In: Privileged weekly non -profit news [Hamburger Nachrichten]. June 29, 1847, p. [1]
  5. ↑ Telegraph . In: Privileged weekly non -profit news [Hamburger Nachrichten]. July 17, 1847, p. [3] and Telegraph . In: Börsen Halle . 17. July 1847, S. [3]
  6. ↑ Explanation . In: Privileged weekly non -profit news [Hamburger Nachrichten]. June 22, 1848, p. [2]
  7. ↑ At times the term Hamburg–Cuxhavener Telegraph used.
  8. ↑ Electro-magnetic telegraph . In: Privileged weekly non -profit news [Hamburger Nachrichten]. October 23, 1848, p. [1]
  9. ↑ The practical telegraphist or the electro stomach telegraphy . Hoffman and Campe, Hamburg 1851, (Urn: nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb10431420-9 )
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