In the southern part of Germany, in the region of Upper Bavarian Alps, is Wendelstein Mountain with a peak at 1,836 meters.
Wendelstein is the center of winter tourism for more than a century, and it is unique because electrically driven train transports mountain climbers, skiers and other visitors to the top of the mountain for 105 years. It is a narrow-gauge railway, whose vehicles and rail are equipped with a system of gear.
And for this are responsible, believe it or not, Bosnians and BiH!
Converting Wendelstein in the Bavarian resort started in the 80’s of the 19th-century, and they needed the railroad to the top as the next step.
On the competition for the construction of the railroad signed up Otto von Steinbeis (1839-1920) with a daring plan: to bring the train to Wendelstein, and electric-gear train instead of a steam locomotive!
Otto was German industrialist who branched his business in BiH during the Austro-Hungarian rule in our country.
Local Bavarian authorities accepted the offer of Otto von Steinbeis and the Bavarian prince regent Luitpold signed the concession for the construction of a railroad on the 4th of February 1910.
But the most challenging job was to build the railway on a totally inaccessible mountainous terrain. Von Steinbeis knew where to find the best workers for this task. Of course, in his Bosnian company! From BiH came about 800 workers who made a miracle for a little more than two years.
On the Web page of Wendelstein is written: “It is hard to imagine how it was possible that 800 of mainly Bosnian workers build 9.95 km of railway with seven tunnels, eight galleries for protection against avalanches and rock fall, 12 bridges, and a number of supporting walls in just two years.”
When the first German mountain railway was opened on the 25th of May 1912, a new era started for Wendelstein and the entire Bavarian tourism.
In the past 105 years, this railroad was modernized several times, somewhat shortened, but it still rests on the foundations that were set by the workers from BiH and visionary Otto von Steinbeis.
(Source: Radiosarajevo.ba)
