As great ocean liners steamed across the Atlantic, a fortunate few soared overhead in unmatched speed and style aboard the majestic German Airship LZ-129 “Hindenburg”. Today few artifacts of the Hindenburg remain, but those that do tell the story of a luxurious giant who met a tragic demise.
Luxury in the Air
Catering to the upper class of society with unmatched accommodations, passengers aboard the Hindenburg enjoyed lavish meals, the best wines, and a dedicated smoking lounge. Most importantly, the Hindenburg crossed the Atlantic twice as fast as ocean liners of the day…without making her passengers seasick.
DZR Branded Coffee/Tea Cup (1936) by Deutschen Zeppelin-ReedereiFrontiers of Flight Museum
This Bavarian china tea cup served passengers aboard the Hindenburg
LZ Branded Tea Set (1900/1935) by Luftschiffbau ZeppelinFrontiers of Flight Museum
The LZ branding of this Bavarian tea set makes it likely to have served aboard the LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin, the Hindenburg's sister ship
Hindenburg Sterling Silver Utensils (1936) by Bruchmann & SohneFrontiers of Flight Museum
These charred Bruchmann & Sohne sterling silver service pieces survived the Hindenburg's fiery demise
Hindenburg Chocolate Molds (1937) by Under InvestigationFrontiers of Flight Museum
Food served aboard the Hindenburg highlighted the exquisite German cuisine and included delicious chocolate bars in the shape of the great airship
Kitchen Galley (1936/1937) by Associated PressFrontiers of Flight Museum
Equipped with a modern, electrical kitchen, chefs aboard the Hindenburg prepared only the finest German cuisine
Hindenburg Smoking Room Lighter (1936) by Under InvestigationFrontiers of Flight Museum
Passengers enjoyed a smoking lounge, but could only use lighters assigned to the room, such as this one that survived - engraved and inscribed D-LZ 129 Hindenburg
Structure of a Giant
At 804 ft. long, the enormous airship Hindenburg is one of the largest flying craft ever built. Constructing the massive airship began in 1932 and took four years to complete. As a comparison of its size, she is longer than three Boeing 747 jumbo jets placed end to end. In order to build such a massive craft, the inner structure needed to be strong yet lightweight. It is made from a special type of metal alloy, duralumin.
Hindenburg Girder Fragment (1936) by Luftschiffbau ZeppelinFrontiers of Flight Museum
Salvaged from the Hindenburg, this charred duralumin structural girder shows the unique design of holes to reduce weight yet maintain structural integrity of the airship
Hindenburg Medallion (1937) by Under InvestigationFrontiers of Flight Museum
This medallion is made from molten fragments found among the wreckage
Molten Fragments (1937) by Luftschiffbau ZeppelinFrontiers of Flight Museum
This is a rare collection of molten metal fragments found amongst the wreckage of the Hindenburg
Faucet (1936) by Luftschiffbau ZeppelinFrontiers of Flight Museum
Original to the Hindenburg, this faucet survived the fiery explosion
Wooden Propeller Fragment (1936) by Luftschiffbau ZeppelinFrontiers of Flight Museum
A rare cross section of one of the Hindenburg's wooden propellers
Surviving Engine Car (1937-05-06) by AP Photo by Murray BeckerFrontiers of Flight Museum
Notice one of four engine cars thrown away from the wreckage with its four-bladed wooden propellers attached
Tragedy in the Air
After an uneventful flight across the Atlantic, the LZ-129 Hindenburg while attempting to land in Lakehurst, New Jersey on May 6, 1937 suddenly burst into flames. To this day, the cause of the fire remains a mystery. Filled with almost 7 million cubic feet of highly flammable hydrogen gas, from first spark to complete destruction took approximately 30 seconds. The accident likely occurred from a buildup of static electricity that ignited an unnoticed hydrogen leak, a tasteless and odorless gas.
The Chimney Effect (1936-05-06) by AP Photo by Murray BeckerFrontiers of Flight Museum
As the tail section slams into the ground, the flames burst through the nose - known as the chimney or stack effect
"Hindenburg" Disaster Film (1937-05-06) by WLS RadioFrontiers of Flight Museum
Onsite to welcome the Hindenburg to the US, journalist Herb Morrison of WLS Radio in Chicago captured the great airship's tragic demise
Hindenburg Radio Operator's Chair (1936) by Luftschiffbau ZeppelinFrontiers of Flight Museum
One of the largest surviving artifacts is the radio operator's chair as it was in a fireproof insulation operations room
Hindenburg Mail Fragments (1937) by Unknown PassengerFrontiers of Flight Museum
The Hindenburg also served as an AIR Mail carrier across the ocean - notice the Reich stamp that survived the fire
Captain Ernst Lehmann's Cigarette Case (1936) by Under InvestigationFrontiers of Flight Museum
This prized artifact belonged to Captain Ernst Lehmann who survived the fire but perished from the severe burns he sustained
Aftermath of a Tragedy
As quickly as the golden age of passenger airship travel began, the tragic loss of the Hindenburg in 1937 all but ended the era of the airship. With the outbreak of World War II, the majestic German airships met the scrapyard in support of Hitler’s war machine. This coupled with advancements in jet engine technology sealed the fate of the titanic airships that once graced the skies.
Crewman Adolf Fisher (1937-05-07) by Associated PressFrontiers of Flight Museum
With 97 souls on board, 62 miraculously survived, including Adolf Fisher, this engine car mechanic
Remembering Those Lost (1937-05-11) by AP Photo by Anthony CameranoFrontiers of Flight Museum
With majority of casualties, German citizens, Nazi Party and US mourn together - just four years before becoming bitter enemies in the costliest conflict in human history - WWII
Many thanks to all who made this project a success for the Frontiers of Flight Museum.
Kent Harraid, FOFM Collections Database Manager
Dan Steelman, FOFM VP of Collections & Exhibits
Cheryl Sutterfield-Jones, FOFM President & CEO
Smithsonian National Postal Museum
Associated Press
Google Arts & Culture
