Festival Locations
Do You Know These Places?
We are trying to identify the locations of the Schwebe Bahn or "Zip-Line" ride owned and operated by Wilhelm Häfner. The only clues to the locations are the buildings and landscapes in the backgrounds. From addresses in the postcard collection, possible locations can be narrowed down. If you have any information please fill out your name, e-mail and leave your comments in the Message Box in the form at the bottom of this page. Thank You.
PHOTO 3.1
Häfner Schwebe Bahn ride. Location unknown, circa 1908.
PHOTO 3.2
Häfner Schwebe Bahn ride. Known to be Basel Switzerland, circa 1910.
PHOTO 3.3
Häfner Schwebe Bahn ride. Believed to be Dresden Germany, circa 1913.
PHOTO 3.4
Häfner Schwebe Bahn ride. Location unknown, circa 1926.
PHOTO 3.5
Häfner Schwebe Bahn postcard. Posted 29.9.1913 from the Munich Octoberfest.
What is known of Photos 3.1 - 3.5:
Wilhelm Häfner owned and operated an amusement ride called a Schwebe Bahn or Schwebebahn. Now it's known as a "Zip-Line ride.” Wilhelm and a small team would travel to a city or town to take part in their Oktoberfest or local festival. He would meet a team of local young men to assist in erecting two platforms and between them string sets of cables. Visitors would ascend one tower then hold on to the handles of a carriage device made up of a series of pulleys, then step off to quickly glide twenty feet above the ground down to the other side where they would be stopped by the arms of a strong young man. With only light nets to catch anyone that fell off in mid run, it was a thrilling amusement for the time.
From the postcards addressed to Gertrud Häfner, a list of dates was made from when she worked for her father’s Schwebe Bahn ride. These work dates at festivals are from 1908 to 1912, when Gertrud was age 16 until age 20. In 1918 Wilhelm Häfner divorced his wife Klara. Gertrud no longer accompanied him on his work travels. Wilhelm quickly remarried and continued to own and operate the Schwebe Bahn ride into the mid 1930s.
Some Schwebe Bahn locations known from family postcards:
1908: Oktoberfestwiese Munich
1909: Oktoberfestwiese Munich
1909: Festplatz Schweidnitz
1909: Oktoberfestwiese Munich
1910: Festwiese Neu-Ulm
1910: Volksfest in Oberhausen
1910: Festwiese Nuremberg
1910: Festwiese Augsburg
1910: Festwiese Munich
1910: Festwiese Straubing
1910: Altenburg (Sachsen)
1911: Festwiese Schweidnitz
1911: Festweise Breslau
1911: Festwiese Nuremberg
1911: Festwiese Munich
1912: Festwiese Neu-Ulm
1912: Festwiese Nuremberg
1912: Festwiese Augsburg
1912: Festwiese Munich
And other dates . . .
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