The passenger liner TÖPPER
Harbors and waterways have always been a symbol and the condition for a blooming economic life.
The Karlsruhe Rhine Harbor, too, looks back on an eventful history.
Chronology
1715: Margrave Karl Wilhelm of Baden-Durlach founds his new residence called Karlsruhe about 8 km from the river Rhine. Before long, the idea to have a connection to the Rhine is born.
1817: The Rhine’s correction is begun at Knielingen by Johann Gottfried Tulla. It is one of the great technical achievements of the 19th century and avoids high water and flood damages in Baden.
1824: A commission, whose members are, among others, Friedrich Weinbrenner and Johann Gottfried Tulla, discusses plans about a canal connecting the Rhine with the city and the construction of a Rhine harbor.
1830: A steamship landed for the first time in the former Rhine harbor Schröck, which took over the tasks of a harbor for Karlsruhe. In 1833, the city of Schröck is renamed in Leopoldshafen.
1856: Wilhelm Lauter, the future mayor, submits new plans for harbor and canal. One variation is to build the harbor on today’s fairground area.
1862: Opening of the railway line Karlsruhe – Maxau, which was built by the city of Karlsruhe. After dredging out the Maxau harbor at the cities expense, it becomes the Karlsruhe Rhine Harbor.
1868: The grand duchy of Baden takes over the Maxau Harbor and repays the expenses amounting to 72.004 guilders (123.435 marks) to the city.
1896: The citizen’s committee decides to build the Rhine Harbor. The state parliament grants a subsidy of two million marks.
1898: Start of the construction work for the Rhine Harbor.
1900: In the Maxau Harbor, more than 200,000 tons of goods are being transshipped.
1901: After the first ship has landed in the Rhine Harbor on 22 April, it is officially brought into service.
1972: The passenger liner KARLSRUHE is put into operation as a replacement for the “Töpper” and the “Schnetzler”.
The passenger liner KARLSRUHE
1972 - 2009
1979: The southern front of the historic grain warehouse at the basin II has been completely refurbished and protected against weather factors.
1982: The container terminal in basin VI is put into operation. The Karlsruhe Rhine Harbor is connected to the liner traffic of the Rhine mouth harbors in Belgium and the Netherlands.
1983: An explosion-proof multi-purpose boat for the oil harbor was bought.
1983: On May 29, a water level of 8.59 m was being measured at the Maxau level meter, which was the highest flood level of the century. Many parts of the harbor were flooded.
1986: The roller inlet at the oil harbor entrance is being rebuilt.
1987: Roll-on/roll-off traffic is started.
1988: Official opening of the flood gate for the Rhine Harbor, which had been tested first on November 8, 1987. It protects the harbor area from flooding in case of high water of the Rhine.
1989: The supplementation and extension of the oil harbor alarm system are completed.
1991: The passenger liner “Karlsruhe” is being refurbished; among other things, both of the engines are replaced.
1992: Second extension of the container terminal and the ro-ro-termial with additional laying of great concrete slabs in the track area.
1994: At basin III, the longest vertical riverbank expansion with a length of 270 m is completed.
1995: The Karlsruhe Rhine Harbor presents itself during a unique promotion campaign in the inner city.
1997: The Karlsruhe refineries Esso and OMW, which had been independent so far, consolidate and become MiRO (Mineralölraffinerie Oberrhein GmbH & Co. KG). Thus, the refinery location of Karlsruhe is being stabilized. This, however, results in considerable transshipping losses in the oil harbor.
1997: Karlsruhe’s public ulitily, which had been independent so far, is transformed into the KVVH (Karlsruher Versorgungs-, Verkehrs- und Hafen GmbH). The Rhine Harbors form a separate business division within this company.
1998: In order to strengthen the leased reloading point, a new corn kiln and a conveyance hall are being build.
1999: The Karlsruhe Rhine Harbors present themselves in the internet for the first time.
1999: On February 21, there was the second highest water level of the century measured at the level meter at Maxau with a height of 8.52 m. Due to the flood gate, the harbor remained dry.
2001: 100th anniversary of the harbor.
2002: Purchase of the former Thomy-building. After its denucelation, it was turned into a highly modern office building. The new name “Hafenkontor” was investigated in a competition.
2003: The socalled record summer has a very negative effect on transshipping in the harbor. Due to the long low water period, total transshipping turns out 9.6 % less than in the previous year.
2006: In the night of May 30th, there is a big fire in the lignite hall. Up to 160 fire fighters are on duty in order to put out briquettes and charcoal.
2007: On August 1st, the complete railway network of the Karlsruhe Harbor is taken over by the buisiness division Rhine Harbors of the KVVH GmbH.
2008: Start of the construction of a hard coal power plant by the EnBW (Energieversorgung Baden-Württemberg AG). The starting up of the socalled “Block RDK 8” is scheduled for the end of 2011.
2009: Some location shots for the 50th “Tatort” of the southwestern broadcasting company are – as many others before – shot in the Karlsruhe Rhine Harbor.
2009: Purchase of a passenger liner, which is supposed to be the new flagship of the harbor. The used gallery ship has room for 600 passengers.