Railway Station
The railway came to Bad Berneck in 1896, when it became a stop on the route travelling from Bischofsgrün to Neuenmarkt. In its heyday, before every family had a car, the station provided a vital link to the rest of Germany by bringing visitors and goods to the town from afar, as well as connecting the inhabitants in neighbouring villages with frequent trains.
Not only a station, but also a storage yard, the extensive railway facilities occupied a large area on the western outskirts of the town. The last passenger service was in 1974, and in 1986 the line was decommissioned altogether. Today, a cycle route to Bischofsgrün is sited on the former train track.
Memories by Klaus Sowada
Klaus Sowada grew up in the station, as the station master’s son. He was destined to start at the railways himself.
He wore his first railway uniform, which he received as an 18 year old, to the QR-Tour photo shoot – it still fits today!
He tells us his childhood memories, but also about the importance of the train station in Bad Berneck for tourism and cargo transportation.
Memory 1
The Life in the Station
Memory 2
The End of the Station – the end of an era
Reproduction of the Old Station
Local resident Hans Kugler has built an exact reproduction of the old station in his cellar. Using period photographs of the station, as well as photographs of Hans’ model, we get a sense of just how important the station was to the town, and what a vital role it played in bringing early tourists to the area.
The film is narrated by Klaus Sowada, who knew the station thoroughly.
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Model Railway
Hans Kugler’s passion for trains started when he was a boy. His fascination motivated him to build scale models of the Bad Berneck, Bischofsgrün und Lanzendorf stations in his cellar. It has taken him years to complete these amazingly lifelike model re-creations. The award-winning miniature railway has been featured in several of the most popular model railway magazines. Because of Hans’ attention to detail, Bad Berneck retains a connection with its former railroad past.
Elfriede Beutner, born in 1935, remembers her school days
Every morning, at 6:10am, the “Bähnle” (train) took us to school in Bayreuth. For the nine years of our schooling we took this journey, which felt like a “journey round the world”, via Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg to Bayreuth. There were no buses then. We returned in the afternoon.
In winter, the locomotive had a snow plough on the front, which always looked very funny!
Photo: DDM Archiv
Find an interesting story from her at QR13 – Kreativhouse!
Travel Diary – 2013
Once it was clear that there was no train station, my main question was, why was the station removed in the first place? I myself, not being able to drive, found it harder than it should be to get to Bad Berneck via public transport. Nevertheless, a town of this size warrants a station, especially given the town’s historical context and the fact that other nearby, much smaller towns have stations.
So what have we got in return? A car park and a few trees. There is no sense of history presently here, just a nod to the dominance of the car. Overall, it disappoints me that no visible remains exist – everyone loves trains, no one loves a car park.
Matt Bather, history student in Liverpool, UK
