What’s so special about the autobahn?
Germany’s autobahns are famous for being among the few public roads in the world without blanket speed limits for cars and motorcycles. The fastest speed ever officially recorded on the german autobahn is 432. It was set by german racing driver rudolf caracciola in 1938 in a mercedes-benz w125 rekordwagen.
How many autobahns are there in Germany?
The Autobahn weaves through the picturesque German landscape, connecting cities and regions with a network of well-maintained and often, speed-limit-free highways. Germany, renowned for its autobahn system, has over 13,000 miles of these high-speed roads. In addition, the Autobahn GmbH is a federally owned company, which will of course make a contribution to achieving Germany’s sustainability goals. The Autobahn GmbH itself is still a young company that was only founded in 2021 and therefore still has some startup flair.
What year was the autobahn built?
Plans for the autobahn date to the 1920’s. Construction of the first segment (Cologne-Bonn) began in 1929 and was dedicated by Mayor Konrad Adenauer of Cologne on August 6, 1932. When Adolph Hitler assumed power as Chancellor of the Third Reich in 1933, he took the program over, claiming it for his own. Hitler’s autobahn construction began in September 1933 under the direction of chief engineer Fritz Todt. The 14-mile expressway between Frankfurt and Darmstadt, which opened on May 19, 1935, was the first section completed under Hitler.