Five generations on the railways

Hans had a brother called Franz, who was Sebastian’s great-granduncle. He was a technical head of department and mechanical engineer in Munich who was responsible for diesel locomotives and transmissions. “In my family we often said that both Franz and his brother Karl Hans always discussed which locomotive was the better of the two – diesel or electric. The question mainly focused on which one would be the locomotive of the future.” Another member of the family who worked in the railways was great-grandfather Otto. He was initially a conductor who was later active on the works council in Munich.

Sebastian’s grandfather was called Karl Hans, who worked as a surveyor in Regensburg and Munich. His area of responsibility covered the planning of S-Bahn (commuter rail systems) and train lines. The highlight of his career was planning the new lines in Bavaria as part of expanding infrastructure before the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. “Another highlight at the end of my grandfather’s career was the planning and surveying of the new line between Ismaning and Munich Airport, which was opened in 1992”, said Sebastian proudly. Furthermore, his grandmother Renate worked in the HR office at the head office of the Federal Railways for a couple of years.

“My great-grandfather Karl Hans also wanted my mother to work on the railways and had already organised it that she would work there as a technical drawer. This came to nothing as she wanted to work in medicine instead. After four generations, she was actually the first one who did not work on the railways.”