At 803.8 feet in length and 135.1 feet in diameter, the German passenger airship Hindenburg (LZ-129) was the largest aircraft ever to fly.
The commercial flights of Hindenburg, along with Graf Zeppelin, pioneered the first transatlantic air service.
She carried hundreds of passengers and traveled thousands of miles before being destroyed in a tragic fire on May 6, 1937 at NAS Lakehurst.
Please join us for a trip through Hindenburg’s history.
Click hear to listen to oral histories of survivors.
Ground crew: Robert Buchanan and James C. Pilkington
Hindenburg crew: Werner Franz
An interview with Captain Ernst Lehmann a year before on board the Hindenburg.
We have had several inquiries to the Mail Bag, regarding the list of crew aboard the HINDENBURG on May 6, 1937
Below is the list as we know it. (**asterisk denotes “killed as result of the accident”).
- 13 Passengers,
- 22 Crewmen and
- 1 Civilian Ground Crew Member (Alan Hagaman of Lakehurst, NJ)
SHIP’S OFFICERS, AIRSHIP LZ-129 “HINDENBURG”
Captain Ernst Lehmann, Director of Flight Operations, Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei **
Captain Max Pruss, Commanding Officer
Captain Anton Wittemann
Captain Albert Sammt
Captain Heinrich Bauer
Walter Ziegler, Watch Officer
Max Zabel, Navigator
Christian Nielsen, Navigator
Franz Herzog, Navigator
Kurt Bauer, Navigator
Willy Speck, Chief Radio Officer**
Herbert Dowe, Radio Officer
Franz Eichelmann, Radio Officer**
Egon Schweikart, Radio Officer
Rudolf Sauter, Chief Engineer
Eugen Schäubel, Engineering Officer
Wilhelm Dimmler, Engineering Officer**
ELEVATORMEN
Ludwig Felber**
Ernst Huchel**
Eduard Boetius
HELMSMEN
Alfred Bernhard**
Helmut Lau
Kurt Schönherr
ELECTRICIANS
Philip Lenz, Chief Electrician
Joseph Leibrecht
Ernst Schlapp**
ENGINE MECHANICS
Walter Bahnholzer**
Eugen Bentele
August Deutschle
Rudy Bialas**
Jonny Doerflein
Adolf Fischer
Albert Holderried**
Richard Kollmer
Robert Moser**
Alois Reisacher**
Theodor Ritter
Raphael Schädler
Willy Scheef**
Josef Schreibmüller**
Wilhelm Steeb
Alfred Stöckle**
German Zettel
RIGGERS
Ludwig Knorr, Chief Rigger**
Hans Freund
Erich Spehl**
STEWARDESS
Emilie Imhoff, Stewardess**
STEWARDS
Heinrich Kubis, Chief Steward
Wilhelm Balla
Fritz Deeg
Max Henneberg
Severin Klein
Eugen Nunnenmacher
Max Schulze**
SHIP’S DOCTOR
Dr. Kurt Rüdiger, Ship’s Doctor
COOKS
Xaver Maier, Chief Cook
Richard Müller**
Albert Stöffler
Alfred Grözinger
Fritz Flackus**
CABIN BOY
Werner Franz
PASSENGERS
Leonhard Adelt, 56, Dresden, (writer)
Gertrud Adelt, 36 (Mrs. Leonhard, also a writer)
Ernst Rudolf Anders, 65, Dresden (tea merchant)**
Ferdinand Lammot Belin,24, Washington D.C. (student)
Birger Brink, Stockholm (correspondent)**
Karl Otto Clemens,28, Bonn, (photographer)
Hermann Doehner, 50, Mexico City ( Pharmaceuticals Importer)**
Matilda Doehner,35 (Mrs. Hermann)
Irene Doehner, 16**
Walter Doehner, 8
Werner Doehner, 6
J. Burtis Dolan,47, Chicago (Perfume Importer)**
Edward Douglas,39, Newark N.J, (Advertising Account Executive)**
Fritz Erdmann(Colonel, German Luftwaffe)**
Otto Ernst,70, Hamburg (Cotton Broker)**
Else Ernst, 62 (Mrs. Otto)
Moritz Feibusch,57, San Francisco (Fancy Goods Importer)**
George Grant,63, London (Shipping Line Executive)
Klaus Hinkelbein, (Lieutenant, German Luftwaffe)
George Hirschfeld,36, Bremen (Cotton Broker)
Marie Kleemann, 61, Hamburg
Erich Knöcher, 38, Zeulenroda (Importer) **
William Leuchtenberg,61, Larchmont, N.Y. (Industrial Manufacturing VP)
Philip Mangone, 57, New York City (Fashion Designer)
Margaret Mather, 60, Rome (Heiress)
Nelson Morris,46, Chicago (Controlling Heir of Meat Packing/Stockyard Inerests)
Herbert O’Laughlin, 28,Elgin, Illinois (Manufacturing Executive)
Clifford Osburn,37, Chicago (International Farm/Industrial Machinery Sales Exec)
John Pannes,61, Long Island (American Rep., Hamburg-America Line) **
Emma Pannes,60, (Mrs.John) **
Otto Reichhold,40, Vienna (Manufacturing Representative)**
Joseph Spah,32, Long Island (Acrobat/Stage Entertainer)
Emil Stöckel, Frankfurt
Hans Vinholt,65, Copenhagen (Retired Banker)
Rolf von Heidenstamm, Stockholm, (Retired Naval Officer, Industrial Rep.)
Hans Hugo Witt (Major, German Luftwaffe)
Oral Histories from the Hindenburg