History
Officially opened on August 6, 1932 but began during the mid 1920's under the Weimar Republic to help Germany during it's economic depression. For the opening ceremonies, Konrad Adenauer said, "So werden die Straßen der Zukunft aussehen." Which in English mean, "This is how the roads of the future will look." Then, in 1933, Adolf Hitler took power of Germany and the autobahn and pushed the continued construction of the highway system Within the year, over 100,000 Germans worked to construct roadways.
Although, during the 1930's, it continued to expand but it featured several limited-access spots. The Autobahn was used for Grand Prix racing, at the beginning, on the straightaways. But then during World War II, construction picked up very heavily, but then fell to almost nothing to put more war efforts in. Eventually they just used certain areas of the highway and paved it to serve as alternative airports, especially sense the the Autobahn wasn't very important for anything other than the war.
The Autobahn provided Germany with infrastructure for the government and military throughout World War II. A great number of cars and trucks, used to transport troops and military equipment, used the highway system a lot during the war.
When the Cold War was happening, West Germany finished most of the Autobahn while East Germany let all of the Autobahn sit and deteriorate. During Germany's reunification, the system was fully desegregated into the autobahn network and officially became one of the world's largest highway systems.
There were numerous organizations that helped with the planning and construction of the German autobahn. The first organized in 1924 and went by the name of STUFA (Studiengesellschaft für den Automobilstraßenbau), STUFA made an idea and plan for a 22,500km German highway system, which is twice the size of the current autobahn. Then, in 1926, the HaFraBa (Verein zur Vorbereitung der Autostraße Hansestädte-Frankfurt-Basel) which in English means, Association for the Planning of the Hanseatic Cities-Frankfurt-Basel Motorway, took over the plan for STUFA. Then in 1928, the head guy of the HaFraBa, Kurt Kaftan was the first person to call it the way that we all call it today, the Autobahn (or "freeway"). In 1933, when Hitler became Reichskanzler under Hindenburg, the Nazis took over HaFraBa and renamed it the GeZuVor (Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Autobahnbaus).
Eventually, a number of hotels and restaurants sprung up near the autobahn and throughout the country.
Although, during the 1930's, it continued to expand but it featured several limited-access spots. The Autobahn was used for Grand Prix racing, at the beginning, on the straightaways. But then during World War II, construction picked up very heavily, but then fell to almost nothing to put more war efforts in. Eventually they just used certain areas of the highway and paved it to serve as alternative airports, especially sense the the Autobahn wasn't very important for anything other than the war.
The Autobahn provided Germany with infrastructure for the government and military throughout World War II. A great number of cars and trucks, used to transport troops and military equipment, used the highway system a lot during the war.
When the Cold War was happening, West Germany finished most of the Autobahn while East Germany let all of the Autobahn sit and deteriorate. During Germany's reunification, the system was fully desegregated into the autobahn network and officially became one of the world's largest highway systems.
There were numerous organizations that helped with the planning and construction of the German autobahn. The first organized in 1924 and went by the name of STUFA (Studiengesellschaft für den Automobilstraßenbau), STUFA made an idea and plan for a 22,500km German highway system, which is twice the size of the current autobahn. Then, in 1926, the HaFraBa (Verein zur Vorbereitung der Autostraße Hansestädte-Frankfurt-Basel) which in English means, Association for the Planning of the Hanseatic Cities-Frankfurt-Basel Motorway, took over the plan for STUFA. Then in 1928, the head guy of the HaFraBa, Kurt Kaftan was the first person to call it the way that we all call it today, the Autobahn (or "freeway"). In 1933, when Hitler became Reichskanzler under Hindenburg, the Nazis took over HaFraBa and renamed it the GeZuVor (Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Autobahnbaus).
Eventually, a number of hotels and restaurants sprung up near the autobahn and throughout the country.