By May of 1937, planes, trains and automobiles were an integral part of modern life. Transatlantic communication was well on its way to becoming the global streamlined system it is today. People crossed the world’s oceans quite regularly. There were a few misadventures along the way, the worst of which would take the lives of 35 people in a matter of seconds. The Hindenburg disaster remains one of the most shocking and spellbinding pieces of film footage in media history.

1930s Germany was a prosperous time and place for many. The Nazis held tight control of every aspect of society, creating a false utopia of strong employment, increased civic engagement and cultural exploration. The desire to show all that Germany had to offer after the humiliating defeat of the Great War was a must for Hitler and his followers. None could have anticipated the violent and horrifying events that would overtake the country in just a few short years. In 1937, times were good and innovation frequent.

The invention of an international air bus was the result of the efforts of the Zeppelin Company who would soon be famous for their aircraft carriers. The Hindenburg was the second of two enormous airships manufactured by the company, both giants of lightweight metal and gas cells. The air bus or air ship was constructed in Fredrichshafen, Germany and measured over 135 feet. Taking five years to build, the aircraft was the first transportation to cross the Atlantic by air. There was no passenger basket below the airship; the Hindenburg was a contained structure.

The Hindenburg was named for the former president of the Weimar republic, Paul Von Hindenburg. Considered a national hero, President Hindenburg passed away in 1934, never knowing the grisly outcome of his namesake. It was Hindenburg who appointed Hitler to the position of chancellor; a position that would act as springboard towards his ambitions as fuehrer. Hindenburg is thus associated with two disasters: the rise of Hitler and the downfall of transatlantic airships.

Already in service for a year before disaster struck, the Hindenburg air bus has proved popular among the elite traveler that utilized its services. A library, lounge, cafeteria and promenade made the long slow flight (approximately 60 hours) from German to America’s East coast both pleasurable and relaxing. It would all come to a crashing shocking halt as the giant air bus with its four strong engines came into land at the small airport in Lakehurst, New Jersey on May 6th, 1937.

Having thwarted the efforts of an earlier thunderstorm, the Hindenburg was slowly making its way in to land. 200 hundred feet above ground, and just as the first tie line descended, an ominous orange glow became visible. The massive gas filled balloon was about to burst. There were 91 people on board. 33 lost their lives jumping to the ground to avoid the flames. Another two were ravaged by flames.

People on the ground looked on in horror at the sight of flames billowing out of the airship’s fragile structure while people jumped to the ground. Sixty seconds from the sound of the explosion, the Hindenburg was gone, nothing more than ashes and burnt framing. The event was broadcast live on the radio.

The radio broadcast that is most famed by the Hindenburg disaster (with the famously haunting “oh the humanity!” cry from eye witness journalist, Herbert Morrison) was actually the first national coast to coast broadcast in the country. What was meant to be a shining day for the developing media/movie industry became a thunderous marker of what happens when dreams are marred by fate.

After the tragedy of that spring day, the growing popularity with the air bus system rapidly dissipated. No-one wanted to fly in a planed apt to seemingly spontaneous explosion. Theories abound on the cause of the Hindenburg’s combustion, from lighting storms to sabotage, but firm evidence of cause was never found.

The Hindenburg disaster marked the beginning of the end of Germany’s good times, at least for a few years anyway. Two years later, Hitler would invade Poland and the war to end all wars would become a hollow sentiment from a battlefield that paused but never ended. The time after World War I in Europe was a mixed muddle of progress and setbacks as nations recovered from conflict, dep

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The Hindenburg disaster marked the beginning of the end of Germany’s good times, at least for a few years anyway. Two years later, Hitler would invade Poland and the war to end all wars would become a hollow sentiment from a battlefield that paused but never ended. The time after World War I in Europe was a mixed muddle of progress and setbacks as nations recovered from conflict, depression and political upheaval. The Hindenburg Disaster was just one of many incidents that marked the years between the wars.

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