The Blombergbahn will be 50 years old this Thursday.
This birthday cannot be taken for granted, because the first few years of the mountain railway were anything but easy.
In fact, a few years after it started, the company was as good as bankrupt when boss Hans Zintel had an idea that changed everything.
Wackersberg
- The Blomberg has been a popular leisure and recreational area for over 100 years. The toboggan run was opened in 1907 and the Blomberghaus opened in the same year. The city of Bad Tölz was the first municipality to operate a mountain inn. In 1925, the Tölz city council toyed with the idea of opening up the Blomberg with a cable car for the first time. “The negotiations and discussions lasted until 1929, when participation in the construction of the Blombergbahn was unfortunately refused for financial reasons caused by the global economic crisis. The idea of a mountain railway on the Blomberg continued to inspire the city council and mayor, ”says the chronicle of city treasurer Heinrich Rath. In 1948 there was another attempt to build the railway. But that also failed due to the economic situation.
A Berliner, an encounter at the Oktoberfest and an investment
After all, it was an encounter at the Munich Oktoberfest in the 1960s that brought about the turning point.
Hans Zintel from Berlin, who actually earned his living running large festival tents and renting out halls, got into conversation with two other visitors at a beer table.
"They were Tölz city councilors, and they told of plans to build a cable car to the Blomberg near Bad Tölz, for which investors are being sought," recalls the now 94-year-old Zintel.
Interest in him and his future co-partner Franz Josef Koch was aroused.
Visits, discussions and profitability calculations followed.
Zintel and Koch were ready to join the project.
In July 1969 the Blombergbahn GmbH & Co. KG was founded.
Fatal decision at the start of construction costs 750,000 Deutschmarks
The planning began - and the city administration pushed for a quick start of construction, describes Zintel.
The fact that the then managing director Paul Mosbach let himself be pushed and the construction actually started turned out to be a fatal decision.
The state institute for development financing canceled the already promised promotional loan of 750,000 D-Marks because the measure had been started prematurely.
"The company started with a financial hole that now had to be plugged," said Zintel.
So he and Koch had to raise the same amount of equity of 750,000 D-Marks.
Hans Zintel came on crutches for the inauguration
It wasn't the only setback. After a serious car accident and a long hospital stay on crutches, Zintel took part in the inauguration of the Blombergbahn on May 27, 1971. "And the operation of the cable car was not under a lucky star," recalls the senior boss. The Blomberg was still popular, but many went up the mountain on foot and ignored the train. In addition, winters were already getting less snow in the early 1970s. "So the winter operation could not compensate for the low summer turnover," says Zintel. 1973 - only two years after the opening - the low point was reached. "Our managing director told us that we are broke and have to file for bankruptcy," says Zintel. His business partner Koch wanted to get out.But the Berliner believed in the Blomberg - he bought Koch's shares and took over the management of the GmbH.
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Environment Minister Max Streibl (right) and Managing Director Paul Morsbach started the Blombergbahn on May 27, 1971.
© Wedhorn / A
The building of the summer toboggan run in 1976 brought the turning point
But new ideas were needed to secure a future for the company - and Zintel had them.
He saw snow cannons in action for the first time on Berlin's Teufelsberg - and invested 300,000 marks in a system.
The Oberfischbach fire brigade delivered two large water tanks in 1975 and the first artificial snow was shot on the Blomberg.
Winter business was assured, and Zintel had a great idea for the summer too.
The opening of the summer toboggan run in June 1976 marked the turning point for the ailing company.
The rush on the first weekend was huge.
“People queued for two hours downstairs for a ticket and another two hours upstairs to be able to toboggan again,” says Zintel.
In 1981 it was even entered in the Guinness Book of Records as the “longest slide”.
Change from ski mountain to toboggan mountain
Since then, the Blomberg has continuously developed and transformed - from a ski mountain to a toboggan mountain. The rail-guided Blombergblitz has been expanding the range of toboggan runs since 2008. In 2016 it was extended. In 2018, the tractor converted into a toboggan lift should go into operation below the Blomberghaus. Actually. Because the heavy, wet snow that fell that winter knocked down rows of trees on the Blomberg, which fell on the facilities. 400,000 euros in damage occurred after a foehn storm had already caused 100,000 euros in damage a few months earlier. In the winter after that, no snow fell at all. Then Corona came and paralyzed operations. Now Hannes Zintel, who took over the management from his father in 2012, is counting on the opening of the new toboggan lift next winter.
As a three-year-old Hannes Zintel wanted to become director of the mountain railway
The 43-year-old never asked whether he would join his parents' business. At the age of three he announced with full conviction: “I will one day be a mountain railway director.” His father is happy that his son has taken over the business. “He could make it easier for himself, but just like me, it has this Blomberg virus in it.” It is a task with many challenges, says Hannes Zintel. “But I can hardly imagine a life without Blomberg.” Ultimately, “it's about the visitors, who we put a smile on their faces, according to the motto: 'You can't buy yourself happiness, but you can buy a lift ticket. “Hannes Zintel is now a father himself. Can he recommend a career as a mountain railway director? “Our children should be allowed to do what fulfills them professionally. Should this be the Blomberg,we would of course be happy. "
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The Blombergbahn is firmly in family hands.
The photo shows the founder couple Hans and Anna Katharina Zintel as well as the son and current managing director Hannes with his wife Nicole.
© Tutsch
Invitation to volunteers instead of a big party
A big anniversary celebration for the 50th anniversary is not possible this year due to Corona. Instead, a magazine will appear. With history and stories about the Blombergbahn - and with many greetings. One of them comes from the member of the state parliament Florian Streibl. It was his father Max who flipped the switch to start the railway at the inauguration in 1971 as Minister of the Environment. “This closes the circle,” says Hannes Zintel and laughs. Zintel is now investing the money that would actually have flowed into the anniversary celebration differently. “We want to invite volunteers and associations.” To begin with, there are 100 scouts from Munich who will spend a wonderful day on the Blomberg. Other groups will follow. "Young people in particular don't have it easy during the Corona period," says the 43-year-old. To give you a nice day,make more sense than investing in fireworks or free beer.
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