> Hello,
>
>
> SERVICE CULTUREL L'ARGENTIERE wrote:
>
>>
>> Feld-und-Industriebahnen means "Miltary and Industrial Light Railways"
>> I have never heard of this company, Bernard.
>>
>
> you know German better, than I do :-)
>
> Your interpretation of 'Feld' really might be the original
> meaning of 'Feld' in Feldbahn.
> My - possibly wrong or at least naive - interpretation of
> 'Feld' was 'field' (e.g. agricultural field not battlefield).
> I don't know, which interpretation is correct
> (possibly both?), as Feldbahnen were also used for
> agricultural purposes (and also for use in forests).
>
> Anyways, today 'Feldbahn' is rarely associated with
> military use, and most people use the term for
> industrial light railway. The correct German translation
> of the latter would be 'Industriebahn' (as you said), but
> the term is rarely used.
>
> This discussion confirms (again), that German is a
> strange language with many pitfalls - even for Germans :-)
>
> Greetings
>
> Harald
>
>
> --
> Dr.-Ing. Harald Finster / Aachen Germany
> http://www.finster-stahlart.de industrial history and architecture
> http://www.astrid-aix.de gallery: watercolours and oil paintings
Hi Harald,
I read your mail after Bernard's. As I already said, the subtility of German
is quite fascinating. As an historian I am much more used to former periods
of German history than today's usages. During the First War, large light
railway systems were laid behind the front, these are always known as
Feldbahnen. See also the name 'Feldgendarmerie' for Military Police. Also
'Feldkommando' for a special troop in the field. And Bernard's
'Feldmarschall'.
I guess the use of Feldbahn for agricultural railways is an example of
post-1945 political correctness :-)
Cheers
Ian Cowburn
Conservateur
CCSTI L'Argentière-la-Bessée
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