First Autobahn Opens
The first autobahn, known as the AVUS (Automobil-Verkehrsund Ubungstrasse), opened on September 10, 1921, near Berlin, marking the beginning of Germany's superhighway system. Initially designed as a race track and practice road, it faced skepticism from the public regarding the feasibility of automobile-only roads, devoid of horse-drawn carts and pedestrians. However, Germany's advancements in automotive technology and high-performance vehicles contributed to the acceptance of these roads. By the 1930s, the autobahn network expanded significantly, especially under the Nazi regime, which used it as a major public works project to address unemployment during the Great Depression, employing over 100,000 workers at its peak.
Although construction was interrupted by World War II, the autobahn system resumed and has since grown to over 7,000 miles, with many sections notable for having no speed limits. Unique traffic regulations include prohibitions against vehicles traveling slower than 40 miles per hour and making it illegal to run out of gas on the highway. Today, Germany's autobahn network stands as the second-largest superhighway system in the world, following that of the United States.
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First Autobahn Opens
First Autobahn Opens
The first of the German superhighways known as autobahns opened on September 10, 1921, near the city of Berlin. The AVUS (Automobil-Verkehrsund Ubungstrasse) Autobahn, however, was primarily a race track and practice road for motor vehicles, rather than an avenue for ordinary traffic.
It took some convincing for the German people to accept the concept of automobile-only roads, where horses, slow-moving carts, and pedestrian traffic would not be permitted. Nevertheless, because Germany was also a pioneer in automotive technology, especially with respect to high performance vehicles, by the 1930s the autobahns, with their unique feature of having no speed limit, had gained popular acceptance. Under the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler, the construction of autobahns also became a major public works project that employed some of the millions of Germans who had lost their jobs during the worldwide Great Depression. At one point over 100,000 workers were being used to construct what would become over 2,000 miles of these superhighways.
Work on the autobahn network was interrupted by World War II but resumed afterward. Today it has over 7,000 miles of roadways and is still noted for having no speed limits in many sections. Other unique features of the autobahn network include traffic laws that bar vehicles traveling less than 40 miles per hour and make it an offense to run out of gas en route. Germany's autobahn network is the second-largest superhighway system in the world, behind that of the United States.