The history about the shipping on the most beautiful lakes in Bavaria.

On Lake Tegernsee, professional fishing took precedence over the passenger sailings. This was done by the fishermen by means of simple wooden barges to a small extent. In 1894, for the first time, a fisherman was allowed by Prince Regent Luitpold to operate a motor boat.

Up until the Second World War, 5 motorboats were available on Lake Tegernsee. During World War II, three private companies formed an emergency community to maintain the shipping on Lake Tegernsee. As a result of the lack of fuel, shipping experienced a decline. In this bad time, the Bavarian state intervened and relocated two electric motor boats from Königssee to Tegernsee. As shipping started to slowly recover, the state rented the passenger boats from the Höss Company as well as from the local municipality. These two boats returned in 1951 to Lake Königssee.

Between 1951 and 1954, all rented vessels were transferred to the Free State of Bavaria by purchase. The management of the shipping operation was carried out by the Bavarian administration of the state’s castles and lakes.

On 1st January 1984, the four shipping companies (Ammersee, Starnbergersee, Tegernsee and Königssee) were brought together to form the State Lakes Shipping – a state run enterprise of the Free State of Bavaria. Since 1st January 1997, it has been named the Bayerische Seenschifffahrt GmbH.

Very early on, Lake Starnberg had also become popular with the aristocracy and especially at court. Not only was it close to the main residential city of Munich but it was also easy to reach via the Old Post Road. Above all, several castles also ensured a pleasant stay. Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria commissioned a "Frigate" to be built in 1550 by Starnberg carpenters.
 
Finally in the 17th Century, the Elector Ferdinand Maria ordered a fleet of the highest luxury to be built. The magnificent boat "Bucentaur", which can be seen in detail in an oil painting in the Berchtesgaden Castle Museum, cost no less than 18,269 Guilders. It had a capacity of 500 people, was moved by 110 rowers, but also had sails. At the sea and hunting festivals, it was surrounded by numerous escort boats, up to 34 in number, such as the Chamberlain's Boat, the Basement Boat, the Music Boat and the Kitchen Boat. In 1758, Elector Max II decided for the demolition of the "Bucentaur” due to the impending high cost of repair.
 
From 1851, the era of steam navigation began on Lake Starnberg. In the presence of King Max II, the first paddle steamer ran from the pier in Starnberg, financed by the Royal Builder Himbsel.
 
In 1864, the shipping company was sold to a public limited company and on 1.1.1915 taken over by the Bavarian state. The shipping was initially operated by the Bavarian State Railways, then their successor the Reichsbahn/Deutsche Bundesbahn and from 1959 by the Bavarian administration of state castles, gardens and lakes.
 
On 1st January 1984, the four shipping companies (Ammersee, Starnbergersee, Tegernsee and Königssee) were brought together to form the State Lakes Shipping – a state run enterprise of the Free State of Bavaria. Since 1st January 1997, it has been named the Bayerische Seenschifffahrt GmbH.

Already in the year 1877, 12 Diessen citizens commissioned the boatbuilder Ringmaier from Diessen to procure a steamboat for Lake Ammersee. From Heilbronn, a 12m long and 2m wide river steamboat with a machine power of 12 HP was bought and put into service under the name "Omnibus". Only 20 people took this boat, whose first sailing lasted less than 3 days due to technical problems.

Because of ever-increasing tourism, this boat was soon no longer sufficient to cope with the demand for a voyage. In 1878, a joint-stock company was founded in order to build a new boat in Zurich for 150 passengers. In 1880, the Imperial Council of Maffei took over the majority of shares of the "Ammersee Steam Cruise Company Plc". As a rail link between Munich, Augsburg and Lake Ammersee did not exist, in the same year on the Amper north of the Ammersee a feeder transport was established from Stegen to Grafrath with the river steamer "Maria Theresia".

In 1906, the Bavarian state acquired the Ammersee shipping for 110,000 Guilders along with all the machinery, equipment and boats; and placed them under the Royal Bavarian State Railway. River shipping on the Amper was discontinued in 1939.

Later, the Ammersee shipping was run by the Reichsbahn or by the Bundesbahn. It was directly under the control of the Bavarian administration of state castles, gardens and lakes from 1959 until the establishment of the State Lakes shipping in the year 1984.

On 1st January 1984, the four shipping companies (Ammersee, Starnbergersee, Tegernsee and Königssee) were brought together to form the State Lakes Shipping – a state run enterprise of the Free State of Bavaria. Since 1st January 1997, it has been named the Bayerische Seenschifffahrt GmbH.

In 1134, just 12 years after the foundation of the Augustinian Monastery in Berchtesgaden, the Provost erected the first church on the banks of the alluvial cone at the foot of the Watzmann East Wall.

After the takeover of Berchtesgaden by the Kingdom of Bavaria in the year 1810, the area around Lake Königssee became the core of the royal hunting court and the summer residence in St. Bartholomä became the hunting lodge.
 
Until the start of motor boating on the lake, rowing boats (shallow boats) were the only means of transport. For pilgrimages, large shallow boats, the so-called "Landauer", were used. These are still used today for the transport of cows to the Fischunkelalm and the Saletalm. Since the mid-18th Century, the Königssee shipping has developed into a source of income for the local population due to the increasing number of visitors. The development of shipping traffic was in the hands of the so-called "Boat Master" Moderegger. In the 19th Century, the number of skippers on Königssee had grown so much (to 150), that they joined together to form their own guild, whose guild sign was a carved flatboat with two oars. Thus, in 1872 already 10,000 people were being transported by rowing boats across the lake and this number rose to 78,000 by the year 1908.
 
The construction of the now no longer existing railway connection from Berchtesgaden to Königssee, completed on 29th May 1909, was to accommodate the expected further increase of visitors to Königssee due to the improved traffic connections. The time to decide on the introduction of motor shipping was fast approaching.
 
In January 1909, with the consent of the Prince Regent Luitpold, the Senior Harbour Master ordered four boats, two with petroleum-fired steam engines, a large electric boat and a small electric boat exclusively for court purposes.

On Lake Tegernsee, professional fishing took precedence over the passenger sailings. This was done by the fishermen by means of simple wooden barges to a small extent. In 1894, for the first time, a fisherman was allowed by Prince Regent Luitpold to operate a motor boat.

Up until the Second World War, 5 motorboats were available on Lake Tegernsee. During World War II, three private companies formed an emergency community to maintain the shipping on Lake Tegernsee. As a result of the lack of fuel, shipping experienced a decline. In this bad time, the Bavarian state intervened and relocated two electric motor boats from Königssee to Tegernsee. As shipping started to slowly recover, the state rented the passenger boats from the Höss Company as well as from the local municipality. These two boats returned in 1951 to Lake Königssee.

Between 1951 and 1954, all rented vessels were transferred to the Free State of Bavaria by purchase. The management of the shipping operation was carried out by the Bavarian administration of the state’s castles and lakes.

On 1st January 1984, the four shipping companies (Ammersee, Starnbergersee, Tegernsee and Königssee) were brought together to form the State Lakes Shipping – a state run enterprise of the Free State of Bavaria. Since 1st January 1997, it has been named the Bayerische Seenschifffahrt GmbH.

Very early on, Lake Starnberg had also become popular with the aristocracy and especially at court. Not only was it close to the main residential city of Munich but it was also easy to reach via the Old Post Road. Above all, several castles also ensured a pleasant stay. Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria commissioned a "Frigate" to be built in 1550 by Starnberg carpenters.
 
Finally in the 17th Century, the Elector Ferdinand Maria ordered a fleet of the highest luxury to be built. The magnificent boat "Bucentaur", which can be seen in detail in an oil painting in the Berchtesgaden Castle Museum, cost no less than 18,269 Guilders. It had a capacity of 500 people, was moved by 110 rowers, but also had sails. At the sea and hunting festivals, it was surrounded by numerous escort boats, up to 34 in number, such as the Chamberlain's Boat, the Basement Boat, the Music Boat and the Kitchen Boat. In 1758, Elector Max II decided for the demolition of the "Bucentaur” due to the impending high cost of repair.
 
From 1851, the era of steam navigation began on Lake Starnberg. In the presence of King Max II, the first paddle steamer ran from the pier in Starnberg, financed by the Royal Builder Himbsel.
 
In 1864, the shipping company was sold to a public limited company and on 1.1.1915 taken over by the Bavarian state. The shipping was initially operated by the Bavarian State Railways, then their successor the Reichsbahn/Deutsche Bundesbahn and from 1959 by the Bavarian administration of state castles, gardens and lakes.
 
On 1st January 1984, the four shipping companies (Ammersee, Starnbergersee, Tegernsee and Königssee) were brought together to form the State Lakes Shipping – a state run enterprise of the Free State of Bavaria. Since 1st January 1997, it has been named the Bayerische Seenschifffahrt GmbH.

Already in the year 1877, 12 Diessen citizens commissioned the boatbuilder Ringmaier from Diessen to procure a steamboat for Lake Ammersee. From Heilbronn, a 12m long and 2m wide river steamboat with a machine power of 12 HP was bought and put into service under the name "Omnibus". Only 20 people took this boat, whose first sailing lasted less than 3 days due to technical problems.

Because of ever-increasing tourism, this boat was soon no longer sufficient to cope with the demand for a voyage. In 1878, a joint-stock company was founded in order to build a new boat in Zurich for 150 passengers. In 1880, the Imperial Council of Maffei took over the majority of shares of the "Ammersee Steam Cruise Company Plc". As a rail link between Munich, Augsburg and Lake Ammersee did not exist, in the same year on the Amper north of the Ammersee a feeder transport was established from Stegen to Grafrath with the river steamer "Maria Theresia".

In 1906, the Bavarian state acquired the Ammersee shipping for 110,000 Guilders along with all the machinery, equipment and boats; and placed them under the Royal Bavarian State Railway. River shipping on the Amper was discontinued in 1939.

Later, the Ammersee shipping was run by the Reichsbahn or by the Bundesbahn. It was directly under the control of the Bavarian administration of state castles, gardens and lakes from 1959 until the establishment of the State Lakes shipping in the year 1984.

On 1st January 1984, the four shipping companies (Ammersee, Starnbergersee, Tegernsee and Königssee) were brought together to form the State Lakes Shipping – a state run enterprise of the Free State of Bavaria. Since 1st January 1997, it has been named the Bayerische Seenschifffahrt GmbH.