| The state-owned Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR- "German Imperial Railways") under Hitler was without doubt one of the most decisive factors in putting the mass deportations and murder of 6 million people into practice. The abbreviation DB was established only in 1949 for Deutsche Bundesbahn (German Federal Railways) in the new-formed West German Federal Republik, whereas in Comunist East Germany the railways continued to be called "Deutsche Reichsbahn" until reunification in 1990. Both branches were reunified as DB which was reinterpreted as "Deutsche Bahn", with its former, only slightly modernized west German logo becoming its overal signet. There seems to be widespread consensus in German public debate that DB should show public responsibility for its precursors. The controvery is by and large another crusade of its present day hotheaded chairman, Hartmut Mehdorn, who has been known for many obstinate decisions in several other areas. Nobody really knows what is driving him this time... |
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