document_title: Timeline of The Walt Disney Company

question_text: when was the first walt disney cartoon made

text: Timeline of The Walt Disney Company

text: The Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923, and found much success under Walt Disney's leadership through his death in 1966.

text:
Year
Notable Business Events
Notable Theatrical Releases
Notable Theme Park/destination Openings
Other Premieres

1923

Walt Disney signed a contract with M.J. Winkler to produce a series of Alice Comedies, beginning the Disney company under its original name "Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio", with brothers Walt and Roy Disney, as equal partners.[1]

First Alice's comedy, Alice's Wonderland, was released

1926

"Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio" changes name to "The Walt Disney Studio" shortly after moving into the new studio on Hyperion Avenue in the Silver Lake district.

1927

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit debuts.

1928

Walt loses the Oswald's series contract.
Walt and Roy come up with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Mickey Mouse debuts in Plane Crazy
Steamboat Willie (the first synchronized sound cartoon)

1929

On December 16, "The Walt Disney Studio" is replaced by "Walt Disney Productions, Ltd". Three other companies, "Walt Disney Enterprises", "Disney Film Recording Company", and "Liled Realty and Investment Company", are also formed.

The Skeleton Dance (the first Silly Symphonies cartoon)

1930

Distribution moved to Columbia Pictures

The Mickey Mouse comic strips by Floyd Gottfredson

1931

1932

Distribution moved from Columbia Pictures to United Artists

Flowers and Trees (the first Technicolor cartoon and first animated short to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film of 1932)
Mickey's Revue (which features the premiere of Goofy, originally called "Dippy Dawg")

1933

Three Little Pigs (winner of Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film of 1933)

1934

The Wise Little Hen (which features the premiere of Donald Duck)
The Tortoise and the Hare (Winner of Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film of 1934)

1936

Distribution moved from United Artists to RKO Radio Pictures.

1937

Walt Disney's first feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

1938

On September 29, "Walt Disney Enterprises", "Disney Film Recording Company", and "Liled Realty and Investment Company" and "Walt Disney Productions, Ltd." are merged to form "Walt Disney Productions".

1940

Studio moves to Burbank, California
Company goes public

Pinocchio
Fantasia

1941

A bitter animators' strike occurs
The studio begins making morale-boosting propaganda films for the United States during World War II

Dumbo

1942

Bambi

Donald Duck comics by Carl Barks

1943

Saludos Amigos

1944

The company is short on money; a theatrical re-release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs generates much-needed revenue and begins a reissue pattern for the animated feature films.

1945

The Three Caballeros (The first live action/cartoons Disney film)

1946

Make Mine Music
Song of the South

1947

Fun and Fancy Free

1948

The True-Life Adventures nature film series begins; it lasts until 1960.

Melody Time
Seal Island

1949

The studio begins production on its first all-live action feature, Treasure Island

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

licensed Ice Capades Disney segment[2]

1950

Cinderella
Treasure Island (Disney's first live-action film)

1951

Alice in Wonderland

1952

Uncle Scrooge comics by Carl Barks

1953

"WED Enterprises" is formed to control the rights to "Disney" and hold the Disneyland design team. It will later own and operate several attractions inside Disneyland, including the Disneyland Monorail System and the Disneyland Railroad.
Disney makes the Disneyland programming deal with American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres to fund Disneyland.[3]
Other Disneyland investors were Walt Disney/WED and Western Publishing[4]

Peter Pan

1954

The studio ends its distribution deal with RKO Radio Pictures and founds Buena Vista Film Distribution Company, Inc. to distribute its feature films.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Disneyland anthology TV series on ABC (First Disney TV program & Disneyland funding program)

1955

Lady and the Tramp

Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California.

The Mickey Mouse Club (ABC-TV)
Magic Kingdom (ABC Radio)[5]

1957

Old Yeller

Zorro (ABC)

1959

Sleeping Beauty
The Shaggy Dog
Darby O'Gill and the Little People

1960

Pollyanna
Swiss Family Robinson

1961

The studio purchases the film and merchandise rights to A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books, which are a huge source of revenue (as well as litigation issues) to this day.[6]

One Hundred and One Dalmatians
The Absent-Minded Professor
The Parent Trap

1963

The Sword in the Stone

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room opens at Disneyland. This is the first attraction to feature audio-animatronics.

1964

Mary Poppins (the first Disney film to receive a Best Picture Academy Award nomination)

1965

Disney News begins publication

1966

September: Walt Disney is diagnosed with lung cancer; died on December 15.

Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree[6]

text: After Walt's death in 1966, the company began a slow decline with no clear direction, which culminated in an unsuccessful greenmail attempt to buy the company from current shareholders.

text:
Year
Notable Business Events
Notable Theatrical Releases
Notable Theme Park/destination Openings
Other Premieres

1967

Construction begins on Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida; the underlying governmental structure, called the Reedy Creek Improvement District, is signed into law.

The Jungle Book

Pirates of the Caribbean opens at Disneyland

1968

Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
The Love Bug

1969

The Haunted Mansion opens at Disneyland

1970

The Aristocats

The Mouse Factory

1971

Roy Oliver Disney dies; Donn Tatum becomes chairman and Card Walker becomes president
Eastern Airlines is branded as "The Official Airline of Walt Disney World"

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

The Walt Disney World Resort opens

1972

1973

Robin Hood

Schoolhouse Rock

1974

Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too

1975

Escape to Witch Mountain

1976

Freaky Friday

1977

Walt's nephew Roy E. Disney, resigns from the company citing a decline in overall product quality and issues with manager.

The Rescuers
Pete's Dragon
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

1978

Return from Witch Mountain

1979

Don Bluth and 12 fellow animators leave Disney to found their own studio.

The Black Hole (the first PG-rated Disney film, reversing a G-only policy that began with the 1968 introduction of the MPAA ratings system)

1980

1981

Plans for a cable network are announced.
The first Walt Disney's World on Ice show, produced by Feld Entertainment under license by Walt Disney Productions, tours the United States.

The Fox and the Hound

Dumbo is the first animated Disney home video release

1982

The Coca-Cola Company has an unsuccessful buyout attempt for Disney.
Walt's son-in-law Ron W. Miller succeeds Card Walker as CEO.

Tron (Would belatedly be hailed as a bold pioneering work with Computer Generated Imagery)

Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow (EPCOT) Center opens at Walt Disney World Resort

1983

Disney Channel begins, while the anthology series ends.
The live action studio is renamed "Walt Disney Pictures".

Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore
Mickey's Christmas Carol, accompanied by a reissue of The Rescuers.

Tokyo Disneyland opens in Japan

Good Morning, Mickey!
Welcome to Pooh Corner

text: Michael Eisner is hired from Paramount to be the new CEO, along with Frank Wells as president. They bring leadership vision and place an emphasis on theme park expansion and improving the quality of film and television work.

text:
Year
Notable Business Events
Notable Theatrical Releases
Notable Theme Park/destination Openings
Other Premieres

1984

The Touchstone Films label is created to produce films aimed towards more mature audiences.
The studio narrowly escapes a buyout attempt by Saul Steinberg. In its aftermath, Roy Edward Disney and his business partner, Stanley Gold, remove Ron W. Miller as CEO and president, replacing him with Michael Eisner and Frank Wells.
The Walt Disney Classics video collection starts up.

Splash (first ever Touchstone film is released on the 9th of March 1984)
Tiger Town
Country

1985

In a reversal of a three-decade studio policy, the studio begins making cartoons for television beginning with Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears and The Wuzzles.
Touchstone Television (producer of The Golden Girls, Home Improvement and Boy Meets World) is founded
The home video release of Pinocchio becomes a best-seller.
Clarence Nash, the voice of Donald Duck for over 50 years, dies; he is succeeded by Tony Anselmo.
The animation studio is renamed "Walt Disney Feature Animation".

The Black Cauldron (the first PG-rated Disney animated film)
Return to Oz
Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend
The Journey of Natty Gann
My Science Project

Mousercise
Dumbo's Circus
Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears
The Wuzzles

1986

February 2: The anthology series is revived on ABC.
February 6: The company's name is changed from "Walt Disney Productions" to "The Walt Disney Company".
Bankruptcy of Eastern Airlines forces Walt Disney World to re-designate Delta Air Lines as its official airline. Eastern-sponsored "If You Had Wings" in the Magic Kingdom is later revamped and renamed "Delta Dreamflight".
Richard Rich leaves Disney to start his own studio.
The distribution company's name is changed from "Buena Vista Distribution Company" to "Buena Vista Pictures Distribution".
Disney teamed up with Studio Ghibli to distribute anime films internationally.

Down and Out in Beverly Hills (The company's first R-rated film, released under Touchstone Pictures)
The Great Mouse Detective
The Color of Money
Ruthless People

1987

First Disney Store opens in Glendale, California.
The company and the French government sign an agreement for the creation of the first Disney Resort in Europe: the Euro Disney project starts.
The company opens up a Hall of Fame called Disney Legends with Fred MacMurray as the first induction.
Touchstone Films is renamed "Touchstone Pictures".

Ernest Goes to Camp
Good Morning, Vietnam
Three Men and a Baby

DuckTales
Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck comics by Don Rosa

1988

"Walt Disney Computer Software" founded as a video game division of The Walt Disney Company.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Oliver & Company
Beaches
Shoot to Kill
Cocktail

The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Mickey's 60th Birthday

1989

Disney and Jim Henson discuss the possible acquisition of Jim Henson Productions, including The Muppets.

The Little Mermaid
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
Dead Poets Society
Disorganized Crime
Turner & Hooch

Disney-MGM Studios opens at Walt Disney World.

Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers

1990

Jim Henson's death extinguishes the deal to buy his holdings.
The anthology series is canceled for the second time.
The Disney Afternoon television syndication block debuts.
"Hollywood Pictures" is created to produce films aimed towards more mature adult audiences.
Disney Adventures magazine begins publication.

The Rescuers Down Under
Green Card
Pretty Woman
Dick Tracy
Arachnophobia The first film by Hollywood Pictures
DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp, first full-length film produced by the Walt Disney Television Animation studio.

TaleSpin
The Muppets at Walt Disney World

1991

December 20: The first Disney Vacation Club Resorts opened at Walt Disney World.

Beauty and the Beast, (the first animated film to ever be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture)
The Rocketeer
Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken
Father of the Bride
White Fang

Darkwing Duck
Dinosaurs

1992

The company is granted permission for a National Hockey League expansion franchise. The team is named the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to coincide with the release of The Mighty Ducks.
Disney Family Fun Magazine Begins Publication.

The Mighty Ducks
Aladdin
Sister Act
Newsies
The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

Euro Disney Resort opens outside Paris.

Goof Troop
Adventures in Wonderland (quality of the theatrical releases)
The Little Mermaid (TV series)
Raw Toonage

1993

Disney acquires independent film distributor Miramax Films.
Winnie-the-Pooh merchandise outsells Mickey Mouse merchandise for the first time.
The Anaheim Mighty Ducks play their first game at the Anaheim Arena, a brand-new arena located just three miles (5 km) east of Disneyland.

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
Cool Runnings
Hocus Pocus
The Nightmare Before Christmas
What's Love Got to Do with It
A Far Off Place

Bonkers
Marsupilami
Boy Meets World
Bill Nye the Science Guy

1994

Frank Wells is killed in a helicopter crash.
Beauty and the Beast opens on Broadway.
Jeffrey Katzenberg resigns to co-found his own studio, DreamWorks SKG.
Plans for Disney's America, a historical theme park in Haymarket, Virginia, are abruptly dropped.
Euro Disneyland is renamed Disneyland Paris.
The Classics video line is unofficially cancelled and replaced with the Masterpiece Collection.
Disney News changes its name to Disney Magazine.

The Lion King
The Santa Clause
The Jungle Book (1994)
Angels in the Outfield
Blank Check
Quiz Show
Ed Wood

Aladdin (TV series)
Gargoyles

1995

In October, the company hires Hollywood super agent Michael Ovitz to be president.
On October 1, Disney Channel (UK and Ireland) launches at 6:30pm
DIC Entertainment became part of The Walt Disney Company after the acquirement of Capital Cities/ABC.

Pocahontas
Crimson Tide
Man of the House
A Goofy Movie
Toy Story

The Shnookums and Meat Funny Cartoon Show
Timon & Pumbaa

1996

The company takes on the name of "Disney Enterprises, Inc." and acquires the Capital Cities/ABC group renaming it ABC, Inc., both as subsidiaries under a new parent company named "The Walt Disney Company"
Disney acquires Jumbo Pictures, producer of the Nickelodeon animated series Doug.
To celebrate the pairing, ABC's first Super Soap Weekend is held at Walt Disney World.
Disney makes deal with Tokuma Shoten for dubbing and releasing of Studio Ghibli films in the U.S. In December, Michael Ovitz, president of the company, leaves "by mutual consent".

The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Rock
James and the Giant Peach
Ransom
101 Dalmatians (1996)

Quack Pack
Mighty Ducks (TV series)
Doug
Flash Forward
Jungle Cubs

1997

September 28: The anthology series is revived for a third time.
The home video division releases its first DVDs.
Disney takes control of the Major League Baseball franchise the California Angels of the American League, renaming the team the Anaheim Angels in order to coincide with Disney's hockey team the Mighty Ducks and to draw more tourism to Anaheim and nearby Disneyland.
The Lion King (musical) opens on Broadway.

Hercules
Flubber
Air Bud
Con Air
George of the Jungle

Recess
101 Dalmatians: The Series
Pepper Ann
Bear in the Big Blue House

1998

Disney and the Hong Kong Government announced a new resort in Hong Kong.
Disney Cruise Line sets sail with its first ship.
Toon Disney begins.

Mulan
Armageddon
A Bug's Life
Mighty Joe Young
The Parent Trap

Disney's Animal Kingdom opens.
Disney Magic launched.

PB&J Otter
Hercules (1998 TV series)
The Famous Jett Jackson
Out of the Box
Rolie Polie Olie

1999

Tarzan
Inspector Gadget
Toy Story 2
Fantasia 2000
The Sixth Sense
The Insider

Disney Cruise Line ship Disney Wonder sets sail.

The Weekenders
Mickey Mouse Works

2000

Robert Iger becomes president.
Disney-owned TV channels including, owned-and-operated ABC stations, are pulled from Time Warner Cable briefly during a dispute over carriage fees.
Disney begins its Gold Classic Collection DVD line.
Disney shuts down Jumbo Pictures, forcing Jim Jinkins and David Campbell to found Cartoon Pizza in 2001.
Disney sold DiC Entertainment to Andy Heyward, the then-CEO of DiC Entertainment.

Dinosaur
Remember the Titans
The Emperor's New Groove
102 Dalmatians
Unbreakable

Even Stevens
Teacher's Pet
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command

2001

Disney buys Fox Family Network including Saban Entertainment, owner of entertainment juggernaut Power Rangers, for $3 billion in July, giving Disney programming and cable network reaching 81 million homes.
Disney changes Fox Family Network to ABC Family.
Fort Worth billionaire Sid Bass is forced to sell his Disney holdings due to a margin call caused partially by the stock market fall that followed the 9/11 attacks.
Disney begins its Platinum Edition DVD line with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as well as the Walt Disney Treasures DVD box set line for the collector's market.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Monsters, Inc.
Pearl Harbor
The Princess Diaries

Disney California Adventure Park opens on February 8.
Tokyo DisneySea opens on September 4.

Lizzie McGuire
House of Mouse
The Book of Pooh
Lloyd in Space
The Legend of Tarzan
The Proud Family
Stanley

2002

Miramax acquires the USA rights to the Pokémon movies starting with the fourth movie.
Miramax also acquire the distribution rights of the first three Bionicle movies.
Disney teams up with famous video game company Square (later known as Square Enix) to release their first ever role-playing game with various Disney characters, Kingdom Hearts.
Disney releases Spirited Away in the United States, which goes on to be the first anime film to win an Oscar for Best Animated Film.
Disney begins joint venture business with Sanrio for Sanrio's greeting cards.

Lilo & Stitch
Snow Dogs
The Santa Clause 2
Tuck Everlasting
Reign of Fire
Signs

Walt Disney Studios Park opens.

Teamo Supremo
Kingdom Hearts
Kim Possible
Fillmore!

2003

Roy E. Disney resigns as the chairman of Feature Animation and from the board of directors, citing similar reasons to those that drove him off 26 years earlier. Fellow director Stanley Gold resigns with him. They establish a group called "Save Disney" to apply public pressure to oust Michael Eisner.
Talks to extend distribution agreement with Pixar break down, and Pixar announces plans to seek a new distribution partner.[7]
Disney sells the Angels to billboard magnate Arturo Moreno.
Disney released their first (non-Touchstone/non-Miramax/non-Dimension/non-Hollywood) PG-13 rated film under the regular Walt Disney Pictures label was Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
Release of Toontown Online

Finding Nemo
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Brother Bear
Holes
Freaky Friday

That's So Raven
The Even Stevens Movie
The Cheetah Girls
Lilo & Stitch: The Series
JoJo's Circus
Inspector Gadget 2
Bionicle: Mask of Light
Power Rangers Ninja Storm
Digimon Frontier

2004

Comcast makes an unsuccessful and hostile $54.1-billion bid in stock for the company, plus the assumption of $11.9 billion in Disney debt, $66 billion in total.
Eisner is replaced by George J. Mitchell as chairman of the board after a 43% vote of no confidence.
Disney turns down distributing controversial documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11.
On February 17, Disney buys The Muppets, excluding the Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock characters, from The Jim Henson Company for $75 million.
Disney renames oveerseas Fox Kids channel/blocks to Jetix, with it appearing as a children's block on ABC Family and Toon Disney.
Disney Store chain sold and licensed to The Children's Place.

Hidalgo
King Arthur
The Incredibles
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
National Treasure

Dave the Barbarian
Phil of the Future
Brandy & Mr. Whiskers
Higglytown Heroes
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
Power Rangers Dino Thunder

text: After becoming CEO, Robert Iger begins to rebuild the Disney brand by redirecting focus on core assets, such as feature animation and the theme parks. One early accomplishment was repairing the Disney-Pixar relationship, resulting in Disney's purchase of Pixar for $7 billion.

text:
Year
Notable Business Events
Notable Theatrical Releases
Notable Theme Park/destination Openings
Other Premieres

2005

Disney signs the Cheetah Girls on as a recording act.
Disney sells the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to Henry Samueli of Broadcom, who changes the team name to Anaheim Ducks.
On July 8, Roy E. Disney rejoins the company as a consultant with the title of Director Emeritus.
Disneyland celebrates its 50th anniversary on July 17.
Bob Iger replaces Eisner as CEO.
Disney Magazine ceases publication.

The Pacifier
Chicken Little
Sky High
Herbie: Fully Loaded
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Hong Kong Disneyland opens.

Power Rangers S.P.D.
American Dragon: Jake Long
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
Club Penguin
The Buzz on Maggie
Life Is Ruff
Kingdom Hearts II
Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys
Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows
Charlie and Lola
Little Einsteins
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz

2006

Disney's most successful tour The Party's Just Begun tour by The Cheetah Girls brings in USD $43 million. The tour was amongst the top 10 tours of 2006 coming in at number 3.
Disney acquires Pixar Animation Studios.
Disney Cinemagic launched on 16 March 2006 in United Kingdom.
Disney re-acquires the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit from NBCUniversal, in exchange for ABC letting commentator Al Michaels work on NBC Sunday Night Football.

Cars
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause

High School Musical
The Emperor's New School
Yin Yang Yo!
Power Rangers Mystic Force
Hannah Montana
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
The Cheetah Girls 2
The Replacements
Handy Manny
Wondertime magazine

2007

Acquires New Horizon Interactive along with Club Penguin.
ABC Radio Networks along with 22 non-Radio Disney and ESPN Radio affiliates are sold to Citadel Broadcasting.
Disney Adventures magazine ceases publication.
The company's flagship animation studio is renamed from Walt Disney Feature Animation to "Walt Disney Animation Studios".
The company begins to drop the Buena Vista brand from its division (e.g. Buena Vista Pictures Distribution is renamed "Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures").

Meet the Robinsons
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Ratatouille
The Game Plan
Enchanted
National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Cory in the House
Power Rangers Operation Overdrive
Bunnytown
My Friends Tigger & Pooh
Kingdom Hearts: Re:Chain of Memories
Phineas and Ferb
High School Musical 2
Wizards of Waverly Place
Digimon Data Squad

2008

The anthology series is canceled for the third time.
Disney Store chain is reacquired from The Children's Place.
The subscription Disney Family Movies service launches, which uniquely returns uncut classic Disney films and shorts to television viewers among other offerings.[8][9]
Control of The Muppets franchise is transferred from Disney Consumer Products to the Walt Disney Studios.[10]
December 23 - Disney declines the option on the next film in The Chronicles of Narnia series with Walden Media.[11]

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
WALL-E
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Bolt
Bedtime Stories

Camp Rock
Power Rangers Jungle Fury
The Cheetah Girls: One World
Kingdom Hearts coded
The Suite Life on Deck
Imagination Movers
Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales
The Little Mermaid opens on Broadway.

2009

Wayne Allwine, who had voiced Mickey Mouse starting with Mickey's Christmas Carol, dies; he is succeeded by Bret Iwan.
Disney XD and DisneyXD.com are launched, replacing Toon Disney and Jetix.[12]
Disney announces the formation of D23, an official fan community.
Walt Disney Studios enters a distribution deal with DreamWorks Pictures, wherein upon DreamWorks' films will be distributed through Touchstone Pictures.
Wondertime magazine ceases publication.
December 16 - Director Emeritus Roy E. Disney dies of stomach cancer.
December 31 - Disney acquires Marvel Entertainment and its properties.[13][14]

Race to Witch Mountain
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Up
Disney's A Christmas Carol
The Princess and the Frog

Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie
Kid vs. Kat
Zeke and Luther
I'm in the Band
Jimmy Two-Shoes
Have a Laugh!
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Princess Protection Program
Power Rangers RPM
Sonny with a Chance
Jonas L.A.
Special Agent Oso
Jungle Junction
Disney twenty-three magazine begins publication.

2010

March 12, 2010 - Disney annonuces the closure of ImageMovers Digital for January 2011.[15]
Disney sells the Power Rangers franchise to Saban Brands for USD $100 million.
Disney lost the rights of Digimon in May 2010.
Disney sells Miramax Films to Filmyard Holdings for $660 million.[16]
Disney Channel ends one of its most successful television series, Hannah Montana.

Alice in Wonderland
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Toy Story 3
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Tangled
Tron: Legacy

Good Luck Charlie
Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Pair of Kings
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam
Shake It Up
Take Two with Phineas and Ferb
Kingdom Hearts Re:coded
Epic Mickey
Fish Hooks
The Octonauts

2011

Disney Wonder repositioned to the West Coast.
Disney licenses global theme park rights to the Avatar franchise from James Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment, and announces the first Avatar-themed project at Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World.
Playhouse Disney on Disney Channel rebrands as Disney Junior.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Cars 2
Winnie the Pooh
The Help
Real Steel
The Muppets
War Horse

The Disney Dream ship sets sail.

Jake and the Never Land Pirates
The Suite Life Movie
Lemonade Mouth
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension
Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas
Minnie's Bow-Toons
Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure
Once Upon a Time
Disney Universe
Geek Charming
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
Jessie
So Random!
Kinect Disneyland Adventures
Kickin' It
Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge
A.N.T. Farm
Austin & Ally

2012

March 23: The anthology series is revived for a fourth time.
Disney Channel ends Wizards of Waverly Place, now beating That's So Raven as the longest running Disney Channel Original Series to date.
Disney Junior launches its own spin-off channel, replacing SoapNet on some providers, but not on all providers.
Rich Ross resigns as Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, and is replaced by Alan F. Horn.
Disney acquires Lucasfilm from George Lucas, including its Star Wars and Indiana Jones properties for approximately $4.06 billion.[17]

John Carter
Marvel's The Avengers
Brave
Frankenweenie
Wreck-It Ralph
Lincoln

Disney California Adventure is re-dedicated.
The Disney Fantasy ship sets sail

Frenemies
Radio Rebel
Let It Shine
Lab Rats
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
Gravity Falls
Code: 9
Dog With a Blog
Tron: Uprising
Crash & Bernstein
Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja
Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
Doc McStuffins
Ultimate Spider-Man (TV series)

2013

Disney Cinemagic replaced with Sky Movies Disney at 18:00 on 28 March 2013 in United Kingdom.
Disney Interactive Studios shuts down development studio Junction Point Studios following the disappointing sales of Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two.
Lucasfilm closes its video game division LucasArts.
Frozen became the highest grossing animated feature, passing both The Lion King and Toy Story 3

Oz the Great and Powerful
Iron Man 3
Monsters University
Thor: The Dark World
Frozen
Saving Mr. Banks

Mystic Point opened at Hong Kong Disneyland

Disney Infinity
Sofia the First
Liv and Maddie
Teen Beach Movie
DuckTales: Remastered
Mickey Mouse (2013 TV series)
Henry Hugglemonster
Wander Over Yonder
Avengers Assemble
Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix
The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex
Mighty Med

2014

Frozen wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 86th Academy Awards, becoming the first win in the category for Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Disney acquired Maker Studios for $500 million.

Muppets Most Wanted
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Maleficent
Guardians of the Galaxy
Big Hero 6
Into the Woods

The 7D
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix
Fantasia: Music Evolved
Kirby Buckets
Star Wars Rebels
Win, Lose or Draw
Girl Meets World
Sheriff Callie's Wild West
Disney Magical World
Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes

2015

Big Hero 6 wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 87th Academy Awards.
Disney combines its Consumer Products and Interactive Media divisions into one unified segment, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media.
Marvel Studios is reorganized under the Walt Disney Studios.

Cinderella
Tomorrowland
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Inside Out
The Good Dinosaur
Ant-Man
Bridge of Spies
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero
Star vs. the Forces of Evil
K.C. Undercover
Miles From Tomorrowland
Best Friends Whenever
Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything
BUNK'D
Descendants
We Love Disney
Disney Infinity 3.0
Pickle and Peanut
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Muppets
Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets
The Lion Guard
Star Wars: Battlefront

2016

January 12: ABC Family changes its name to Freeform.
April 14: Construction on a 14-acre Star Wars-themed land begins at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios.
DreamWorks ends its film distribution deal with Disney.
May 10: Disney Interactive Studios exited from publishing its own games in order to focus on third-party development of video game adaptations of its franchises by other developers.

Zootopia
The Jungle Book
Captain America: Civil War
Finding Dory
Doctor Strange
Moana
The BFG
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Shanghai Disneyland opens on June 16

Stuck in the Middle
Elena of Avalor
Adventures in Babysitting
Lab Rats: Elite Force
Disney Art Academy
Kingdom Hearts χ
Disney Magical World 2
Backstage (2016 TV series)
Bizaardvark
Walk the Prank
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue
Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures
Future-Worm!
Milo Murphy's Law
Mech-X4

2017

Zootopia wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 89th Academy Awards.
Disney ends its deal with Netflix beginning in 2019.

Beauty and the Beast
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Cars 3
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Thor: Ragnarok
Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Pandora – The World of Avatar opens at Disney's Animal Kingdom

DuckTales
Mickey and the Roadster Racers
Big Hero 6 (TV series)
Tangled: The Series
Puppy Dog Pals
Andi Mack
Cars 3: Driven to Win
Billy Dilley's Super-Duper Subterranean Summer
Raven's Home
Star Wars Battlefront II

text: Footnotes

text:
Notable Theatrical Releases are films that were the first to use a particular technology (sound, color, etc.), received major award nominations (Academy Award, Golden Globe, etc.), or are otherwise historically significant to The Walt Disney Company. Not all films released by Disney appear in this list; please see Lists of films released by Disney for a complete company listing.
Theme Park/destination Openings indicate when Disney theme parks open. The opening of attractions and park name changes will not appear in this list.
Other Premieres are the premiere dates for other notable Disney products, such as TV franchises (The Cheetah Girls, Hannah Montana, The Jonas Brothers), consumer products, video games (Kingdom Hearts), or home media premieres that were the first to use a particular technology. Other notability requirements include major award nominations (Emmy Award, Grammy Award), or are otherwise historically significant to The Walt Disney Company. Not all Disney products, TV programs, video games, or home media releases appear in this list.


document_title: Egyptian pyramids

question_text: who was the first pharaoh to be buried in a pyramid

root

text: Egyptian pyramids

text: Historical development

text: By the time of the Early Dynastic Period, those with sufficient means were buried in bench-like structures known as mastabas.[8][9]

tag: p

text: The second historically-documented Egyptian pyramid is attributed to the architect Imhotep, who planned what Egyptologists believe to be a tomb for the pharaoh Djoser. Imhotep is credited with being the first to conceive the notion of stacking mastabas on top of each other, creating an edifice composed of a number of "steps" that decreased in size towards its apex. The result was the Pyramid of Djoser, which was designed to serve as a gigantic stairway by which the soul of the deceased pharaoh could ascend to the heavens. Such was the importance of Imhotep's achievement that he was deified by later Egyptians.[10]

text: The most prolific pyramid-building phase coincided with the greatest degree of absolutist rule. It was during this time that the most famous pyramids, the Giza pyramid complex, were built. Over time, as authority became less centralized, the ability and willingness to harness the resources required for construction on a massive scale decreased, and later pyramids were smaller, less well-built and often hastily constructed.

text: Long after the end of Egypt's own pyramid-building period, a burst of pyramid-building occurred in what is present-day Sudan, after much of Egypt came under the rule of the kings of Napata. While Napatan rule was brief, ending in 661 BC, Egyptian culture made an indelible impression, and during the later Kingdom of Meroë (approximately in the period between 300 BCE – 300 CE), this flowered into a full-blown pyramid-building revival, which saw more than two hundred Egyptian-inspired indigenous royal pyramid-tombs constructed in the vicinity of the kingdom's capital cities.

text: Al-Aziz Uthman (1171–1198) tried to destroy the Giza pyramid complex. He gave up after damaging the Pyramid of Menkaure because the task proved too huge.[11]

text: Pyramid symbolism

text: The shape of Egyptian pyramids is thought to represent the primordial mound from which the Egyptians believed the earth was created. The shape of a pyramid is thought to be representative of the descending rays of the sun, and most pyramids were faced with polished, highly reflective white limestone, in order to give them a brilliant appearance when viewed from a distance. Pyramids were often also named in ways that referred to solar luminescence. For example, the formal name of the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur was The Southern Shining Pyramid, and that of Senwosret at el-Lahun was Senwosret is Shining.

text: While it is generally agreed that pyramids were burial monuments, there is continued disagreement on the particular theological principles that might have given rise to them. One suggestion is that they were designed as a type of "resurrection machine."[12]

text: The Egyptians believed the dark area of the night sky around which the stars appear to revolve was the physical gateway into the heavens. One of the narrow shafts that extend from the main burial chamber through the entire body of the Great Pyramid points directly towards the center of this part of the sky. This suggests the pyramid may have been designed to serve as a means to magically launch the deceased pharaoh's soul directly into the abode of the gods.[12]

text: All Egyptian pyramids were built on the west bank of the Nile, which, as the site of the setting sun, was associated with the realm of the dead in Egyptian mythology.[13]

text: Number and location of pyramids

text: In 1842, Karl Richard Lepsius produced the first modern list of pyramids – see Lepsius list of pyramids – in which he counted 67. A great many more have since been discovered. As of November 2008, 118 Egyptian pyramids have been identified.[3]

text: The location of Pyramid 29, which Lepsius called the "Headless Pyramid", was lost for a second time when the structure was buried by desert sands subsequent to Lepsius' survey. It was found again only during an archaeological dig conducted in 2008.[14]

text: Many pyramids are in a poor state of preservation or buried by desert sands. If visible at all, they may appear as little more than mounds of rubble. As a consequence, archaeologists are continuing to identify and study previously unknown pyramid structures.

text: The most recent pyramid to be discovered was that of Sesheshet at Saqqara, mother of the Sixth Dynasty pharaoh Teti. The discovery was announced by Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, on 11 November 2008.[4][15]

text: All of Egypt's pyramids, except the small Third Dynasty pyramid of Zawyet el-Amwat (or Zawyet el-Mayitin), are sited on the west bank of the Nile, and most are grouped together in a number of pyramid fields. The most important of these are listed geographically, from north to south, below.

text: Abu Rawash

text: Abu Rawash is the site of Egypt's most northerly pyramid (other than the ruins of Lepsius pyramid number one)[5]— the mostly ruined Pyramid of Djedefre, son and successor of Khufu. Originally it was thought that this pyramid had never been completed, but the current archaeological consensus is that not only was it completed, but that it was originally about the same size as the Pyramid of Menkaure, which would have placed it among the half-dozen or so largest pyramids in Egypt.

text: Its location adjacent to a major crossroads made it an easy source of stone. Quarrying – which began in Roman times – has left little apart from about 15 courses of stone superimposed upon the natural hillock that formed part of the pyramid's core. A small adjacent satellite pyramid is in a better state of preservation.

text: Giza

text: Giza is the location of the Pyramid of Khufu (also known as the "Great Pyramid" and the "Pyramid of Cheops"); the somewhat smaller Pyramid of Khafre (or Kephren); the relatively modest-sized Pyramid of Menkaure (or Mykerinus), along with a number of smaller satellite edifices known as "Queen's pyramids"; and the Great Sphinx of Giza.

text: Of the three, only Khafre's pyramid retains part of its original polished limestone casing, near its apex. This pyramid appears larger than the adjacent Khufu pyramid by virtue of its more elevated location, and the steeper angle of inclination of its construction – it is, in fact, smaller in both height and volume.

text: The Giza pyramid complex has been a popular tourist destination since antiquity, and was popularized in Hellenistic times when the Great Pyramid was listed by Antipater of Sidon as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Today it is the only one of those wonders still in existence.

text: Zawyet el-Aryan

text: This site, halfway between Giza and Abu Sir, is the location for two unfinished Old Kingdom pyramids. The northern structure's owner is believed to be pharaoh Nebka, while the southern structure, known as the Layer Pyramid, may be attributable to the Third Dynasty pharaoh Khaba, a close successor of Sekhemkhet. If this attribution is correct, Khaba's short reign could explain the seemingly unfinished state of this step pyramid. Today it stands around 17 m (56 ft) high; had it been completed, it is likely to have exceeded 40 m (130 ft).

text: Abu Sir

text: There are a total of fourteen pyramids at this site, which served as the main royal necropolis during the Fifth Dynasty. The quality of construction of the Abu Sir pyramids is inferior to those of the Fourth Dynasty – perhaps signaling a decrease in royal power or a less vibrant economy. They are smaller than their predecessors, and are built of low-quality local limestone.

text: The three major pyramids are those of Niuserre, which is also the best preserved, Neferirkare Kakai and Sahure. The site is also home to the incomplete Pyramid of Neferefre. Most of the major pyramids at Abu Sir were built similar construction techniques, comprising a rubble core surrounded by steps of mud bricks with a limestone outer casing. The largest of these 5th-Dynasty pyramids, the Pyramid of Neferirkare Kakai, is believed to have been built originally as a step pyramid some 70 m (230 ft) high and then later transformed into a "true" pyramid by having its steps filled in with loose masonry.

text: Saqqara

text: Major pyramids located here include the Pyramid of Djoser – generally identified as the world's oldest substantial monumental structure to be built of dressed stone – the Pyramid of Userkaf, the Pyramid of Teti and the Pyramid of Merikare, dating to the First Intermediate Period of Egypt. Also at Saqqara is the Pyramid of Unas, which retains a pyramid causeway that is one of the best-preserved in Egypt. Together with the pyramid of Userkaf, this pyramid was the subject of one of the earliest known restoration attempts, conducted by Khaemweset, a son of Ramesses II.[16] Saqqara is also the location of the incomplete step pyramid of Djoser's successor Sekhemkhet known as the Buried Pyramid. Archaeologists believe that had this pyramid been completed, it would have been larger than Djoser's.

text: South of the main pyramid field at Saqqara is a second collection of later, smaller pyramids, including those of Pepi I, Isesi, Merenre, Pepi II and Ibi. Most of these are in a poor state of preservation.

text: The Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Shepseskaf either did not share an interest in, or have the capacity to undertake pyramid construction like his predecessors. His tomb, which is also sited at south Saqqara, was instead built as an unusually large mastaba and offering temple complex. It is commonly known as the Mastabat al-Fir’aun.[17]

text: A previously unknown pyramid was discovered at north Saqqara in late 2008. Believed to be the tomb of Teti's mother, it currently stands approximately 5 m (16 ft) high, although the original height was closer to 14 m (46 ft).

text: Dahshur

text: This area is arguably the most important pyramid field in Egypt outside Giza and Saqqara, although until 1996 the site was inaccessible due to its location within a military base, and was relatively unknown outside archaeological circles.

text: The southern Pyramid of Sneferu, commonly known as the Bent Pyramid, is believed to be the first Egyptian pyramid intended by its builders to be a "true" smooth-sided pyramid from the outset; the earlier pyramid at Meidum had smooth sides in its finished state – but it was conceived and built as a step pyramid, before having its steps filled in and concealed beneath a smooth outer casing of dressed stone.

text: As a true smooth-sided structure, the Bent Pyramid was only a partial success – albeit a unique, visually imposing one; it is also the only major Egyptian pyramid to retain a significant proportion of its original smooth outer limestone casing intact. As such it serves as the best contemporary example of how the ancient Egyptians intended their pyramids to look.

text: Several kilometeres to the north of the Bent Pyramid is the last – and most successful – of the three pyramids constructed during the reign of Sneferu; the Red Pyramid is the world's first successfully completed smooth-sided pyramid. The structure is also the third largest pyramid in Egypt – after the pyramids of Khufu and Khafra at Giza.

text: Also at Dahshur is the pyramid known as the Pyramid of Amenemhat III, as well as a number of small, mostly ruined subsidiary pyramids.

text: Mazghuna

text: Located to the south of Dahshur, several mudbrick pyramids were built in this area in the late Middle Kingdom, perhaps for Amenemhat IV and Sobekneferu.

text: Lisht

text: Two major pyramids are known to have been built at Lisht – those of Amenemhat I and his son, Senusret I. The latter is surrounded by the ruins of ten smaller subsidiary pyramids. One of these subsidiary pyramids is known to be that of Amenemhat's cousin, Khaba II.[18] The site which is in the vicinity of the oasis of the Faiyum, midway between Dahshur and Meidum, and about 100 kilometres south of Cairo, is believed to be in the vicinity of the ancient city of Itjtawy (the precise location of which remains unknown), which served as the capital of Egypt during the Twelfth Dynasty.

text: Meidum

text: The pyramid at Meidum is one of three constructed during the reign of Sneferu, and is believed by some to have been started by that pharaoh's father and predecessor, Huni. However, that attribution is uncertain, as no record of Huni's name has been found at the site.

text: It was constructed as a step pyramid, and then later converted into the first "true" smooth-sided pyramid when the steps were filled in, and an outer casing added.

text: The pyramid suffered several catastrophic collapses in ancient and medieval times; medieval Arab writers described it as having seven steps – although today only the three uppermost of these remain, giving the structure its odd, tower-like appearance. The hill on which the pyramid is situated is not a natural landscape feature – it is the small mountain of debris created when the lower courses and outer casing of the pyramid gave way.

text: Hawara

text: Amenemhat III was the last powerful ruler of the Twelfth Dynasty, and the pyramid he built at Hawarra, near the Faiyum, is believed to post-date the so-called "Black Pyramid" built by the same ruler at Dahshur. It is the Hawarra pyramid that is believed to have been Amenemhet's final resting place.

text: el-Lahun

text: The pyramid of Senusret II at el-Lahun is the southernmost royal-tomb pyramid structure in Egypt. Its builders reduced the amount of work necessary to construct it by ingeniously using as its foundation and core a 12-meter-high natural limestone hill.

text: El-Kurru

text: Piye, the first ruler of the Egyptian 25th dynasty, built a pyramid at El-Kurru. He was the first Egyptian pharaoh to be buried in a pyramid in centuries.

text: Nuri

text: Taharqa, a legitimate ruler and Pharaoh of Egypt, built his pyramid at Nuri. It was the largest in the area (North Sudan).

text: Construction dates

text: The following table lays out the chronology of the construction of most of the major pyramids mentioned here. Each pyramid is identified through the pharaoh who ordered it built, his approximate reign, and its location.

text:
Pyramid / Pharaoh
Reign
Field

Djoser
c. 2670 BC
Saqqara

Sneferu
c. 2612–2589 BC
Dashur

Sneferu
c. 2612–2589 BC
Meidum

Khufu
c. 2589–2566 BC
Giza

Djedefre
c. 2566–2558 BC
Abu Rawash

Khafre
c. 2558–2532 BC
Giza

Menkaure
c. 2532–2504 BC
Giza

Userkaf
c. 2494–2487 BC
Saqqara

Sahure
c. 2487–2477 BC
Abu Sir

Neferirkare Kakai
c. 2477–2467 BC
Abu Sir

Nyuserre Ini
c. 2416–2392 BC
Abu Sir

Amenemhat I
c. 1991–1962 BC
Lisht

Senusret I
c. 1971–1926 BC
Lisht

Senusret II
c. 1897–1878 BC
el-Lahun

Amenemhat III
c. 1860–1814 BC
Hawara

Khendjer
c. 1764–1759 BC
Saqqara

Piye
c. 721 BC
El-Kurru

Taharqa
c. 664 BC
Nuri

tag: table

text: Construction techniques

text: Constructing the pyramids involved moving huge quantities of stone. The quarried blocks were likely transported to the construction site by wooden sleds, with sand in front of the sled wetted to reduce friction. Droplets of water created bridges between the grains of sand, helping them stick together.[20]


document_title: Autobahn

question_text: when did germany's 'autobahn' open for the first time

question_tokens: when did germany 's ' autobahn ' open for the first time

text: Autobahn

text: Names[edit]

text: Only federally built controlled-access highways with certain construction standards including at least two lanes per direction are called Bundesautobahn. They have their own, white-on-blue signs and numbering system. In the 1930s, when construction began on the system, the official name was Reichsautobahn. Various other controlled-access highways exist on the federal (Bundesstraße), state (Landesstraße), district, and municipal level but are not part of the Autobahn network and are officially referred to as Kraftfahrstraße (with rare exceptions, like A 995 Munich-Giesing–Brunntal). These highways are considered autobahnähnlich (autobahn–like) and are sometimes colloquially called Gelbe Autobahn (yellow autobahn) because most of them are Bundesstraßen (federal highways) with yellow signs. Some controlled-access highways are classified as "Bundesautobahn" in spite of not meeting the autobahn construction standard (for example the A 62 near Pirmasens).

text: Construction[edit]

text: Similar to high-speed motorways in other countries, autobahns have multiple lanes of traffic in each direction, separated by a central barrier with grade-separated junctions and access restricted to motor vehicles with a top speed of more than 60 km/h (37 mph). Nearly all exits are to the right. The earliest motorways were flanked by shoulders about 60 centimetres (24 in) in width, constructed of varying materials; right-hand shoulders on many autobahns were later retrofitted to 120 centimetres (47 in) in width when it was realized cars needed the additional space to pull off the autobahn safely. In the postwar years, a thicker asphaltic concrete cross-section with full paved hard shoulders came into general use. The top design speed was approximately 160 km/h (99 mph) in flat country but lower design speeds were used in hilly or mountainous terrain. A flat-country autobahn that was constructed to meet standards during the Nazi period, could support the speed of up to 150 km/h (93 mph) on curves.

text: The current autobahn numbering system in use in Germany was introduced in 1974. All autobahns are named by using the capital letter A, which simply stands for "Autobahn" followed by a blank and a number (for example A 8). The main autobahns going all across Germany have a single digit number. Shorter autobahns that are of regional importance (e.g. connecting two major cities or regions within Germany) have a double digit number (e.g. A 24, connecting Berlin and Hamburg). The system is as follows:

text:
A 10 to A 19 are in eastern Germany (Berlin, Saxony-Anhalt, parts of Saxony and Brandenburg)
A 20 to A 29 are in northern and northeastern Germany
A 30 to A 39 are in Lower Saxony (northwestern Germany) and Thuringia
A 40 to A 49 are in the Rhine-Ruhr to Frankfurt Rhine-Main
A 50 to A 59 are in the Lower Rhine region to Cologne
A 60 to A 69 are in Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Hesse and northern Baden-Württemberg
A 70 to A 79 are in Thuringia, northern Bavaria and parts of Saxony
A 80 to A 89 are in Baden-Württemberg
A 90 to A 99 are in (southern) Bavaria

tag: ul

text: There are also some very short autobahns built just for local traffic (e.g. ring roads or the A 555 from Cologne to Bonn) that usually have three digits for numbering. The first digit used is similar to the system above, depending on the region. East-west routes are always even-numbered, north-south routes are always odd-numbered.

text: The north-south autobahns are generally numbered using odd numbers from west to east; that is to say, the more easterly roads are given higher numbers. Similarly, the east-west routes are numbered using even numbers from north (lower numbers) to south (higher numbers).

text: History[edit]

text: The idea for the construction of the autobahn was first conceived in the mid-1920s during the days of the Weimar Republic, but the construction was slow, and most projected sections did not progress much beyond the planning stage due to economic problems and a lack of political support. One project was the private initiative HaFraBa which planned a "car only road" crossing Germany from Hamburg in the north via central Frankfurt am Main to Basel in Switzerland. Parts of the HaFraBa were completed in the late 1930s and early 1940s, but construction eventually was halted by World War II. The first public road of this kind was completed in 1932 between Cologne and Bonn and opened by Konrad Adenauer (Lord Mayor of Cologne and future Chancellor of West Germany) on 6 August 1932.[6] Today, that road is the Bundesautobahn 555.[7][8][9] This road was not yet called Autobahn and lacked a center median like modern motorways, but instead was termed a Kraftfahrstraße ("motor vehicle road") with two lanes each direction without intersections, pedestrians, bicycles, or animal-powered transportation.[10]

text: Just days after the 1933 Nazi takeover, Adolf Hitler enthusiastically embraced an ambitious autobahn construction project, appointing Fritz Todt, the Inspector General of German Road Construction, to lead it. By 1936, 130,000 workers were directly employed in construction, as well as an additional 270,000 in the supply chain for construction equipment, steel, concrete, signage, maintenance equipment, etc. In rural areas, new camps to house the workers were built near construction sites.[11] The job creation program aspect was not especially important because full employment was almost reached by 1936. The autobahns were not primarily intended as major infrastructure improvement of special value to the military as often stated. Their military value was limited as all major military transports in Germany were done by train to save fuel. The propaganda ministry turned the construction of the autobahns into a major media event that attracted international attention.[12]

text: The autobahns formed the first limited-access, high-speed road network in the world, with the first section from Frankfurt am Main to Darmstadt opening in 1935. This straight section was used for high speed record attempts by the Grand Prix racing teams of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union until a fatal accident involving popular German race driver Bernd Rosemeyer in early 1938. The world record of 432 km/h (268 mph) set by Rudolf Caracciola on this stretch just prior to the accident remains one of the highest speeds ever achieved on a public motorway. A similar intent in the 1930s existed for a ten kilometer stretch of what is today Bundesautobahn 9 just south of Dessau — called the Dessauer Rennstrecke — had bridges with no piers, meant for land speed record cars like the Mercedes-Benz T80 to have made a record attempt in January 1940, abandoned due to the outbreak of World War II in Europe four months earlier.

text:
Overall length

Year
km

Year
km

1935
108

1975
5,742

1936
1,086

1980
7,292

1937
2,010

1985
8,198

1938
3,046

1990
8,822

1939
3,300

1995
11,143

1940
3,736

2000
11,515

1950
2,128

2005
12,174

1955
2,187

2010
12,813

1960
2,551

2015
12,949

1965
3,204

2016
12,993

1970
4,110

text: During World War II, the median strips of some autobahns were paved over to allow their conversion into auxiliary airstrips. Aircraft were either stashed in numerous tunnels or camouflaged in nearby woods. However, for the most part during the war, the autobahns were not militarily significant. Motor vehicles, such as trucks, could not carry goods or troops as quickly or in as much bulk and in the same numbers as trains could, and the autobahns could not be used by tanks as their weight and caterpillar tracks damaged the road surface. The general shortage of petrol in Germany during much of the war, as well as the low number of trucks and motor vehicles needed for direct support of military operations, further decreased the autobahn's significance. As a result, most military and economic freight was carried by rail. After the war, numerous sections of the autobahns were in bad shape, severely damaged by heavy Allied bombing and military demolition. Furthermore, thousands of kilometres of autobahns remained unfinished, their construction brought to a halt by 1943 due to the increasing demands of the war effort.[13][14]

text: In West Germany (FRG), most existing autobahns were repaired soon after the war. During the 1950s, the West German government restarted the construction program. It invested in new sections and in improvements to older ones. Finishing the incomplete sections took longer, with some stretches opened to traffic by the 1980s. Some sections cut by the Iron Curtain in 1945 were only completed after German reunification in 1990. Others were never completed, as more advantageous routes were found. Some of these incomplete sections to this very day stretch across the landscape forming a unique type of modern ruin, often easily visible on satellite photographs.

text: The autobahns of East Germany (GDR) were neglected in comparison to those in West Germany after 1945. East German autobahns were used primarily for GDR military traffic and for state-owned farming or manufacturing vehicles. The speed limit on the GDR autobahns was 100 km/h; however, lower speed limits were frequently encountered due to poor or quickly changing road conditions. The speed limits on the GDR autobahns were rigorously enforced by the Volkspolizei, whose patrol cars were frequently found hiding under camouflage tarpaulins waiting for speeders.

text: The last four kilometers of remaining original Reichsautobahn, a section of A 11 northeast of Berlin near Gartz built in 1936 — the westernmost remainder of the never-finished Berlinka — are scheduled for replacement around 2015.[15][16] Roadway condition is described as "deplorable"; the 25-metre-long concrete slabs, too long for proper expansion, are cracking under the weight of the traffic as well as the weather.[17]

text: German-built Reichsautobahnen in other countries[edit]

text: The first autobahn in Austria was the West Autobahn from Wals near Salzburg to Vienna. Building started by command of Adolf Hitler shortly after the Anschluss in 1938. It extended the Reichsautobahn 26 from Munich (the present-day A8), however only 16.8 km (10.4 mi) including the branch-off of the planned Tauern Autobahn was opened to the public on 13 September 1941.[18] Construction works discontinued the next year and were not resumed until 1955.

text: There are sections of the former German Reichsautobahn system in the former eastern territories of Germany, i.e. East Prussia, Farther Pomerania and Silesia; these territories became parts of Poland and the Soviet Union with the implementation of the Oder–Neisse line after World War II. Parts of the planned autobahn from Berlin to Königsberg (the Berlinka) were completed as far as Stettin (Szczecin) on 27 September 1936. After the war, they were incorporated as the A6 autostrada of the Polish motorway network. A single-carriageway section of the Berlinka east of the former "Polish Corridor" and the Free City of Danzig opened in 1938; today it forms the Polish S22 expressway from Elbląg (Elbing) to the border with the Russian Kaliningrad Oblast, where it is continued by the R516 regional road. Also on 27 September 1936, a section from Breslau (Wrocław) to Liegnitz (Legnica) in Silesia was inaugurated, which today is part of the Polish A4 autostrada, followed by the (single vehicle) Reichsautobahn 9 from Bunzlau (Bolesławiec) to Sagan (Żagań) the next year, today part of the Polish A18 autostrada.

text: After the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, plans for a motorway connecting Breslau with Vienna via Brno (Brünn) in the "Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia" were carried out from 1939 until construction works discontinued in 1942. A section of the former Strecke 88 near Brno is today part of the R52 expressway of the Czech Republic.

text: Current density[edit]

text: As of 2016[update], Germany's autobahn network has a total length of about 12,993 km. From 2009 Germany has embarked on a massive widening and rehabilitation project, expanding the lane count of many of its major arterial routes, such as the A5 in the southwest and A8 going east-west.

text: Most sections of Germany's autobahns are modern, containing two or three, sometimes four lanes in addition to an emergency lane (hard shoulder). A few other sections remain in an old state, with two lanes, no emergency lane, and short slip-roads and ramps.

text: Facilities[edit]

text: Emergency telephones[edit]

text: About 16,000 emergency telephones are distributed at regular intervals all along the autobahn network, with triangular stickers on the armco barriers pointing the way to the nearest one. Despite the increasing use of mobile phones, there are still some 700 calls made each day on average.

text: For the Emergency service or Roadside assistance to come to the right location, the road kilometer must be given as part of the emergency call.[19]

text: Parking, rest areas and truck stops[edit]

text: For breaks during longer journeys, parking sites, rest areas and truck stops are distributed over the complete Autobahn network. Parking on the autobahn is prohibited in the strictest terms outside these designated areas. There is a distinction between "managed" and "unmanaged" rest areas. (German: bewirtschaftet / unbewirtschaftet).

text: Unmanaged rest areas are basically only parking spaces, sometimes with toilets. They form a part of the German highway system; the plots of land are federal property. Autobahn exits leading to such parking areas are marked 200 metres in advance with a blue sign with the white letter "P". They are found every few kilometres.

text: A managed rest area (German: Autobahnraststätte or Raststätte for short) usually also includes a filling station, charging station, lavatories, toilets and baby changes. Many rest areas also have restaurants, shops, public telephones, internet access and a playground. Some have hotels. Mandated every 50 km or so, rest areas are usually open all night.

text: Both kinds of rest areas are directly on the autobahn, with their own exits, and any service roads connecting them to the rest of the road network are usually closed to general traffic. The autobahn must not be left at rest areas.

text: Truck stops (German Autohof, plural Autohöfe) are far rarer. Located at general exits, usually at a small distance from the autobahn, they have no ramps of their own.

text: Rest areas and truck stops are marked several times, starting several kilometres in advance, and with larger signs that often include icons announcing what kinds of facilities travellers can expect.

text: Speed limits[edit]

text: Germany's autobahns are famous for being among the few public roads in the world without blanket speed limits for cars and motorcycles. As such, they are important German cultural identifiers, "... often mentioned in hushed, reverential tones by motoring enthusiasts and looked at with a mix of awe and terror by outsiders."[1] Some speed limits are implemented on different autobahns.[21]

text: Certain limits are imposed on some classes of vehicles:

text:
60 km/h (37 mph)

Buses carrying standing passengers
Motorcycles pulling trailers

80 km/h (50 mph)

Vehicles with maximum allowed weight exceeding 3.5 t (except passenger cars)
Passenger cars and trucks with trailers
Buses

100 km/h (62 mph)

Passenger cars pulling trailers certified for 100 km/h
Buses certified for 100 km/h not towing trailers[22]

text: Additionally, speed limits are posted at most on- and off-ramps and interchanges[23] and other danger points like sections under construction or in need of repair.

text: Where no general limit is required, the advisory speed limit is 130 km/h (81 mph), referred to in German as the Richtgeschwindigkeit. The advisory speed is not enforceable; however, being involved in an accident driving at higher speeds can lead to the driver being deemed at least partially responsible due to "increased operating danger" (Erhöhte Betriebsgefahr).

text: The Federal Highway Research Institute (Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen) solicited information about speed regulations on autobahns from the sixteen States and reported the following, comparing the years 2006 and 2008:

text:
Parameter[24]
2006
2008
Change

Autobahn Carriageway-Km
24,735 km
25,240 km
+505 km

Advisory Limit Only
69.2%
65.5%
-580 km

Variable Limit (with Advisory Maximum)
4.2%
4.1%
-5 km

Permanent or Conditional Speed Limit
26.7%
30.4%
+1,090 km

text: Except at construction sites, the general speed limits, where they apply, are usually between 100 km/h (62 mph) and 130 km/h (81 mph); construction sites usually have a speed limit of 80 km/h (50 mph) but the limit may be as low as 60 km/h (37 mph).[25] In rare cases, sections may have limits of 40 km/h (25 mph),[26] or on one ramp 30 km/h (19 mph).[27] Certain stretches have lower speed limits during wet weather. Some areas have a speed limit of 120 km/h (75 mph) in order to reduce noise pollution during overnight hours (usually 10pm – 6am) or because of increased traffic during daytime (6am – 8pm).

text: Some limits were imposed to reduce pollution and noise. Limits can also be temporarily put into place through dynamic traffic guidance systems that display the according message. More than half of the total length of the German autobahn network has no speed limit, about one third has a permanent limit, and the remaining parts have a temporary or conditional limit.

text: Some cars with very powerful engines can reach speeds of well over 300 km/h (190 mph). Major German car manufacturers, except Porsche, follow a gentlemen's agreement by electronically limiting the top speeds of their cars – with the exception of some top of the range models or engines – to 250 km/h (155 mph).[28] These limiters can be deactivated, so speeds up to 300 km/h (190 mph) might arise on the German autobahn, but due to other traffic, such speeds are generally not attainable. Most unlimited sections of the autobahn are located outside densely populated areas.

text: Vehicles with a top speed less than 60 km/h (37 mph) (such as quads, low-end microcars, and agricultural/construction equipment) are not allowed to use the autobahn, nor are motorcycles and scooters with low engine capacity regardless of top speed (mainly applicable to mopeds which are typically limited to 25 or 45 km/h anyway). To comply with this limit, heavy-duty trucks in Germany (e.g. mobile cranes, tank transporters etc.) often have a maximum design speed of 62 km/h (39 mph) (usually denoted by a round black-on-white sign with "62" on it), along with flashing orange beacons to warn approaching cars that they are travelling slowly. There is no general minimum speed but drivers are not allowed to drive at an unnecessarily low speed as this would lead to significant traffic disturbance and an increased collision risk.

text: Public debate[edit]

text: German national speed limits have a historical association[29] with war-time restrictions and deprivations, the Nazi era, and the Soviet era in East Germany. "Free driving for free citizens" ("freie Fahrt für freie Bürger"), a slogan promoted by the German Auto Club since the 1970s,[30] is a popular slogan among those opposing autobahn speed restrictions.[31][32][33] Tarek Al-Wazir, head of the Green Party in Hesse, and currently the Hessian Transport Minister has stated that "the speed limit in Germany has a similar status as the right to bear arms in the American debate... At some point, a speed limit will become reality here, and soon we will not be able to remember the time before. It's like the smoking ban in restaurants."[34]

text: Early history[edit]

text: The Weimar Republic had no federally required speed limits. The first crossroads-free road for motorized vehicles only, now A555 between Bonn and Cologne, had a 120 km/h (75 mph) limit when it opened in 1932.[35] In October 1939, the Nazis instituted the first national maximum speed limit, throttling speeds to 80 km/h (50 mph) in order to conserve gasoline for the war effort.[36] After the war, the four Allied occupation zones established their own speed limits until the divided East German and West German republics were constituted in 1949; initially, the Nazi speed limits were restored in both East and West Germany.[37]

text: After the World Wars[edit]

text: In December 1952 the West German legislature voted to abolish all national speed limits, seeing them as Nazi relics,[38] reverting to State-level decisions. National limits were reestablished incrementally. The 50 km/h (31 mph) urban limit was enacted in 1956, effective in 1957.[39] The 100 km/h (62 mph) limit on rural roads—except autobahns—became effective in 1972.

text: Oil crisis of the 1970s[edit]

text: Just prior to the 1973 oil crisis, Germany, Switzerland,[40] and Austria[41][42] all had no general speed restriction on autobahns. During the crisis, like other nations, Germany imposed temporary speed restrictions; for example, 100 km/h (62 mph) on autobahns effective November 13, 1973.[43] Automakers projected a 20% plunge in sales, which they attributed in part to the lowered speed limits.[44] The 100 km/h limit championed by Transportation Minister Lauritz Lauritzen lasted 111 days.[45] Adjacent nations with unlimited speed autobahns, Austria[41][42] and Switzerland,[40] imposed permanent 130 km/h (81 mph) limits after the crisis.

text: However, after the crisis eased in 1974, the upper house of the German parliament, which was controlled by conservative parties, successfully resisted the imposition of a permanent mandatory limit supported by Chancellor Brandt.[46] The upper house insisted on a 130 km/h (81 mph) recommended limit until a thorough study of the effects of a mandatory limit could be conducted.[47] Accordingly, the Federal Highway Research Institute conducted a multiple-year experiment, switching between mandatory and recommended limits on two test stretches of autobahn. In the final report issued in 1977, the Institute stated the mandatory speed limit could reduce the autobahn death toll but there would be economic impacts, so a political decision had to be made due to the trade-offs involved.[48] At that time, the Federal Government declined to impose a mandatory limit.[49] The fatality rate trend on the German autobahn mirrored those of other nations' motorways that imposed a general speed limit.[50]

text: Environmental concerns of the 1980s[edit]

text: In the mid-1980s, acid rain and sudden forest destruction renewed debate on whether or not a general speed limit should be imposed on autobahns.[51][52] A car's fuel consumption increases with high speed, and fuel conservation is a key factor in reducing air pollution. Environmentalists argued that enforcing limits of 100 km/h (62 mph) limit on autobahns and 80 km/h (50 mph) on other rural roads would save lives as well as the forest, reducing the annual death toll by 30% (250 lives) on autobahns and 15% (1000 lives) on rural roads;[53] the German motor vehicle death toll was about 10,000 at the time.[54] The Federal Government sponsored a large-scale experiment with a 100 km/h (62 mph) speed limit in order to measure the impact of reduced speeds on emissions and compliance.[55] Afterward, again, the Federal Government declined to impose a mandatory limit, deciding the modest measured emission reduction would have no meaningful effect on forest loss.[56] By 1987 all restrictions on test sections had been removed, even in Hesse where the state government was controlled by a "red-green" coalition.[57]

text: German reunification[edit]

text: Prior to German reunification in 1990, eastern German states focused on restrictive traffic regulation such as a 100 km/h (62 mph) autobahn speed limit and of 80 km/h (50 mph) on other rural roads. Within two years after the opening, availability of high-powered vehicles and a 54% increase in motorized traffic led to a doubling of annual traffic deaths,[58] despite "interim arrangements [which] involved the continuation of the speed limit of 100 km/h (62 mph) on autobahns and of 80 km/h (50 mph) outside cities". An extensive program of the four Es (enforcement, education, engineering, and emergency response) brought the number of traffic deaths back to pre-unification levels after a decade of effort while traffic regulations were conformed to western standards (e.g., 130 km/h (81 mph) freeway advisory limit, 100 km/h (62 mph) on other rural roads, and 0.05 percent BAC).[59]

text: Since reunification[edit]

text: In 1993, the Social democratic-Green Party coalition controlling the State of Hesse experimented with a 90 km/h (56 mph) limit on autobahns and 80 km/h (50 mph) on other rural roads.[60] These limits were attempts to reduce ozone pollution.

text: During his term of office (1998 to 2005) as Chancellor of Germany, Gerhard Schröder opposed an autobahn speed limit, famously referring to Germany as an Autofahrernation (a "nation of drivers").

text: In October 2007, at a party congress held by the Social Democratic Party of Germany, delegates narrowly approved a proposal to introduce a blanket speed limit of 130 km/h (81 mph) on all German autobahns.[61] While this initiative is primarily a part of the SPD's general strategic outline for the future and, according to practices, not necessarily meant to affect immediate government policy, the proposal had stirred up a debate once again; Germany's chancellor since 2005, Angela Merkel, and leading cabinet members expressed outspoken disapproval of such a measure.[62]

text: In 2008, the Social Democratic-Green Party coalition controlling Germany's smallest State, the paired City-State of Bremen & Bremerhaven, imposed a 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph) limit on its last 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) of speed-unlimited autobahn[63] in hopes of leading other States to do likewise.[64]

text: In 2011, the first ever Green minister-president of any German state, Winfried Kretschmann of Baden-Württemberg initially argued for a similar, state-level 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph) limit.[65] However, Baden-Württemberg is an important location for the German motor industry, including the headquarters of Daimler AG and Porsche;[66] the ruling coalition ultimately decided against a state-level limit on its 675 kilometres (419 mi) of speed-unlimited roads—arguing for nationwide speed limit instead.[67][68][69]

text: In 2014, the conservative-liberal ruling coalition of Saxony confirmed its rejection of a general speed limit on autobahns, instead advocating dynamic traffic controls where appropriate.[70] Between 2010 and 2014 in the State of Hesse, transportation ministers Dieter Posch[71] and his successor[72] Florian Rentsch,[73] both members of the Free Democratic Party, removed or raised speed limits on several sections of autobahn following regular 5-year reviews of speed limit effectiveness; some sections just prior to the installation of Tarek Al-Wazir (Green Party) as Transportation Minister in January 2014[74][75] as part of an uneasy CDU-green coalition government. In 2015, the left-green coalition government of Thuringia declared that a general autobahn limit was a Federal matter; Thuringia would not unlaterally impose a general Statewide limit, although the Thuringian environmental minister had recommended a 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph) limit.[76]

text: In late 2015, Winfried Hermann, Baden-Württemberg's Green minister of transportation, promised to impose a trial speed limit of 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph) on about 10% of the state's autobahns beginning in May 2016;.[77] However the ruling green-social democratic coalition lost its majority in the March 2016 elections;[78] while Mr Hermann retained his post in the new Green – Christian Democratic government, he put aside preparations for a speed limit due to opposition from his new coalition partners.[79]

text: Safety[edit]

text: In 2014, autobahns carried 31% of motorized road traffic while accounting for 11% of Germany's traffic deaths. The autobahn fatality rate of 1.6 deaths per billion-travel-kilometers compared favorably with the 4.6 rate on urban streets and 6.5 rate on rural roads.[54]

text: Between 1970 and 2010, overall German road fatalities decreased by almost 80% from 19,193 to 3,648; over the same time period, autobahn deaths halved from 945 to 430 deaths.[54] Statistics for 2013 show total German traffic deaths had declined to the lowest count ever recorded: 3,340 (428 on autobahns); a representative of the Federal Statistical Office attributed the general decline to harsh winter weather that delayed the start of the motorcycle-riding season.[54][80] In 2014, there was a total of 3,377 road fatalities, while autobahn deaths dropped to 375.[81]

text:
Road Class
Injury Crashes
Fatalities
Injury Rate*
Fatality Rate*
Fatalities per 1000 Injury Crashes

Autobahn
18,901
375
0.082
1.6
19.8

Urban
209,618
983
1.052
4.9
4.7

Rural
73,916
2,019
0.238
6.5
27.3

Total
302,435
3,377
0.408
4.6
11.2

text: * per 1,000,000,000 travel-kilometres

text: In 2012, the leading cause of autobahn accidents was "excessive speed (for conditions)": 6,587 so-called "speed related" crashes claimed the lives of 179 people, which represents almost half (46.3%) of 387 autobahn fatalities that year.[82] However, "excessive speed" does not mean that a speed limit has been exceeded, but that police determined at least one party travelled too fast for existing road[83] or weather conditions.[82] On autobahns 22 people died per 1000 injury crashes; a lower rate than the 29 deaths per 1,000 injury accidents on conventional rural roads, which in turn is five times higher than the risk on urban roads – speeds are higher on rural roads and autobahns than urban roads, increasing the severity potential of a crash.[82]

text: Safety: international comparison[edit]

text: A few countries publish the safety record of their motorways; the Federal Highway Research Institute[84] provided IRTAD statistics for the year 2012:

text:
International
Killed per 1,000,000,000 veh·km

Country
All roads
Motorways

Austria
6.88
1.73

Belgium
7.67
2.07

Czech Republic
15.73
2.85

Denmark
3.40
0.72

Finland
4.70
1.94

France

1.70

Germany
5.00
1.74

Slovenia
7.77
3.17

Switzerland
5.60
2.90

United Kingdom
3.56
1.16

United States
7.02
3.38

text: For example, a person yearly traversing 15,000 kilometres (9,300 mi) on regular roads and 10,000 kilometres (6,200 mi) on motorways has an approx. 1 in 11,000 chance of dying in a car accident on a German road in any particular year (1 in 57,000 on an autobahn), compared to 1 in 3,800 in Czech Republic, 1 in 17,000 in Denmark, or 1 in 7,200 in the United States.

text: However, there are many differences between countries in their geography, economy, traffic growth, highway system size, degree of urbanization and motorization, and so on.

text: Travel speeds[edit]

text: The Federal government does not regularly measure or estimate travel speeds.[85] One study reported in a transportation engineering journal offered historical perspective on the increase in travel speeds over a decade, as shown below.

text:
Parameters
Year

(for light vehicles)
1982
1987
1992

Average (mean) speed
112.3 km/h (70 mph)
117.2 km/h (73 mph)
120.4 km/h (75 mph)

85th percentile speed
139.2 km/h (86 mph)
145.1 km/h (90 mph)
148.2 km/h (92 mph)

Percentage exceeding 130 km/h
25.0%
31.3%
35.9%

text: Source: Kellermann, G: Geschwindigkeitsverhalten im Autobahnnetz 1992. Straße+Autobahn,[86] Issue 5/1995.[87]

text: The Federal Environmental Office reported that, on a free-flowing section in 1992, the recorded average speed was 132 km/h (82 mph) with 51% of drivers exceeding the recommended speed.[87]

text: In 2006, speeds were recorded using automated detection loops in the State of Brandenburg at two points: on a six-lane section of A9 near Niemegk with a 130 km/h (81 mph) advisory speed limit; and on a four-lane section of A10 bypassing Berlin near Groß Kreutz with a 120 km/h (75 mph) mandatory limit.[3] The results are shown below:

text:
Average speed
Autobahn cross-section

Speed regulation
130 km/h advisory
120 km/h mandatory

Vehicle class
A9 (6 lanes)
A10 (4 lanes)

Automobiles
141.8 km/h (88 mph)
116.5 km/h (72 mph)

Trucks
88.2 km/h (55 mph)
88.0 km/h (55 mph)

Buses
97.7 km/h (61 mph)
94.4 km/h (59 mph)

All vehicles
131.9 km/h (82 mph)
110.1 km/h (68 mph)

text: At peak times on the "free-flowing" section of A9, over 60% of road users exceeded the recommended 130 km/h (81 mph) maximum speed, more than 30% of motorists exceeded 150 km/h (93 mph), and more than 15% exceeded 170 km/h (106 mph)—in other words the so-called "85th percentile speed" was in excess of 170 km/h.[88]

text: Toll roads[edit]

text: On 1 January 2005, a new system came into effect for mandatory tolls (Mautpflicht) on heavy trucks (those weighing more than 12 t) while using the German autobahn system (LKW-Maut). The German government contracted with a private company, Toll Collect GmbH, to operate the toll collection system, which has involved the use of vehicle-mounted transponders and roadway-mounted sensors installed throughout Germany. The toll is calculated depending on the toll route, as well as based on the pollution class of the vehicle, its weight and the number of axles on the vehicles. Certain vehicles, such as emergency vehicles and buses, are exempt from the toll. An average user is charged €0.15 per kilometre, or about $0.31 per mile (Toll Collect, 2007).

text: Traffic laws and enforcement[edit]

text: Driving in Germany is regulated by the Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung (road traffic regulations,[89] abbreviated StVO). Enforcement on the federal Autobahnen is handled by each State's Highway Patrol (Autobahnpolizei), often using unmarked police cars and motorcycles and usually equipped with video cameras,[90][91] thus allowing easier enforcement of laws such as tailgating. Notable laws include the following.

text:
The right lane should be used when it is free (Rechtsfahrgebot) and the left lane is generally intended only for overtaking unless traffic is too dense to justify driving only on the right lane. It is legal to give a short horn or light signal (flashing headlights or Lichthupe) in order to indicate the intention of overtaking, but a safe distance to the vehicle in front must be maintained,[92] otherwise this might be regarded as an act of coercion.
Penalties for tailgating were increased in May 2006 to a maximum of €375 and three months license suspension:[93] "drivers must keep a distance in meters that is equal to half their speed. For example, a driver going 100 km/h on the autobahn must keep a distance of at least 50 meters (165 feet)". The penalty increase followed uproar after an infamous fatal crash on Autobahn 5 in 2003.[94]
In a traffic jam, drivers must form an emergency lane (Rettungsgasse) to allow emergency services to reach the scene of an accident. This improvised alley is to be created on the dividing line between the two leftmost lanes.[95]
It is unlawful to stop for any reason on the autobahn, except for emergencies and when unavoidable, like traffic jams or being involved in an accident. This includes stopping on emergency lanes. Running out of fuel is considered an avoidable occurrence, as by law there are petrol stations directly on the autobahn approximately every 50–55 km (31–34 mi). Drivers may face fines and up to six months suspension, should it come to a stop that was deemed unnecessary by the police. In some cases (if there is a direct danger to life and limb or property e.g. cars and highway infrastructure) it may also be considered a crime and the driver could receive a prison sentence (up to 5 years).
Overtaking on the right (undertaking) is strictly forbidden, except when stuck in traffic jams. Up to a speed of 80 km/h (50 mph) it is permitted to pass cars on the right side if the speed difference is not greater than 20 km/h (12 mph) or the vehicle on the left lane is stationary. This is not referred to as overtaking, but driving past. Even if the car overtaken is illegally occupying the left-hand lane, it is not an acceptable excuse; in such cases, the police will routinely stop and fine both drivers. However, exceptions can and have sometimes been made.

text: In popular culture[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Film and television[edit]

text:
Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei (Alarm for Cobra 11 – The Autobahn Police, 1996–), a famous German TV series focusing on the work of a team of motorway police officers and their investigations, set in the autobahn-intertwined Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area.
Reichsautobahn (documentary/b&w) by Hartmut Bitomsky (West Germany, 1986)

text: Music[edit]

text: "Autobahn", a song by German electronic band Kraftwerk (1974)

text: Video games[edit]

text: Need for Speed: ProStreet, Burnout 3: Takedown, and Burnout Dominator use autobahn as one of their tracks. Euro Truck Simulator 2 features the Autobahn in its open world map. Burnout 3: Takedown named them as Alpine while Burnout Dominator divided them into two (Autobahn and Autobahn Loop). Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed also had a track that had the player drive across different sections of the autobahn. The entire game world of Crash Time: Autobahn Pursuit is set on the autobahn. On Gran Turismo 5 and Gran Turismo 6, a trophy is awarded to those who have driven the same distance as the autobahn total length. In December 2010 video game developer Synetic GmbH and Conspiracy Entertainment released the title Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei featuring real world racing and mission-based gameplay. It is taken from the popular German television series about a two-man team of Autobahnpolizei first set in Berlin then later in North Rhine-Westphalia.