Franz Kruckenberg

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Franz Friedrich Kruckenberg
Kruckenberg (2nd from the left) in front of the Schienenzeppelin
Born	(1882-08-21)21 August 1882 Uetersen, Germany
Died	19 June 1965(1965-06-19) (aged 82) Heidelberg, Germany
Nationality	German
Education	ship building
Occupation	Engineer
Engineering career
Discipline	aerodynamics
Significant design	Schienenzeppelin
Significant advance	high speed trains

Franz Friedrich Kruckenberg (born on the 21st of August 1882 in Uetersen, Germany; died on the 19th of June 1965 in Heidelberg) was an engineer and pioneer of high speed railway systems. He designed several high speed trains. His most famous design was the Schienenzeppelin.

Kruckenberg was born into an old-established Hamburg merchant family. From 1904 to 1907 he studied mechanical engineering at the Technische Hochschule Charlottenburg in Berlin, graduating in naval engineering. Before World War I he designed aircraft and airships. Even then he already criticised airships because of their explosive hydrogen filling; and the civil use of aircraft because of their high fuel- and maintenance costs.