Hindenburg Zeppelin - LZ 129 Disaster FBI File, Films, And Newspapers
574 pages of material covering LZ 129 Hindenburg and 44 minutes of film.
LZ 129 Hindenburg was a celebrated German passenger airship that was operated by Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Designed and built by the Zeppelin Company, the Hindenburg was the largest airship ever constructed, measuring approximately 245 meters in length and capable of accommodating up to 72 passengers and crew members. It was named after Paul von Hindenburg, the President of Germany from 1925 to 1934.
Hindenburg is best remembered for the tragic event that occurred on May 6, 1937, when it caught fire and was completely destroyed while attempting to dock at the Naval Air Station Lakehurst in New Jersey. The disaster resulted in the deaths of 36 people.
The cause of the fire remains a subject of debate and investigation, but it is widely believed that a combination of factors, including the highly flammable hydrogen gas used for buoyancy and the presence of an electrostatic discharge, led to the ignition.
FBI Files
337 pages of files copied from FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., covering the Hindenburg Disaster. FBI files generated from an investigation into issues surrounding the destruction of the Zeppelin Hindenburg in 1937.
Newspapers
237 full-sheet American newspaper pages dating from February 5, 1936, to October 7, 1939, with coverage of the LZ 129 Hindenburg.
Films
44 minutes of films. Three films including one composite reel and two actuary reels. Includes:
U.S. Air Force Command Film 342-USAF-12735 - 17 minutes on 2 reels. Film includes Hindenburg Zeppelin in flight to New Jersey, Hindenburg coming in for landing at Lakehurst, New Jersey, Hindenburg Zeppelin bursts into flames and falls to earth, firefighters battle the flames, German ambassador is interviewed about the crash, injured persons are put into ambulances, fourteen-year-old cabin boy who escaped the crash, and a witness taking oath before testifying about the crash.
Department of Navy 428-NPC-1985 - 10 minutes of dirigibles, Including the Hindenburg visiting Lakehurst, New Jersey.
Department of Navy 428-npc-1994 - Burning of Hindenburg - 11 minutes of various segments showing dirigibles, including the burning of the Hindenburg.
