City planning:
transport is put on the agenda In March 1950, the Rheinbahn’s Director Rebbelmund was appointed as board chairman. This meant that the Rheinbahn had a man at its helm who revived the company’s former traditions during the twenties. He reinstated technical innovation one of the Rheinbahn’s top priorities.
Rebbelmund arranged the installation of the first radio telephone Line "D". It was way ahead of its time. Few people were aware at that time that businessmen and politicians would one day be making important decisions from their cars.
Decades later, the Rheinbahn foresight became evident. The first car phones were "B" Net, then later "C" Net. Today, mobile phones are an everyday gadget, though very few mobile phone users are aware of the fact that the very first mobile phone was tested in a Rheinbahn restaurant car.
However, this event is only one example of how Rebbelmund fostered innovation in a way that is comparable with the Rheinbahn’s pioneering activities under Director Schwab in the 1920’s.
The rubble left by the war on Karlsplatz, Martin-Luther-Platz and the Tonhalle had now been removed and put in storage. In 1951 it was proudly reported that 2.2 million of the around 10 million square metres of rubble had been cleared away and used to build homes. Many people who lived in the city at the time have never forgotten the sight of the long lines of
"Truemmerfrauen" , the women who collected, cleaned and stacked the bricks by hand.