POSTER 2018, PRAGUE MAY 10 1
Hospital Trains operated by the Grand Priory of Bohemia and Austria
Martin Pola1
1 Institute of Economic and Social History, Charles University, Nám. Jana Palacha 2, 116 38 Praha, Czech Republic
Abstract. Transporting of the wounded soldiers from the Vienna since 1872), a Knight of Magistral Grace of the battlefield to hospitals and infirmaries was always one of Order. Their use of trains was originally inspired by the the most important questions in military logistics. Jaromír Prussian Army, and for the first time, two hospital trains Freiherr Mundy implemented the use of railways for the were used in 1878 during the Bosnia and Herzegovina transport of wounded men in the Austrian army after the campaign, to transport more than three thousand injured, Battle of Königgrätz (1866). Later, in 1878, the Grand and ill, soldiers to hospitals. Priory of Bohemia and Austria of the Sovereign Order of Malta assumed responsibility for the running of the hospital trains in the Austro-Hungarian army. These trains 1.1 Hospital trains during World War I have proven to be extremely successful during the First The use of hospital trains during World War I was of World War: over 350,000 wounded soldiers have been the utmost importance. At this time, there were 8 train sets, transported to hospitals by the Grand Priory’s trains. This which transported a total of 359,945 persons during the war poster presents the history of this military-logistic travelling 1,062,760 km. The extent of the aid that the innovation by the Grand Priory of Bohemia and Austria Grand Priory of Bohemia and Austria of the Order of the from its beginning in 1878 until its end in 1922. Knights of Malta undertook during the First World War is showcased by the following table:
Wounded and sick men Number Transported Kind of Travelled of Keywords by an Help Transported Treated km operations Ambulance Hospital train, Grand Priory of Bohemia and Austria, men men performed Military logistics. Hospital 359,945 - - 1,062,760 - Trains
Hospitals and - 12,951 - - 9,948 1. History of the hospital trains Infirmaries Military operated by the Grand Priory of - 25,094 19,963 - 17,215 hospitals
Bohemia and Austria The Grand Priory of Bohemia and Austria of the Total 359,945 38,045 19,963 1,062,760 27,163 Order of Malta established the so-called "Voluntary Sanitation Service" (Freiwilliger Sanitätsdienst im Kriege des Grosspriorates von Böhmen und Österreich des Tab. 1. The extent of the aid that the Grand Priory of Bohemia and Austria of the Order of the Knights of Malta Internationalen souveränen Malteser-Ritterordens) in the undertook during the First World War second half of the 19th century. The aim of this organization was to provide medical assistance during The operation of trains and other hospital facilities military action. was financed by means of the Grand Priory of Bohemia and Austria. It devoted almost all of its financial assets to For this purpose, military hospitals and nursing homes this purpose. Over 500,000 crowns contributed were also for wounded soldiers and war-stricken people were set up. collected by its members individually: several knights and The Grand Priory also began running 8 hospital trains dames (among them Zdenko Prince of Lobkowicz and gradually, which transported wounded soldiers to the Maria Therese von Thurn und Taxis-Braganza) took over Order's hospitals, and others. This logistic innovation was the costs of running trains and hospitals totalling 641,206 implemented by Othenio Lichnowsky-Werdenberg, Grand crowns. Prior of Bohemia and Austria, in cooperation with the Dr. Jaromír Freiherr Mundy (Professor of the University of 2 MARTIN POLA, HOSPITAL TRAINS OPERATED BY THE GRAND PRIORY OF BOHEMIA AND AUSTRIA
1.2 The Grand Priory’s hospital train in Thereby increasing the chances of timely medical care, service of the Czechoslovak Republic while reducing the risk of infection (which was very actual by the horse-drawn carriage), etc. The Grand Priory of Bohemia and Austria operated a hospital train even after the end of the First World War. It The hospital trains were not only operated by the served both to transport the wounded soldiers and to Grand Priory of Bohemia and Austria, but also by knights repatriate them. For instance, until the end of 1920 it made from Italy (they even equipped one hospital ship), Silesia 32 rides and transported 7,702 wounded and sick men. and North Rhine-Westphalia. Together with Grand Priory They were not only soldiers but also civilians. In the years of Bohemia and Austria, the trains of the Order transported 1919-1921, a total of 2,625 civilians were transported by more than 550,000 wounded soldiers from the battlefields the train. The commander of this train (named "Train A") during the First World War. was Dr. Bedřich Count Deym, a post he held during the First World War as well as after it. Acknowledgements However, the operation of the hospital train was too expensive for the Grand Priory of Bohemia and Austria Research described in the paper was supervised by because of the depletion of financial capital after the First Prof. I. Jakubec, FF UK. World War and the loss of land ownership due to the land reform. In addition, the last of the trains, that was in operation, was in very poor technical condition and its repair would be too expensive for the Order. Therefore, it Sources was decided that the train would be transferred to the [1] NA Praha, fond č. 198 ŘM, inv. č. 505, sig. 41, kart. č. 261, Různá Czechoslovak State Railways, which took place in the korespondence přijatá i odesílaná (hospodářské a majetkové spring of 1922. This ended the nearly 50-year period of the záležitosti) 1668–1941. Grand Priory's hospital trains. [2] NA Praha, fond č. 198 ŘM, inv. č. 554, sig. 28/A/e, kart. č. 287, Korespondence a koncepty odpovědí v záležitostech maltských nemocničních vlaků 1919–1925. [3] NA Praha, fond č. 198 ŘM, inv. č. 1241, sig. 240-247, kart. č. 468, 2. Equipment and organization of Vnitřní záležitosti konventu pražského, záležitosti škol, Althanův the trains chudinský fond, korespondence 1851–1926. [4] NA Praha, fond č. 198 ŘM, inv. č. 1246, sig. 253/5, kart. č. 473, Each train originally had 100 beds for the seriously Dobrovolná sanitní služba suverénního řádu maltézských rytířů wounded and 100 seats for soldiers and civilians who could velkopřevorství pro Čechy a Rakousy vykonaná ve válce v letech sit during the transport. During the First World War, each 1914–1918. train was modified to take at least 150 seriously wounded [5] NA Praha, fond č. 198 ŘM, inv. č. 1246, sig. 253/5, kart. č. 473, and other sick men at any given time. Agenda převorství pražského konventu (korespondence) 1914–1938. The trains contained wagons with a kitchen, with food [6] ŽUPANIČ, J. Nová Šlechta Rakouského Císařství, Praha 2006, p. 257. supplies, laundry and medical supplies. Each train was additionally equipped with a pharmacy with the all essential medication. About Author Originally, the train was commanded by one Order's Knight and there were also at least two doctors in it. Of Martin POLA was born in Prague in 1992. He studied course, there was a higher number of nurses and auxiliary History of European Culture at KTF UK (Mgr. in 2017), staff, as well. During the First World War, the structure Economic history at FF UK (PhDr. in 2017) and Business was a little different. Two knights of the Order were in Administration at FEM CULS in Prague (Bc. in 2016). command, and from the medical staff there were three officer-doctors, four nurses and twenty members of auxiliary staff. In addition, each train also had an administration officer. In regard to the equipment, the trains had top medical instruments to which at least thousands of men owed them theirs lives.
3. Résumé Operation of hospital trains by the Order of Malta can be regarded as one of the most important moments of medical military history. This was a key innovation that enabled the Austro-Hungarian Army to use railways to transport wounded soldiers quickly and effectively.