Lunch and Dinner Menus from the Hindenburg’s Last Flight

 

Prior to each of the Hindenburg’s flights, Head Chef Xaver Maier and his staff would  would plan out the midday and evening meals ahead of time, so that menus could be printed up for the passengers. Breakfasts were continental style, and therefore had no printed menus.

For the Hindenburg’s final flight, there were five meals planned. The ship departed from Frankfurt at approximately 8:15 PM on the evening of Monday, May 3rd, 1937, after the normal dinner hour. However, the cooks prepared a light supper of salad and cold meats to be served to the passengers at 10:00 PM, after the flight had gotten underway.

For the remainder of the flight, breakfast, lunch and dinner were served on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 4th and 5th. Here are the menus from those two days, in both German and English:

Tuesday, May 4^th, 1937

Mittagessen                                             (Lunch)

         Kraftbrühe Gutenberg                              (Consommé Gutenberg)

~~~

             Englische Hochrippe                           (English Prime Ribs of Beef
      mit Kohlrabigemüse                                  with Young Turnips)

      Gefüllte Tomaten                                     (Stuffed Tomato)

     Pflaumenkartoffel                                       (Plum Potatoes)

~~~

         Richelieu Pudding                                  (Richelieu Pudding)

~~~

          Mokka                                                (Demi-Tasse)

 

 

Abendessen                                           (Dinner)

  Legierte Cremesuppe                                     (Cream Soup)

~~~

    Frischer Schweizinger                                 (Fresh Whole Swiss
    Stangenspargel                                              Asparagus
      mit rohrem Schinken – zerl. Butter                 with Smoked Westphalian Ham
                                                                          and Melted Butter)

~~~

   Farciertes Kalbskotelette                                    (Veal Cutlet Farci
        mit Malta Kartoffeln                                       with Malta Potatoes)

          Gurkensalat in Sahnen-Marinade                      (Cucumber Salad in Cream Sauce)

~~~

  Gemischtes Kompott                                          (Mixed Compote)

 

Wednesday, May 5^th, 1937

Mittagessen                                                (Lunch)

       Kraftbrühe Germinal                                       (Consommé Germinal)

~~~

  Junter Lammbraten                                              (Roast Lamb
         mit Prinzessbohnen                                      (with Princess Beans)

     Bäckerinkartoffel                                             (Baker’s Potatoes)

       Kopfsalat                                                      (Lettuce Salad)

~~~

   Diplomaten-Crème                                            (Diplomat Crème)

~~~

       Mokka                                                        (Demi-Tasse)

Abendessen                                                 (Dinner)

Tapiokasuppe                                              (Tapioca Soup
    mit Gemüsestreifen                                   with Julienne Vegetables)

~~~

Heilbuttschnitte gekocht                                    (Boiled Halibut)

    Mouseline Tunke                                           (Mousseline Sauce)

    Salzkartoffel                                                 (Salted Potatoes)

~~~

Brüssler Mastpoularde                                   (Capon a’la Brussels
   mit Gemüse umlegt                                  with Mixed Vegetables)

~~~

  Gemischte Käseplatte                                (Assorted Cheese Platter)

  Pumpernickel-Knäckebrot                             (Pumpernickel Crisp Bread)

   Westfälisches Schwarzbrot                            (Westfalian Dark Rye Bread)

 

On Thursday, May 6th, since the Hindenburg was originally due to arrive at Lakehurst at 6:00 AM, Eastern Daylight Time, it is assumed that no lunch menu had been prepared ahead of time. However, stiff headwinds delayed the ship’s arrival until 5:30 PM, and so Chef Maier presumably improvised a lunch menu for that day. When the Hindenburg’s landing  was further delayed by storms, the kitchen sent up a tray of sandwiches for the passengers at approximately 6:00 PM. Steward Eugen Nunnenmacher had just set the empty silver tray in the ship’s pantry as the Hindenburg finally began her approach to the landing field just after 7:00 PM.