- Hindenburg light
The Hindenburg light or Hindenburglicht, was a source of
lighting used in thetrenches of the First World War, named after the Commander-in-Chief of the German army inWorld War I ,Paul von Hindenburg . It was also used inWorld War II in air raid shelters (Luftschutzkeller) or during power cuts, and mandated black outs as emergency lighting. It is also mentioned in the novel "Stalingrad," by Theodore Plievier, as used on the Eastern Front. Also it is mentioned in "Wheels of Terror" bySven Hassel . It was a flat bowl of approx. 5-8 cm diameter with 1-1.5 cm broad edge. It resembles the cover of Mason jar lid (Schraubglasdeckel) and was made from pasteboard. This flat bowl was filled with a wax-like fat (tallow). A short wick (Docht) in the center was lit and burned for some hours. A later model of the Hindenburglicht was a "tin can (Dosenlicht) lamp." Here, a wax-filled tin can has a two wicks in a holder. If both wicks are lit, a common, broad flame (zungenfoermige Flamme) results.
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