# Eckener Did Not Command the Hindenburg on its Final Flight

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eckener-did-not-command-the-hindenburg-on-its-final-flight/795862>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [September 9, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eckener-did-not-command-the-hindenburg-on-its-final-flight/795862 "2017-09-09T02:36:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![araybold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e9a140/32.png) [@araybold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araybold)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eckener-did-not-command-the-hindenburg-on-its-final-flight/795862/1 "2017-09-09T02:36:06Z")

</div>

Re: [Did Others Fly Across the Atlantic Before Lindbergh](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2084/did-others-fly-across-the-atlantic-before-lindbergh)

In passing, this article mentioned that Dr. Hugo Eckener was in command of the Hindenburg on its final flight, but he was not aboard. Max Pruss was the captain on that flight.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eckener-did-not-command-the-hindenburg-on-its-final-flight/795862/2 "2017-09-09T03:30:37Z")

</div>

Looks like you’re right:

> **[Max Pruss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Pruss)**
>
> Max Pruss (13 September 1891 – 28 November 1960) was the commanding captain of the zeppelin LZ 129 Hindenburg on its last voyage and a surviving crew member of the disaster.
> Max Pruss was born in 1891 in Sgonn, East Prussia (now Zgon, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland). He joined the German Navy in 1906 and completed airship training during World War I, serving as an elevatorman on the German Zeppelins. Pruss became part of the Hindenburg crew in 1936 on the third flight to Rio de Janeiro. Du...

> **[Hugo Eckener | Sidelined](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Eckener#Sidelined)**
>
> The Nazis came to power in January 1933. A planned arrest of Eckener in 1933 was blocked by Hindenburg. Hitler met Eckener only once, in July 1933, but the two barely spoke. Eckener did not make any secret of his dislike of the Nazis and the disastrous events he foresaw. He criticised the regime frequently, and refused to allow the Nazis to use the large hangars at Frankfurt for a rally. Eventually the Nazis declared Eckener to be persona non grata and his name was no longer allowed to appe Durin...