Endowment

[PLATE 10: Zeppelin "L-43" Naval Airship, 1917. Showing Maybach
Motor Works and Part of Friedrichshafen.

Zeppelin "LZ-77" Army Airship, 1915.]

It was thought then that Zeppelin had built his last airship. He had
employed all his own personal resources in that venture, and though the
rigid had performed remarkably, even his closest friends could see
nothing but failure in further attempts to establish the new science.
But they were wrong. Zeppelin had been more successful than he realized.
His persistent efforts had continuously improved the rigid type. Each
flight was better and more efficient than the ones preceding it. All
this had been noted by the people. When it was learned that Count
Zeppelin had no funds with which to continue, a popular subscription
campaign was started in various sections, with the result that within a
few weeks 6,000,000 marks (approximately $1,500,000) had been
contributed and turned over to Zeppelin for him to use as he saw fit in
carrying on his experiments. Here indeed was recognition. For the money
had come from persons of high and low degree, from huts and palaces. The
Zeppelin fund was truly representative of the people. It made the shops
and hangar on Lake Constance a popular institution. For the first time
in his life the inventor found his airship enterprise on a firm
financial basis. With this foundation he was able to increase his shop
and laboratory facilities and make important changes in his
organization. Instead of being forced to produce something for
demonstration flights alone, he was able to concentrate on practical
development. His personnel was ably qualified for the new work. Many of
his assistants had been with him since the beginning. His progress had
been theirs in the new science of lighter-than-air engineering. Many of
these men are still with the Zeppelin organization which retains the
original name created by the popular support of the German people.

The Beginning of the Zeppelin Organization

With the 6,000,000 marks presented to him Count Zeppelin founded the
"Zeppelinstiftung zur Foerderung der Luftfahrt" (Zeppelin Endowment for
the Propagation of Air Navigation). This organization is the exclusive
shareholder of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin (the constructing company), and
through this controls the many subsidiary companies, each one producing
essential parts of the Zeppelin so that the entire organization is
practically independent