Fascinated by ships even as a toddler
Hans Schorn began his training as a bargeman with Köln Düsseldorfer at the age of 17. He later worked as a coach driver and train manager for Deutsche Bahn. But he never let go of KD . He now runs the KD Ticket Office in Kamp-Bornhofen with his wife Sabrina.
Since the start of the season, MS Willi Ostermann has been a famous member of the KD fleet. The ship is the legendary "Müllemer Böötche". For many people, the ship is an emotionally charged place with which they associate important memories. Hans Schorn is one of them. Together with his wife Sabrina, he runs the KD Ticket Office in Kamp-Bornhofen on the Middle Rhine. It is the latest episode in a longer story in which KD has always played a role and which began with Willi Ostermann. But more on that later. First a look at the "Böötche" MS Willi Ostermann is used for panoramic cruises in Cologne. The cozy ship is ideally suited for events from 40 to 160 people and is popular for charter trips. There is even an event package for a minimum of 40 people.
Once a year to Drachenfels
More than 150 years ago, the "Müllemer Böötche" started the connections between Mülheim on the right bank of the Rhine and the old town on the left bank. The new KD fleet member is, of course, younger. The ship was built in 1965 at the Lux shipyard in Mondorf. The ship became famous beyond the borders of Cologne thanks to the Cologne song "Heidewitzka, Herr Kapitän" by Karl Berbuer from 1936. Once a year, a boat trip is made to the Siebengebirge mountains to Drachenfels. Why? "Mem Möllemer Böötche fahre mer su jähn" (We love going on the Mülheim boat). Who could argue with that? No one for almost 90 years. Especially not Hans Schorn.
Vivid memory
He came into contact with the ships moored on the Rhine at the age of six. "At the time, my father Markus worked as a beer driver and later as an expediter for the Küppers brewery, mainly supplying the KD ships with Kölsch. I was often on board during the vacations and at weekends and loved everything about it," says the now 64-year-old. One image from this time is particularly vivid in his mind. "When I see the Willi Ostermann, I always think of my father, who has since passed away, sitting on a bench below deck, his leather-bound notebook open in front of him and conscientiously entering the figures for the accounts. I watched him quietly, almost reverently. That was our moment."
Training as a bargeman at KD
At the age of 17, Hans Schorn himself was drawn to the water. He began training as a bargeman with Köln-Düsseldorfer. Television also played a role in his decision. "I was fascinated by the series "MS Franziska"," says Schorn. The first episode of the series, which revolved around an old motor vessel and a family in which all the men were skippers, was broadcast in December 1977. The focus was on the MS Franziska, which was used to transport freight on the Rhine. Many aspects of Rhine shipping in general were also depicted. The episodes also featured KD ships such as the hydrofoil "Rheinpfeil" and the cabin cruise ship "Britannia"
"Should have stayed with the KD "
Hans Schorn also worked on both ships during his training. His first station was the ship MS Köln. He still has fond memories of day one. "We started at 5 o'clock. Writing down water levels, cleaning the wheelhouse windows and the ship's bell. And put a cup of coffee down for the captain. The coffee was probably okay, but I had to clean the windows a second time." After his training, he first joined the German Navy, then returned to the KD for another two years. "I quit in 1985 because I wanted to do something different and my life circumstances had changed. Looking back, I have to say: that was a big mistake, I should have stayed with KD , it was like a family. I still love the company."
Water, road, rail, (on) water
His other stations also always had to do with movement and the transportation of people. Born in Cologne, he was a professional driver and master driver, drove coaches and had his own bus company. He then moved to Deutsche Bahn, where he is currently responsible for dispatching trains at Montabaur station. His wife Sabrina works as a conductor for the railroad. They both live in Kamp-Bornhofen, a municipality on the Rhine in the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Since 2024, the two have breathed new life into the previously orphaned KD Ticket Office. "We were surprised that the agency was not staffed. We thought that was a shame and contacted Patrick Zimmer from KD to reopen the agency. Fortunately, it worked out.
"Goethe" greeted with music
Before the couple could get started, the little house and the outside areas, including the jetty, had to be refurbished. Visitors on land and guests on the paddle wheeler Goethe recently experienced how wonderful the whole thing turned out at the start of the season. The Kolping band from Kamp-Bornhofen played to welcome the historic ship. "We ordered 25 liters of their delicious pea soup from the kitchen team of a local retirement home and sold it. We donated the net proceeds to the daycare center," says Sabrina Schorn. "The agency has now become a meeting place on the Rhine where people come together for a coffee and a chat. That makes us very happy." For Hans Schorn, it's a bit like coming home. "I feel a lot closer to KD again. I even have a dream. Can I tell you about it?" Go ahead and tell it. "I'd like to spend another year as purser on the Goethe at the end of my career." Let's just leave it at that.
