In the aftermath of the war , Maybach and many other aviation companies turned to automobile construction , while Claudius Dornier purchased Theodor Kober 's failed Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen and established Dornier Flugzeugwerke . Owing to the provisions of the Versailles treaty , many of the planes were initially produced in Italy , Spain , the Netherlands or Japan , but resumed work at its Friedrichshafen and other German factories following the rise of the Nazi regime . The 1937 Hindenburg disaster and a subsequent embargo on sending American helium to Germany , however , effectively ended the production of German dirigibles . The Zeppelin manufacturing company Luftschiffbau Zeppelin ( LZ ) was re-established in 1993 , and a commercial airline Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei ( DZR ) began flying passenger service from Friedrichshafen Airport in 2001 . , 12 scheduled routes were offered with additional flights to selected cities
Hindenburg disaster
Hindenburg disaster
Friedrichshafen