After rail connections were established to Trelleborg in 1875 and Sassnitz in 1891, plans were drawn up for a mail steamer line to Scandinavia.  The “Freia” completed a test voyage for this route on 3rd June 1891, and on 29th April 1897 a regular service to Sweden was launched.  In addition to the “Freia”, the line was run by the Swedish steamers “Rex” (beached off Rügen on 27th January 1900) and “Svea”, as well as the German steamers “Imperator” and “Hertha”. The mail steamer agreement of 1907 between Germany and Sweden provided legislation for the commissioning of railway ferries “Deutschland” and “Preußen”. Braeunlich received state compensation.