The Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany, is the world’s largest museum of technology and science and houses over 28000 exhibits from 50 different fields of science and technology.
The newest branch of the museum which opened in 2003 is called the Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum and it focuses transportation technology. The three main topics displayed in the museum are city traffic, travelling now and then, and mobility and technology. Live demonstrations and do-it-yourself, hands-on experiments make this museum fun for all ages.
The Büssing ZU 550 was the oldest manufactured truck in Germany. Most early vehicles tended to be sports cars for wealthy customers. The ZU 550 was in contrast one of the earliest utility vehicles.
1903 Büssing ZU 550
The ironically named 1931 Goliath Pionier. In the early 1930s the people of Germany were looking for inexpensive personal transportation. This car, a three-wheeler with a 1-cylinder, 2-stroke engine, was cramped and weak but met the modest standards of most German drivers.
1931 Goliath Pionier
The first real two-wheelers were hobbyhorses. The archetype is attributed to Baron Karl Friedrich von Drais of Baden who introduces the first steerable wooden two-wheeled hobby horse in 1817.
The Hobbyhorse
Check out the different styles of suspension that were experimented with.
Bicycle Wheel Suspension
From wood wheels and rubber brakes to carbon fiber wheels and ceramic brakes.
Bicycle Evolution
The 1958 Zündapp Janus 250 was an attempt by the motorbike manufacturer Zündapp to enter the field of automobile production. The doors on the Janus opened at the front and back. However sales were weak as watching the retreating landscape from rear-facing seats in was not as thrilling to customers as first thought.
1958 Zündapp Janus
The use of private cars was restricted following the outbreak of the war since fuel was scarce and what little was available was requisitioned for the military. As an alternative many people resorted to the wood gas generators. The wood gas generator on this 1938 Adler Diplomat 3 GS carbonized wood at low temperatures to produce charcoal. The gas produced during this process contains combustible carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Instead of 1 kg of gasoline, the vehicle needed 3 kg of wood. The heavy weight of the system and wood and the fact that the wood had to be reloaded at shorter distances 100 km led to the decline in popularity of the wood gas generator.
1938 Adler Diplomat 3 GS Wood Generator
Dr. Gerhard Wagner built this homebuilt aircraft to fly his family of five over the Berlin wall in 1981 to escape from East to West Germany. Sadly it was never flown and the family were arrested the day before their planned escape. They were charged with ‘Preparing an illegal border crossing in a heavy case’, convicted and imprisoned for one year. To keep construction a secret, the builder used only non aviation-grade materials and generally available components. Power was provided by two East German MZ motorcycle engines.
Dowa 81
Web: www.deutsches-museum.de/en/verkehrszentrum
Hours: 09:00 – 17:00
Admission: €6.00
August 3, 2009
Museums