Dresden Transport Museum
Encyclopedia
The Dresden Transport Museum (German
: Verkehrsmuseum Dresden) displays
vehicles of all modes of transport, such as railway, shipping, road and air traffic, under one roof.
The museum is housed in the Johanneum at the Neumarkt
in Dresden
, Germany. The Johanneum was built between 1586 and 1591 by the master fortress builder, Paul Buchner, on behalf of Prince Elector Christian I of Saxony.
. It was mainly intended to house the exhibits of the Saxon Railway Museum that had been evacuated during the Second World War.
After Dresden
was confirmed as the location, the first vehicles were stabled in a locomotive shed at Dresden's Neustadt
station. Six employees began the development of the museum and, by 1953, two small exhibitions were on display. The actual opening in the then still badly damaged Johanneum took place in 1956. The first exhibition showed on the ground floor "120 years of Saxon Transport history". The first director was Elfriede Rehbein.
On 24 November 1958, the museum was transferred into the ownership of the Ministry of Transport. Renovation of the interior was completed in 1966 and the façade followed in 1968. The roof was not covered in copper, but in Duraluminium in keeping with aircraft construction techniques. Since the inauguration of the aviation exhibition in the 1970s, all transport areas, i.e., railway, cars and bicycles, local public transport, shipping, and air traffic, have been in display in the museum.
Due to the limited space in the Johanneum, not all the exhibits are based here. Numerous locomotives are stationed in the former Deutsche Reichsbahn
locomotive depot (Betriebswerk or Bw) at Dresden-Altstadt
. Furthermore, several vehicles have been loaned to other museums. Due to the lack of space in the Johanneum, there were several discussions during the 1990s about moving the museum. However, the plan was not realized for financial reasons.
The museum is divided in the following exhibition areas:
The German tourism website www.germany-tourism.de describes a visit to the museum as "like stepping into another world. Its unparalleled collection includes historical examples from pre-industrial eras, post-1850 vehicles and unique exhibits with special historical significance - from delicate miniatures to colossal originals such as the legendary Saxon "Muldenthal" locomotive (1861). A sedan chair dating from 1705, the museum's oldest exhibit, and a horse-drawn bus are milestones in the history of public transportation in Dresden. The museum also chronicles the history of aviation from the hot air balloon to the supersonic airliner".
The Dresden Transport Museum currently owns 116 different railway vehicles, of which only eight are on display in the Johanneum. A large number are kept at the depot or entrusted to other societies on loan. Examples include locomotive numbers 17 1055,19 017, 58 261, 24 004, V 15 1001, V 240 001, 120 338 and 130 002 as well as a catenary inspection railbus
.
The road traffic exhibition displays Germany's pioneer automobiles including a replica of Carl Benz's legendary tricycle of 1886, the predecessor of modern cars. The motorcycle exhibition shows, among others, a petroleum-powered Reitwagen
("riding car") motorcycle built by Gottlieb Daimler
in 1885, the first internal combustion motorcycle.
The air traffic area provides visitors with a general overview of the development of civil aviation, with one focus being the Saxon contribution to it, particularly during the period from 1955 to 1961. The inauguration of our new permanent aviation exhibition is scheduled for 5 May 2012, the 60th anniversary of the Dresden Transport Museum.
The sea travel exhibition focuses on inland navigation on the Elbe
river and maritime navigation on high seas. It also gives an overview of the past and present of sea travel.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Verkehrsmuseum Dresden) displays
vehicles of all modes of transport, such as railway, shipping, road and air traffic, under one roof.
The museum is housed in the Johanneum at the Neumarkt
Neumarkt (Dresden)
The Neumarkt in Dresden is a central and culturally significant section of the Dresden inner city. The historic area was almost completely wiped out during the Allied bomb attack during the Second World War...
in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, Germany. The Johanneum was built between 1586 and 1591 by the master fortress builder, Paul Buchner, on behalf of Prince Elector Christian I of Saxony.
History
The history of the Dresden Transport Museum begins on 1 May 1952. On that day negotiations started between the Hochschule für Verkehrswesen (High School for Transportation) and the Ministry of Transport for the construction of a transport museum in the German Democratic RepublicGerman Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
. It was mainly intended to house the exhibits of the Saxon Railway Museum that had been evacuated during the Second World War.
After Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
was confirmed as the location, the first vehicles were stabled in a locomotive shed at Dresden's Neustadt
Neustadt, Dresden
Neustadt in Dresden or Dresden-Neustadt may refer to:* Innere Neustadt , a district of Dresden* Äußere Neustadt, a district of Dresden* both districts taken together as a whole* Dresden-Neustadt railway station...
station. Six employees began the development of the museum and, by 1953, two small exhibitions were on display. The actual opening in the then still badly damaged Johanneum took place in 1956. The first exhibition showed on the ground floor "120 years of Saxon Transport history". The first director was Elfriede Rehbein.
On 24 November 1958, the museum was transferred into the ownership of the Ministry of Transport. Renovation of the interior was completed in 1966 and the façade followed in 1968. The roof was not covered in copper, but in Duraluminium in keeping with aircraft construction techniques. Since the inauguration of the aviation exhibition in the 1970s, all transport areas, i.e., railway, cars and bicycles, local public transport, shipping, and air traffic, have been in display in the museum.
Due to the limited space in the Johanneum, not all the exhibits are based here. Numerous locomotives are stationed in the former Deutsche Reichsbahn
Deutsche Reichsbahn
Deutsche Reichsbahn was the name of the following two companies:* Deutsche Reichsbahn, the German Imperial Railways during the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich and the immediate aftermath...
locomotive depot (Betriebswerk or Bw) at Dresden-Altstadt
Altstadt
Altstadt is the German language word for "old town", meaning "historical city centre within the city wall", in contrast to a Neustadt built outside later....
. Furthermore, several vehicles have been loaned to other museums. Due to the lack of space in the Johanneum, there were several discussions during the 1990s about moving the museum. However, the plan was not realized for financial reasons.
Exhibition areas
- Railway
- Cars
- Trams
- Bicycles and motorbikes
- Air travel
- Sea travel
The German tourism website www.germany-tourism.de describes a visit to the museum as "like stepping into another world. Its unparalleled collection includes historical examples from pre-industrial eras, post-1850 vehicles and unique exhibits with special historical significance - from delicate miniatures to colossal originals such as the legendary Saxon "Muldenthal" locomotive (1861). A sedan chair dating from 1705, the museum's oldest exhibit, and a horse-drawn bus are milestones in the history of public transportation in Dresden. The museum also chronicles the history of aviation from the hot air balloon to the supersonic airliner".
The Dresden Transport Museum currently owns 116 different railway vehicles, of which only eight are on display in the Johanneum. A large number are kept at the depot or entrusted to other societies on loan. Examples include locomotive numbers 17 1055,19 017, 58 261, 24 004, V 15 1001, V 240 001, 120 338 and 130 002 as well as a catenary inspection railbus
Railbus
A railbus is a very lightweight type passenger rail vehicle that shares many aspects of their construction with a bus, usually having a bus, or modified bus body, and having four wheels on a fixed base, instead of on bogies...
.
The road traffic exhibition displays Germany's pioneer automobiles including a replica of Carl Benz's legendary tricycle of 1886, the predecessor of modern cars. The motorcycle exhibition shows, among others, a petroleum-powered Reitwagen
Daimler Reitwagen
The Daimler Reitwagen or Einspur was a motor vehicle made by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in 1885, and is widely recognized as the first motorcycle. Daimler is often called "the father of the motorcycle" for this invention...
("riding car") motorcycle built by Gottlieb Daimler
Gottlieb Daimler
Gottlieb Daimler was an engineer, industrial designer and industrialist born in Schorndorf , in what is now Germany. He was a pioneer of internal-combustion engines and automobile development...
in 1885, the first internal combustion motorcycle.
The air traffic area provides visitors with a general overview of the development of civil aviation, with one focus being the Saxon contribution to it, particularly during the period from 1955 to 1961. The inauguration of our new permanent aviation exhibition is scheduled for 5 May 2012, the 60th anniversary of the Dresden Transport Museum.
The sea travel exhibition focuses on inland navigation on the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
river and maritime navigation on high seas. It also gives an overview of the past and present of sea travel.