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The exhibition in Hall II tells the story of travelling overland with our means of transport – whether by carriage or with the ICE.

The exhibition in Hall II takes visitors on a journey through the history of urban transport and tells the story of the pleasures and burdens of travelling. At the centre is a platform with locomotives and railcars surrounded by carriages and automobiles. They show the development of means of transport and the basic infrastructure. The trail leads from the travel-loving Romans to the package tour of the present day: past the first continental horse-drawn railway Hannibal, the S 3/6 express steam locomotive with mail and dining wagons, the Swiss rack railway, the Mercedes Simplex or the camping trailer Tramp to the Kässbohrer Setra panoramic bus.

Other themes – Travel

Origins of Travelling

Travelling means being on the road and is an important reason for our mobility. Even the Romans knew about spa and educational trips. They created the first large road network that covered large parts of Europe. The small exhibition unit "Origins of Travelling" gets visitors in the mood for their journey through Hall II.

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Period of the Carriage

The development of new types of wagons, which gave rise to the carriages, is an important milestone for travel. In conjunction with the postal system, carriages became the first regular transport service. However, travel was not necessarily romantic in the cramped, stuffy horse-drawn carriages on the poor roads. Dangers lurked along the roads and accidents were not uncommon. At least the carriage ride offered some comfort compared to riding or walking and made it possible to take suitcases and bags with you. It sped up travel and offered a way to reach more distant destinations. In the exhibition area "Period of the Carriage" you can find out what it felt like to travel in a carriage.

Period of the Railway

Our museum station platform and the railway travel gallery provide an insight into railway history and feature amazing large exhibits. The railway lines that spanned an increasingly dense network across Europe from the middle of the 19th century revolutionised travel like no other means of transport before. They transported millions of people and unbelievable quantities of goods over great distances in a short time. Almost everyone could take short trips or long journeys on the train – whether in 4th class on their own suitcases or in a rolling grand hotel. The routes led across entire continents. Railway operators, locomotive and carriage manufacturers provided wages and food for hundreds of thousands of people.

Age of the Automobile

The automobile offered even more mobile freedom than the railway in the 20th century. It is not only a vehicle, but also a protective cover and home base for exploring the world independently with family or friends. In the age of mass tourism in the last third of the 20th century, traffic jams, full car parks and campsites, rising petrol prices and polluted air show the limits of automotive travel pleasure. In the 1970s, the car replaced the railway as the most important means of travel but faced competition from the aeroplane at the same time. Individually organised travel was replaced by the all-inclusive packages of the tourism industry. Follow the traces of automotive travel history in the southern part of Hall II.

Special Objects

Adler Diplomat 3 GS

Limousine with 6 cylinder four-stroke motor and wood gas generator

Limousine from 1941

Ge 6/6 Rhätisches Krokodil 411

The Rhaetian Railway developed this electric narrow-gauge locomotive from 1919.

Electric Locomotive

Goliath Pionier

Two-seater microcar from the times of the economic crisis.

Cyclecar from 1924

Heinle & Wegelin

One innovation was this motor tricycle with chainless drive.

Motor Trike from 1899

Inter-City-Experimental

As part of the wheel/rail research programme, an experimental train was developed by the railway together with partners from the railway industry from 1982 onwards.

ICE V

Kässbohrer Setra S11

The first lightweight bus with a self-supporting body.

Coach from 1959

"Hannibal" Carriage

Up to 11 people could travel in this "carriage on rails" from Linz to Budweis.

Horse-drawn Carriage

Maico Mobile 175

This touring scooter was offered as a "two wheeled car".

Scooters
Pilatusbahn

Pilatus Railway

With cable cars and rack railways, tourists and day-trippers conquered the mountains at the end of the 19th century.

Mountain Railway Pioneer

Express Passenger Locomotive S3/6

Produced between 1908 and 1931, the four-cylinder compound engine is considered one of the most beautiful of the Länderbahn era.

Elegance on Rails

Pullman Car As 1154

The Rhaetian Railway's 1st class saloon car was procured during the heyday of the large express trains.

Express Trains
Alpenpostwagen.

Swiss Alpine Post Carriage

This eight-seater stagecoach ran in the Swiss Alps until 1915.

Stagecoach from 1895

Online Through the Exhibition

This video is only available in German. We stream guided tours of various departments of the Deutsches Museum live. Today, Bettina Gundler, head of the Verkehrszentrum, shows Emanuel Pavel, representing all visitors, a few highlights in Hall II of the Theresienhöhe branch.