Urban Transport - Deutsches Museum

The exhibition presents urban transport from the present all the way back to the 1900s. Learn about horse-drawn trams, bicycles, automobiles and much more.

Traffic scenery in hall I Photo: Deutsches Museum

Urban Transport Overview

The traffic timeline in Hall I traces vehicles and objects from the 1900s up to the present day. On display are various means of public transport, such as trams and buses, as well as many vehicles that brought individual mass transport to the streets – from bicycles to the small and medium-sized vehicles that were constructed by the millions in the post-war era. The peripheral areas of the exhibition are divided into thematic areas that delve into particular aspects of historical and current developments in the field, such as the environment and public transport.

Special Objects

Prototype of the Berlin S-Bahn

The quarter train from 1927 is the last surviving part of a prototype train of the "Stadtbahn" type. It represents a typical means of mass transport.

Railcar from 1927

Railcar of the Nuremberg-Fürth Tramways.

Tramcar from Nuremberg

Built by MAN and Siemens, this railcar was one of a series of 100 vehicles put into service in Nuremberg between 1925 and 1929.

Reversible Tram

Prototype of the Munich Underground

In 28 years of operation, the lightweight metro car completed a mileage of 1.31 million kilometres.

Railcar from 1967

Landwührden

Built in 1867 by the Munich company Krauss & Companie for the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg State Railways, this locomotive is one of the oldest still in existence.

Passenger Locomotive

Buessing truck from 1963 with blue-cream paintwork

Büssing Truck

With various superstructures, the forward-control truck with its underfloor engine served as an innovative commercial vehicle in the transport sector.

Removal Van from 1963

Messerschmitt-Kabinenroller

The aerodynamic cabin scooter on three wheels by the Regensburger Stahl- und Metallbau GmbH contributed to mass motorisation in post-war Germany.

Microcar from 1953

Krupp street cleaner with water tank and grey-green lacquer

Motorised Street Cleaner

The automobile street cleaner by Essen-based Friedrich Krupp AG replaced horse-drawn sweepers in 1924 and rationalised municipal street cleaning.

Street Cleaner

Daimler-Riemenwagen

With its carriage-like appearance, belt transmission and turntable steering, the vehicle designed by Wilhelm Maybach dates from the early days of automobilism.

Automobile Pioneer from 1895

BMW 502 Baroque Angel

This car with an 8-cylinder engine served the mayor of Munich as his official car from 1965 to 1970.

Representative Vehicle

Adler Standard 6S

The vehicle, inspired by American design, was a successful model of the Frankfurt Adlerwerke.

Saloon Car from 1928

NSU 201 OSL

The designation OSL of this model series from Neckarsulm-based NSU-Werke AG stands for "Obengesteuert-Sport-Luxus" ("top-controlled sports luxury").

Sports Motorbike from 1935

Waymo Firefly

With several million road kilometres completed between 2015 and 2017, the test car for autonomous driving developed by Google is one of the first of its kind.

Autonomous Vehicle

Possible streetscape of the future. — Car-sharing electric vehicles, cycling, automated minibuses: this is what road traffic could look like in the future. Photo: Bosch AG

The Future of Mobility

Which mobility type are you? How future mobility is shaped depends on our mobility behaviour, but also on the technology we use. This theme island shows which environmental problems the transport sector poses and what can contribute to solving these issues.

Urban and Transport Planning

How well traffic runs and who can find space on our roads depends largely on the layout of our cities and on transport planning. The larger and older the cities, the more difficult it is to rethink infrastructures and transport connections. This theme island shows examples from many cities including Munich.

Public Transport

Here you can see an overview of the history of public transport systems in the wake of the industrial revolution and urbanisation. The rise of public transport from 1880 onwards is considered the greatest transport revolution in the urban history of the modern era.

Transport ABC

With demonstrations, signs and a driving simulator, this exhibition area presents a retrospective on driving school and traffic education through the decades. It shows how the steady rise in volume and speed of traffic made greater regulation necessary. The historical development of traffic signs can be traced in the "sign forest".

To the Rescue

Original crash test vehicles reveal how active and passive safety systems in cars – such as rigid passenger cabins, crumple zones and seat belts – can prevent accidents and mitigate the aftermath. At the interactive “Saving Lives” media station, visitors can learn techniques for saving lives in an emergency.

Inside the Exhibition

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Passenger locomotive Landwührden from 1867. Photo: Deutsches Museum

BMW 502 Baroque Angel. Photo: Deutsches Museum | Christian Illing

Traffic scenery in Hall 1. — Traffic scenery in Hall I. Photo: Deutsches Museum

Messerschmitt-Kabinenroller from 1953. Photo: Deutsches Museum | Christian Illing

Scherer two-wheeler workshop. Photo: Deutsches Museum

Urban Transport: View of the square. — View of the square. Photo: Deutsches Museum | Christian Illing

Video: Urban Transport Guided Tour

Guided Tour through the Urban Transport Exhibition

This video is only available in German. Guided tour of the Urban Transport exhibition in Hall I: From horse to horsepower - The beginnings of motorised urban transport around 1900 with Bettina Gundler, head of the Verkehrszentrum. (Duration approx. 30 minutes).

Urban Transport Yesterday and Today