DB Museum highlights the history of train travel

By Molly Hayden, U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria Public AffairsJanuary 8, 2014

Traveling to and fro
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Train tracks
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Riding in style
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Move to Modern
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Ticket Machine
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NUREMBERG, Germany -- German trains are synonymous with clockwork efficiency, but it wasn't always that way. The Deutsche Bahn Museum, here, takes visitors through 200 years of history that produced the bustling, reliable system travelers enjoy today.

The bahn was born when a steam train made a six-kilometer run from Nuremberg to the neighboring town of Fuerth in December 1835.

That simple journey would soon catapult Germany into the Industrial Age.

Bragging rights followed with the opening of the Royal Bavarian Railway Museum in 1899. Over a century later, the museum, now called the DB Museum, boasts an impressive history of train travel throughout Germany's history.

Spread over two stories, the exhibition spans two centuries and explains the interaction of the railway with technology and commerce, politics and culture. Old steam engines of yesteryear, combined with the futuristic ICE trains will pique the interest of any train enthusiast as they travel throughout history.

Slip back in time with the royal train made for King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the oldest steam locomotive in Germany still in its original state, and rest your weary bones in a 19th century waiting room reserved exclusively for a "person of the highest rank."

A recently added section covering the railways in the Nazi era, with full size carriages and engines, as well as scaled-down models and plenty of information, will quell knowledge-seekers thirst for World War II history.

The trip down memory lane continues with an exhibition housing documents, uniforms and propaganda of the last century, including modeled ticket booths and antiquated ticket machines.

The documentation and photo archive display showcases over 70,000 individual items covering operating manuals from locomotives, technical drawing of railway vehicles and installations, financial reports through the years and a collection of graphics and posters enticing the public to ride the rails.

Apart from the growth of the trains themselves, the exhibition charts economic and social changes that came with it the evolution of the railway, including progresses made in travel comfort, and improvements in the working condition of the railway employees. These changes are featured in absorbing multimedia presentations.

The museum is a family affair and children will particularly enjoy the Railway Experience area, where they're encouraged learn through interactive, hands-on exhibits. It's not just for kids, though. Adults can easily make their own fun in this exhibit, as well.

The museum is located at Lessingstrasse 6, 90443 Nuremberg (easily accessible by train) and is closed on Mondays. Ticket prices are 5 euros for adults, and 2.50 euros for children 6-17. Children under 6 are free.

A family pass is also available, which includes 2 adults and up to 4 children, for 10 euros. The audio guide is an extra euro and well worth it.

As an added bonus, museum-goers receive a reduced rate when traveling by DB rail or the VGN public transport system. Present your train ticket upon arrival for a discounted entrance rate.

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