You park the car full of anticipation and look out at the hills on which the vines grow. The elevated parking lot adds an extra dimension and captures the shadow of a building that seems old, but is still quite new. And you already know what you will encounter behind the walls of the large building. Welcome to the Zylinderhaus in Bernkastel-Kues, Germany. Welcome to one of the most beautiful museums in Europe.
The museum, which opened in October 2017, is a treasure trove for anyone who is interested in German motor vehicle history. And has a feeling for the Economic Miracle. Immediately upon entering you are captured by the atmosphere of old records and beautiful historical decoration. And you will immediately hit the spot, because you will immediately come face to face with the history of Opel and Mercedes-Benz. And you see cars from the time when they were still Opel and Mercedes-Benz. The museum paths are flanked by shops from yesteryear. When a specialty store was still a specialty store. You step back in time when there was hope and perspective. With 150 cars and 100 motorized two-wheelers as the radiant center.
You look calmly, imagine yourself in a time machine of three floors. And that takes you to more stores. To the era of the dwarf cars, which mark a beautiful Aral gas station. You walk further, see the Postamt and there is Volkswagen's Fridolin. Meanwhile, you realize that the world outside the gates of Zylinderhaus is decades far in the future. Today is just as far away. Because you will still be moving within the fifties, sixties and seventies for a while. And in a number of cases also in the pre-war years. You want to stay in history.
There is plenty of reason to still spend time within that setting and within that zeitgeist. Because on the first floor you come face to face with everything that has a motor and two wheels. Old brands such as Ardie and…Miele Motorrad tell us what motorcyclists could choose from in the past. From bicycles with auxiliary motors to illustrious motorcycles from DKW and NSU: you will find everything from yesteryear.
The top floor has a strong Auto Union character. And here too everything is neatly arranged. You are face to face with a Wanderer, a DKW with Fissore bodywork, an F12 Cabriolet and you name it. And if you look closely, you will see that the Auto Union museum pieces become a little younger the further you walk. Beautiful: the collection from the Auto Union museum of the late Henk Geerts moved from Bergen to Bernkastel-Kues, and is carefully cherished there. And preserved for eternity. Something to be very proud of.
On the same floor, it is not only Auto Union and its affiliates that are doing the talking. Further on we also see the always sympathetic models from NSU. And what about the rich Bremen car history? This one passes us by in full regalia. Borgward, Hansa, Lloyd, Goliath: the North German glory of yesteryear tells how the end was. And it is not entirely coincidental that a number of BMWs flank the cars from Bremen. Where BMW came, Borgward disappeared. That history is spicy. Talk to a Borgward fan, mention the name Johannes Semler, and you know enough. This is still deeply felt by some Borgward fanatics. In Bernkastel-Kues, BMW and Bremen stand side by side.
The space further on is still filled with the recreational car purposes of yesteryear. The car as a key element in leisure activities. And attention is also paid to the past glory, which has eternal life within the museum. Because a real scrap yard has also been recreated. After a number of Volkswagens (including a very early Passat) it is time to go down again. One last look. One more time to make sure we haven't missed anything. And that chance is high. Because there is a lot to see and experience in the museum, which is beautifully furnished and decorated. The historically correct posters, advertising and notes enhance the atmosphere of that time. Just like the accessories, maintenance products and so on.
Das Zylinderhaus in Bernkastel-Kues is a jewel. And a tribute to the times of prosperity and growth of the German motor vehicle industry. From Puch to Benz. From Maico to BMW. With a focus on the rich history of Auto Union. Beautiful. To relax the impressions while enjoying an excellent bite of food, it is advisable to visit the adjacent restaurant. It has a fantastic menu and is decorated with an atmosphere that fits perfectly with the history room. A museum that could hardly capture the spirit of the times of change, growth and prosperity more strikingly. And anyone who is anywhere near Bernkastel-Kues should not miss this fantastic museum. And there is every opportunity for that. Because this historic nursery is open six days a week, all year round.
More info: www.zylinderhaus.com
Now stand on the snow board and take a detour on the way back...
Nicely described. Well written. Encourages you to go. Thank you
This museum is very high on my list of car museums to visit. What a wonderful time that must have been during the Economic Miracle. The German (car) industry was leading and everything that was Made in West Germany was simply well and ingeniously put together, apart from the rust problems, but almost every car suffered from that at the time.
Die Heimat is currently not doing well, the industry is no longer the market leader and one supplier after another is having a hard time or worse. There are even fears about the independent survival of certain car brands that you would never have expected.
Sigh; Früher war (fast) everything is better
As long as we all think me-thinking and buy everything chainies, this will only get worse. Until it's too late!
You have a point there, but Germany can also blame itself. The technological lead has completely disappeared, the mobile network is patchy and slow, the fax is still commonplace and the German railways are a complete drama. Little is left of the once vaunted and feared Deutsche Gründlichkeit and Pünktlichkeit.
That's all right. Due to slow internet, many solid (family) businesses in rural areas were also having a hard time. Although it's a lot better, I thought. Well, that ex-chancellor from the east had too many social motives….
The AutoUnion Museum by Henk Geerts. I passed by it every day on my way to work. He also had a fantastic shop. It has been quiet in the center of Bergen since Henk is no longer there.
Gosh, I'm going to take a look there, I'm with it myself
started an Ardie and then an NSU Quickli, also an Ariel 350 and a Messersmith, an Auto Union 1000 cc two-stroke with a
mixed lubrication automatic next to the carburetor, the rest a black bomber, a bonnie 650, 69 a norton comando 850, 73 a trimph trident, twice a suzuki gsx 750 and now last triumph
adventurer 900 three cylinder, and after that ??? Considering my age
From 75 now 😥😥😥🤔