The Deutsches Museum is located in Munich in the southern German state of Bavaria. The official name of the museum is ‘Deutsches Museum von Meisterwerken der Naturwissenschaft und Technik’. It is the largest natural science museum in the world. There are 28,000 objects on display, and approximately 1.5 million people visit the museum every year. In addition to its main location on the Museum Island (Museum Island) in Munich, the museum also has two branches in Munich and one in Bonn.
History of the museum
industrial Revolution
The idea for the museum arose during the industrial revolution. Several people started collecting important objects related to the rapidly advancing developments in science and technology. The various engineering associations became increasingly important and the inventions that were made resulted in a rapidly changing world. Ultimately, in 1903 it was Oskar von Miller, a construction engineer, who proposed opening a museum that would focus on scientific development and progress in all its facets.
Establishment phases
The history of the museum has three phases. First there was the construction period from 1903 to 1925. The museum did not yet have its own place, the exhibitions were held in the old building of the Bavarian National Museums on Maximilianstraße and the Schwere-Reiter-Kaserne on Zweibrückenstraße, both in Munich. During this period, money is being raised for the new building planned on Museum Island, an island in the Isar River, and the existing collection is being expanded.
The second period began with the opening of the building on Museum Island in 1925. In the turbulent years during the Weimar Republic and the rise of National Socialism, it was difficult for the museum to maintain its independence. Oskar von Miller wanted to keep the museum apolitical, which led to hostile reactions from the National Socialists, who wanted to use the museum for the greater honor and glory of the German Empire. Expanding the collection with objects from outside Germany was also criticized by the National Socialists. However, the museum became extremely popular after its opening in 1925. About 500,000 people visit the museum every year, including many celebrities such as Henry Ford, Robert Millikan and Niels Bohr. The museum was heavily bombed during the Second World War. About 20% of the collection and 80% of the building were destroyed. Reconstruction started during the war and the museum reopened to the public in 1948.
This begins the third period. In 1969, the number of square meters of floor space was again at the same level as before the war. The museum has been fully operational again since 1970. Various exhibitions take place regularly, and the various collections are also expanded and adapted to current times. In 1992, an annex was opened at Schleissheim Airport. The branch in Bonn followed in 1995, and in 2003 the traffic center on the Munich Theresienhöhe.
Collection and exhibitions
The museum has a very extensive collection in many areas. Some of the highlights from the collection include the Wright brothers’ first airplane, the U-Boat U 1, the German Navy’s first submarine, the first programmable computer and the first diesel engine.
Below is an alphabetical list of the various exhibitions, highlighting the important departments:
- Agricultural and food technology
- Altamira Cave
- Amateur radio
- Astronomy
- Bridge construction
- Chemistry
- Deutscher Zukunftspreis (German Future Prize)
- DNA Laboratory
- Printing technology: Manual, mechanical and high-tech.
- Energy, the department is very extensive with energy generation, consumption, switching to solar energy and the (im)possibilities of storing energy are discussed. There is also a section on nuclear energy and radioactivity.
- Pharmacy, the centerpiece of this exhibition is the human cell that has been recreated and in which one can walk around. This creates a picture of the biochemical processes that take place in a cell.
- Photo and film
- Geodesy, the various methods of measuring the Earth’s surface, are exhibited. Measuring methods from earlier times but also satellites are discussed.
- Glass technology
- Informatica, the Z3 and Z4 of computer pioneer Konrad Zuse can be seen here. The Z3 was the world’s first programmable computer.
- Ceramic
- Historical steam engines
- Aerospace, various aircraft but also helicopters, zeppelins and aircraft engines.
- Machine elements
- Sizes and weights
- Metal
- Mining, the cellars of the museum are decorated as mine shafts and are mistaken for real by many visitors.
- Environment
- Engines, from the first wind and water-powered machines to the combustion engine as we know it today. Below engines from Gottlieb Daimler and Rudolf Diesel from the late 19th century.
- Musical instruments
- Museum history
- Physics
- Oil and gas
- Paper
- Planetarium
- Space travel
- Shipping, including the German Navy’s first submarine, the U1.
- Power technology
- Technical toys
- Telecommunications
- Textile technology
- Time measurement
- Tunnel construction
- Hydraulic engineering, dams, bridges and locks. Several models of bridges, from Caesar’s Rhine bridge to modern highway bridges.
- Mechanical engineering
- Scientific instruments
- Math
The long list of exhibitions shows what a huge museum Deutsches Museum is. It is therefore impossible to see everything during one visit. With the above list you can already get an idea of what not to miss.
Visitor information
Prices
- A day ticket for visitors aged 16 and over costs €8.50
- A combination ticket for the museum, airport and traffic center costs €15. A visit to the various branches is also possible on another day.
- Family ticket, two adults with children up to 15 years old, €17
- Children from 6 to 15, students and pupils, €3
- Children up to 5 years, free.
Guided tours
There are guided tours in the museum throughout the day. You do not need to register in advance for this. One of the most spectacular tours is the tour of the high-voltage exhibition on the ground floor. This shows how the Faraday Cage works, where someone sits in the cage. A lightning strike in a house is also shown.
How to get there
The address of the museum is:
Deutsches MuseumMuseumsinsel 180538 Munich
The museum is located in the center of Munich. There are several parking facilities in the area, but the museum itself does not have a parking lot. Tram 16 stops in front of the door, Isartor is the nearest S-bahn station.