GERMAN TECHNICAL MUSEUM
BERLIN
Trains, Planes and Silverware
The
Candy Bomber is a familiar symbol of Berlin, to Berliners. During the
Berlin Airlift of 1948-49 when piston powered Douglas C47s
and DC4s flew missions to supply the residents of West Berlin trapped
behind the “Iron Curtain” during the blockade meant to force
the remaining city into East German socialist control (see DDR
Museum).
The planes came to be called “candy bombers” or “raisen
bombers” for the small packets of goodies the pilots would drop
to the children as they swooped low over the city to land at Tempelhof
Airport. One of these "Rosinen
Bombers" from
the Berlin Airlift still flies over Berlin, suspended over the entrance
to
the Deutsches
Technikmuseum
Berlin (German Technical Museum). 
The
Berlin Museum of Technology not far from Potsdammer Platz located in
a sprawling museum park of the former works building of the Anhalter
Bahnhof rail way station. Most impressively, the main historic building
houses a magnificent collection of railway engines. Germany is known
for its railway system and any model rail enthusiast who has played in
youth with a Märklin scale model train (see Marklin Museum
Goppingen)
will find familiar old 
friends
here in massive full-sized original gleaming glory, in exhibit halls
in the
rail works roundhouse with the rich remaining authentic aroma of diesel
and creosote. The samples range from a first wooden railed
mule hauled mining train, to the beautiful Beuth workhorse of the golden
early day to the massive 4-8-2 black and red steam giants that fueled 
Germany’s
pre-war industrial might and sleek gleaming diesels. Kaiser Wilhelm's
personal Imperial Rail
Car is here, currently being renovated. A step outdoors is a roundhouse
turntable and wandering through the park will
take you to wooden windmills a blacksmiths works and a brewery. For particular
rail enthusiasts there is a unique one-only collection of German railway
Mitropa china and silverware from the last 100 years of meal service
on Germany’s National DB railroad.
In
the modern section of the main museum are the aviation and maritime nautical
collections. The collection consists mostly of models and demonstration
exhibits of maritime history from small sailing vessels to river and
ocean shipping. Children can take a hands-on demonstration sailing lesson
while safely landlocked on the museums floor. Rising in staggered levels
the aviation collection covers eras from the first wooden designs to
examples
of Germany’s development of rocketry and space flight,
including the infamous " buzz bomb" or the London Blitz. Perhaps
not quite as impressive for the aircraft on display as can be
found in Munich (see Deutsches
Museum Munich) the aviation exhibit at
Berlin has its charms, in an open airy display that gives the feeling
of planes still in flight. Inside a Messerschmitt, outside, the Berlin
Airlift C47 spreads its wings spreading over a terrace intended for gala
events with a view
On
the grounds of the Technik Museum of Berlin is the oldest and largest
public observatory in Germany,
the Archenhold-SternWarte, founded in
1896 with the world’s longest moveable refractor telescope and
a Zeiss Projector Planetarium along with exhibitions of the history of
astronomy and dimensions of space and the solar system. The Zucker-Museum
is a rather unique look into German sugar production and the Science
Center offers 250 hands on experiments of chemistry and physics for visitors
to learn through play. The collection is founded on the Berlin “Urania” which
marked the first science museum when it originally opened in 1889.
The Vintage Car Depot displays automobiles from Germany and the world
including
a collection of public transportation vehicles. There is also a library
and historical archives for serious researchers.
The museum has a very nice full service restaurant and bar for a
stop for lunch in a museum visit likely to last a few hours at
the least,
perhaps even worthy of more than one days visit if technology is
your thing. Take the U1 or U2 subway to Gleisdreieck or S-Bahn
to Anhalter
Bahnhof. © Bargain
Travel Europe
Find best hotel and vacation deals in Berlin on TripAdvisor
Web
Info
Deutsches
Technikmuseum
These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
See Also:
CHECKPOINT CHARLIE BERLIN WALL MUSEUM
BERLIN
ACTIVE TOURING - SIGHTJOGGING
AIR
BERLIN-LTU DUSSELDORF TO BERLIN
BERLIN FILM MUSEUM SONY CENTER POTSDAMERPLATZ
NEUES MUSEUM - THE EGYPTIAN COLLECTION
NEW
BER BERLIN-BRANDENBERG AIRPORT
