The ‘Swiss Museum of Transport’ association was founded in 1942 in the offices of the former railway museum in Zurich. However, the Swiss Museum of Transport only opened in Lucerne in 1959. Originally started as a railway museum, it now encompasses all modes of transport.
As the 1959 annual report states, the city of Lucerne
notes, the city of Lucerne had, in preparation for the opening
‘the roads adjacent to the Swiss Museum of Transport
roads adjacent to the Museum of Transport and extended the existing bus
converted to trolleybuses.’
Author Franziska Häfliger
After the Swiss Federal Railways had set up its first railway museum in the Zurich Goods Administration in 1918, the idea of establishing a Swiss museum that would cover all modes of transport matured in the run-up to the 1939 Swiss National Exhibition. In 1942, the ‘Swiss Museum of Transport’ association was founded in the offices of the former railway museum in Zurich. The association finally moved its headquarters to Lucerne when the city of Lucerne offered to provide the association with a suitable site under building rights to realise its construction plans.
opening address on a rainy 1 July 1959.
On 1 July 1959, the ‘Swiss Museum of Transport’ was officially opened in the presence of over 500 guests of honour. Alfred Waldis was the first director of the Swiss Museum of Transport and was to leave his mark on the museum beyond his time as director. In addition to welcoming speeches by the Mayor of Lucerne, Paul Kopp, and the President of the Swiss Museum of Transport Association, Raphael Cottier, Federal Councillor Giuseppe Lepori, a representative of the national government, gave the official opening speech. The head of the Post and Railway Department emphasised in particular the value of the Swiss Museum of Transport as an information and information centre for all matters relating to transport. The ‘Swiss Museum of Transport’ association was founded in 1942 following a play performed by Lucerne cantonal schoolchildren to mark 65 years of the Swiss Museum of Transport in the offices of the former railway museum in Zurich. However, the Swiss Museum of Transport only opened in Lucerne in 1959. Originally started as a railway museum, it now encompasses all modes of transport. guests were given the opportunity to see the new museum for themselves before embarking on a rainy trip around Lake Lucerne, accompanied by motorised aircraft from the Aeroklub.
The ‘Swiss Museum of Transport’ was opened on 1 July 1959. Schoolchildren from the Würzenbach neighbourhood released balloons with opening greetings in all directions.