- Documentation of automobile production in Zwickau moves to the oldest Audi
factory
- Outstanding Horch and Audi exhibits
Audi’s August Horch Museum has opened its doors in Zwickau after two years
under construction.
"We have been working toward this day for a long time - and I think we can be
proud of the result," said Rudolf Vollnhals, Director of the August Horch Museum
Zwickau GmbH.
This month, the museum finally opened in a fitting venue - the birthplace of
Audi - the original factory where August Horch established the Audi
Automobilwerke GmbH in 1910, on the road formerly known as Walter Rathenau
Strasse in Zwickau, now renamed Audi Strasse.
Building work has taken two years, at a cost of nine million Euro. AUDI AG,
together with the town of Zwickau, is an equal partner in this non-profit making
company, and committed 6.6 million Euro to the project.
The purpose of the company, which was established in 2000, is to run the
museum and document automobile construction in Zwickau where August Horch
started to build his cars exactly 100 years ago. The museum's collection
includes some very unusual and even unique exhibits connected with early
automobile construction.
The story of the August Horch Museum began in 1988 during the German
Democratic Republic (GDR) era, when a small exhibition was set up in a former
dining hall in the Sachsenring factory - in part of the plant that used to house
the Audi factory. Although VEB Sachsenring went into liquidation following
German reunification, the historic collection survived and was maintained by
means of financial grants. The historic building, however, was in such a poor
state and the available money so limited that only a significant commitment from
business and industry could secure the museum's future. AUDI AG saw it as its
duty to take action with a view to preserving the company’s historic roots.
The exhibition area was extensively redesigned and extended (to 2500 square
metres). By lowering the floor in the basement, it was also possible to increase
the height of the rooms. The installation of large windows improved the
appearance of this area. The museum's designers had another special idea for
this section of the museum, installing a simulation of the original Leipziger
Strasse dating from the Zwickau of the 1930s, which was constructed so that
vehicles from this era could be parked in front of this façade.
For visitors, the permanent exhibition starts on the upper floor with the
luxury Horch and Audi models. The particular highlights in this section are the
1936 Union Type C racing car and the 1914 Audi Type C in which August Horch won
the Alpine Rally, the toughest event of its kind in the world at that time. In
addition, there is the last surviving 1916 Horch 25-42 hp truck and the chassis
of a 1927 Audi Type M.
Another very unusual exhibit is one of the oldest Horch engines - the first
14-17 hp four cylinder engine from 1904. The oldest vehicle in the exhibition is
a Horch 12-28 Phaeton dating from 1911. There are also some special set pieces,
such as an exact reproduction of an Auto Union AG German Motor Show stand from
the 1930s and a historic filling station.
However, the exhibits are not only from the pre-war era. There are six rooms
in the basement documenting the history of the Trabant. The exhibition also
contains examples of a popular GDR export, the H3A truck, and a 1969
"Repräsentant" built to carry guests on state occasions. The most modern
exhibits are the VW Polo and the one millionth Passat – in both cases cars built
in VW’s Mosel factory near Zwickau.
There are 50 automobiles on display, together with hundreds of smaller
exhibits. In the new August Horch Museum there will also be a designated area
for special exhibitions. The first of these will be "Prototype Construction in
the GDR Era".
The August Horch Museum in Audi Strasse (previously Walther Rathenau Strasse)
in Zwickau will be open from September 11th 2004 onwards. Opening hours: Tuesday
to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed on Mondays.
Background
The four rings of the Audi badge symbolise the brands Audi, DKW, Horch and
Wanderer, which were later combined under the umbrella of Auto Union. Auto Union
and NSU, which merged in 1969, made many significant contributions towards the
development of the car. AUDI AG was formed from Audi NSU Auto Union AG in 1985.
Together with the two traditional companies Auto Union GmbH and NSU GmbH, Audi
Tradition nurtures and presents the deep and diverse history of Audi. The Audi
museum mobile at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt is open from Monday to Sunday, from 9
a.m. to 6 p.m.
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