In a place with such a long history as Germany (and so many different histories…), it’s often seems like every year is some anniversary of something in excess of 100 years. Last year was Munich’s 850th anniversary, the 200th Oktoberfest, etc…
This summer is Automobile Summer, commemorating the 125th anniversary of the first auto. Naturally, the festival is centered on Baden-Württemburg,and more specifically, the Stuttgart area.
While BMW, Audi, and VW rank high in the mind in German cars, the auto was born closer to Stuttgart, where Messrs. Daimler, Benz, and Porsche had their workshops.
If you find yourself in Baden-Württemburg this summer, check out some of the festivities. Scattered around the region, the events will showcase both German automotive innovation and the region's highlights (Black Forest, Lake Constance, Schwabian Alps, etc).
A calendar of activities can be found on the website, as well as info on the featured towns. We're curious about the closing event in Mannheim in September, the "autosymphonic." With light shows, video, orchestras, and sounds from 80 cars, it has potential to be really special, or very bizarre. The event site describes the production as:
a piece of art composed of music, singing, the spoken word and automotive sounds brought together with images, videos and lasers to form a huge multimedia symphony for cars and orchestra – making the emotional side of the automobile tangible.
Mannheim was chosen for the closing, as Bertha Benz (wife of inventor Carl) made the world's first road trip (100km) from Mannheim to Pforzheim in 1888. On the closing days of Automobile Summer a variety of "future-oriented" cars (i.e., with alternative powertrains, high fuel efficiency, and low environmental impact) will make the journey along the Bertha Benz Memorial Route in the Bertha Benz Challenge. The goal is to get these cars off the auto show concept stages and onto the road for everyone to see.
And if you miss out on the festivities this summer, there is still plenty to see. Earlier this year, we took a weekend trip to Stuttgart, where we visited the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche Museums. Surprisingly, these two museums take very different approaches and you can safely visit them in the same weekend without too much overlap. Full of beautiful, shiny classics as well as concept cars, race cars, and memories of the 80s, there's something to meet everyone's automotive tastes. Porsche focuses more on technology and on showing the development of their cars over time. As well as a few fun surprises tucked in there - the Italian 911 Police car, the station wagon made for Ferdinand Porsche's family vacations....
Daimler-Benz has a slightly different focus. As they really invented the engines and cars, the museum begins with a focus on the invention of the auto. And then focuses on its cars and company's place throughout history. With panels walking you through history (political, economic, as well as cultural/social), it also serves as a quick remedial history lesson. Particularly interesting was how openly the museum addresses the wars, especially acknowledging the company's participation in German war efforts.
Both are worth a visit, for car lovers and for those interested in modern architecture. In the past decade, it's almost become a contest between the major German automakers as to who can build the coolest, most modern museum facility. You'll see the same here in Munich at the BMW Museum.
I'll take one of these, please!
