The Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen, located on the shores of Lake Constance in Friedrichshafen, Germany, is a world-renowned museum dedicated to the history and legacy of Zeppelins and airship technology. It is housed in a historic Bauhaus-style terminal building and provides a deep dive into the golden age of airship travel and the technological advancements that shaped it.
Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen
+49 7541 38010
May – October
- Daily 09:00 – 17:00
November – April
- Tuesday – Sunday 10:00 – 17:00
Admission fee
Gift shop
Collection
In six major departments the technological collection of the Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen brings all aspects of the history and technology of airship flight to life. Here you may experience the great dimensions of the “Giants of the air”. The museum’s main attraction is the reconstruction of a 33 metre long part of the LZ 129 Hindenburg.
From the large Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen exhibition hall, visitors climb into the true-to-original reconstruction of the passenger areas of the LZ 129 Hindenburg. The promenade deck in the Bauhaus design of the 1930s, original passenger cabins with fold-out wash basins and toilet facilities are on display.
Within the reconstruction, visitors will also gain an insight into the everyday work of the crew. The people behind the technology are illuminated here: From the cell nurse to the radio operator. The largest surviving wreck of the LZ 129 Hindenburg is also on display here: the rudder bearing arm
The Wunderkammer contains over 350 exhibits such as postal receipts and stamps, souvenirs, medals, porcelain plates and cups, tin toys and all kinds of zeppelin knickknacks.
In the adjoining exhibition hall, which extends into the east wing of the museum, numerous detailed models and original exhibits, films and photos chronologise the history of airship aviation.
From the beginnings of the Montgolfier brothers with their hot air balloons at the end of the 18th century to the Zeppelin NT (New Technology) of our days, visitors can learn everything about the development of airship aviation from its beginnings to the present day.
Visitors Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen can find out about the trips across the Atlantic, the round-the-world trip or the polar trip. Unique exhibits tell stories, document the euphoria and shed light on the legends surrounding the giants of the air. An important aspect is also the development of airships into war machines and the missions during the First World War. Based on the historical facts, the question of the significance of the airship phenomenon in the present day is also raised.
Art and Cultural Exhibits:
The museum also houses an impressive collection of modern and contemporary art, emphasizing the cultural impact of airship technology.
Specifications LZ 129 Hindenburg
General characteristics
- Crew: 40 to 61
- Capacity: 50–70 passengers
- Length: 245 m (803 ft 10 in)
- Diameter: 41.2 m (135 ft 1 in)
- Volume: 200,000 m3 (7,062,000 cu ft)
- Powerplant: 4 × Daimler-Benz DB 602 (LOF-6) V-16 diesel engines, 890 kW (1,200 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 135 km/h (85 mph, 74 kn)
Hindenburg disaster
The Hindenburg disaster occurred on May 6, 1937, in Manchester Township, New Jersey, United States. The German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed during its attempt to dock with its mooring mast at Naval Air Station Lakehurst. There were 35 fatalities (13 passengers and 22 crewmen) from the 97 people on board (36 passengers and 61 crewmen), and an additional fatality on the ground.
Photos Rob Vogelaar