Berliner U-Bahn-Museum

Description

The Berlin U-Bahn Museum is located in the former electromechanical lever signal box of the Olympia-Stadion U-Bahn station in the Westend district of Berlin. It is run by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Berliner U-Bahn e. V.; in Europe it was the third specialized U-Bahn museum, after the institutions in Moscow and Budapest. The museum opened on 13 September 1997.

The signal box, which was in operation from 1931 to 1983, serves as the exhibition space. In addition to the ancillary rooms housing numerous exhibits, recurring photographic exhibitions are shown; the association also organizes several special trips each year using types of trains no longer used in regular service.

In the early 1980s the lever signal box had been replaced by a track-diagram push-button signal box and was slated for demolition. The planned demolition failed due to the opposition of former employees of the municipal public transport system. The assembled historical items enabled the Arbeitsgemeinschaft to establish the exhibition rooms. Initially visited by only a few enthusiasts, public interest grew significantly over the years. On the centenary of the Berlin U-Bahn in 2002 a breakthrough occurred; a rush of visitors brought almost 2,000 guests. Since then the regular opening days have attracted several hundred visitors; special events, such as a dedicated weekend program in November 2006, significantly increased annual visitor numbers and brought the total to around 5,000 in 2006. In September 2007 the museum celebrated its tenth anniversary.

The association’s work includes the maintenance and preservation of the historic vehicles on site and their use in special trips. The association has more than 60 members, including retired and active BVG employees as well as other public transport enthusiasts. The Arbeitsgemeinschaft originated in February 1982 as an initiative within the then BVB and was registered as an independent association in 1992. Today it is recognized as a non-profit organization and contributes several thousand hours of voluntary work annually.