Mayor Vogt: closure of the railway museum is a cultural scandal!

Mayor Vogt: closure of the railway museum is a cultural scandal!

In Halle an der Saale, Deutsche Bahn (DB) beats a large wound into the cultural landscape with the closure of the railway museum. From now on, the museum, in which railway fans and interested parties have been able to immerse themselves in the world of rail vehicles, are no longer available to the public. In the future, the location will only be used as a depot for historical locomotives. With this decision, only two DB museums with public access in Koblenz and Nuremberg remain left. In addition, the railway indicates a museum platform in Leipzig, which is not a real museum, which the railroaders in the region disappointed.

The Mayor of Halle, Dr. Alexander Vogt is outraged by the abruptly stuck plans of the DB. He not only criticizes the company's communication policy, but also sees closure as a significant loss for the cultural city of Halle. "This is a cultural -political mistake that endangers the identity of the railroaders in the east," explains Vogt. In this sense, he has already contacted Saxony-Anhalt's Prime Minister and the Federal Government's East Commissioner to revise the decision.

Protest against closure

The decision of the DB is met with massive rejection among the population. Almost 4,000 people have already signed a petition for the preservation of the museum. Volunteers who have taken care of the historical vehicles over the years are also affected by the closure. For them, the loss of the museum is not only the loss of a job, since the only permanent employee of the museum was terminated at the end of the year, but also the loss of a cultural home.

Vogt also emphasizes that the train has not contacted the city administration before closing. He emphasizes that no alternative solutions for handing over or for the partnership -based care of the museum on the part of the DB were developed. Despite these challenges, the city of Halle shows willingness to find constructive solutions and actively examines all options for keeping the museum alive.

Railway museums in Germany

Railway museums, as they also exist in Halle, are important places of memory and storage of technology history. They offer insights into the development of rail transport and attract both technology enthusiasts and families. In Germany there are numerous other railway museums that deal with the history and the technical aspects of the railway. Include the best known:

• Süddeutsches Eisenbahnmuseum Heilbronn
• Verkehrsmuseum Möckmühl
• Eisenbahnmuseum Schwarzwald Trossingen
• Bayerisches Eisenbahnmuseum Nürnberg
• DB-Museum Nürnberg
• Deutsches Dampflok- und Modelleisenbahnmuseum Tuttlingen
• Eisenbahnmuseum Wismar
• Eisenbahnmuseum Darmstadt-Kranichstein
• Verkehrszentrum München
• Eisenbahnmuseum Chemnitz

International examples, such as the Chinese railway museum in Beijing or the National Rail Museum of India in New Delhi, show how versatile and significant these facilities are for cultural history.

Halle's mayor and the committed citizens are now committed to a change in this matter. In view of the closure of the railway museum, it becomes clear how important the preservation of such cultural institutions is for the cityscape and the community. Even if the DB has caused a deep incision with its decision, it is to be hoped that this part of the regional identity will not be completely lost.