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Bicycle historyA visit to the German Bicycle Museum in Bad Brückenau

The German Bicycle Museum is home to over 230 historic bicycles.
Photo: Christiane Neubauer
The German Bicycle Museum in Bad Brückenau is home to one of the most extensive collections of historic bicycles in Europe - an absolute highlight for bicycle lovers, technology enthusiasts and history buffs.
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Text: Christiane Neubauer

Running machine, penny-farthing and folding bike, tandem, triplet and quadruplet, Buddy, Bonanza and Cavallo - the German Bicycle Museum in Bad Brückenau in Lower Franconia is home to more than 230 historic bicycles. And the stories of those who once pedalled them - courageous, elegant or simply curious.

Museum director Ivan Sojc - a bicycle enthusiast par excellence - has collected the exhibits over more than 40 years of detective work. "Sometimes it took me years to finally find and acquire the bike I was longing for," says Sojc. And it was not uncommon for him to have to part with one of his two-wheeled classic bikes in order to be able to exhibit another one. "In my eyes, museum work doesn't mean managing things. A museum has to live."

Bicycle enthusiast and museum director Ivan Sojc in the museum's historic bicycle shop, which exudes a unique charm. The shelves are filled to the ceiling with bicycle accessories such as saddles, coats, inner tubes, valves, lights and bells.Photo: Christiane NeubauerBicycle enthusiast and museum director Ivan Sojc in the museum's historic bicycle shop, which exudes a unique charm. The shelves are filled to the ceiling with bicycle accessories such as saddles, coats, inner tubes, valves, lights and bells.

Milestones and special stories

And so Ivan Sojc knows how to tell an anecdote about every exhibit on our tour of the collection. For example, how the Velocipede, an early form of bicycle that became popular in the 1860s, got its nickname "Boneshaker".

"The velocipede was invented by Frenchman Pierre Michaux and his son Ernest. They further developed Drais' running machine by attaching pedals to the front wheel. The wheels themselves were made of wood with iron tyres and no suspension. It is clear that cyclists were sometimes shaken to the core. Nevertheless, the Boneshaker was very popular, especially in the USA and England. In the 1870s, it was replaced by the penny-farthing, which promised a faster ride with more suspension comfort," says the museum director.

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Magnificent specimen: An original running machine from 1820, probably built in Austria.Photo: Christiane NeubauerMagnificent specimen: An original running machine from 1820, probably built in Austria.

Ivan Sojc is particularly proud of his collection of original penny-farthings from various manufacturers and stages of development. His eyes sparkle as we stop to admire the exhibits. He also owns a replica of a penny-farthing with an anti-tip stand, which visitors to the museum can mount and pedal on. The German Bicycle Museum is not just a place to marvel at, but also to take part in. On a cycle tour through the Rhön, the German Bicycle Museum is practically a compulsory stop for all bicycle enthusiasts.

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Paintings, historical photographs, newspaper cuttings and advertising posters complement the exhibits so that visitors can gain a comprehensive insight into the technical development and cultural significance of bicycles even without a guided tour.

The fact that the latter has always had a major influence on society, art, lifestyle and pop culture as a cultural asset is illustrated above all by the countless exhibits from over 200 years of bicycle history presented in glass showcases: richly decorated bicycle bells and decorative tool sets, helmets and goggles from early racing, documents from the heyday of bicycle clubs as well as cufflinks and paperweights with bicycle motifs.

These cufflinks, decorated with a miniature painting of a cyclist, were created around 1900.Photo: Christiane NeubauerThese cufflinks, decorated with a miniature painting of a cyclist, were created around 1900.

Curiosities and history

Some of the curiosities that Sojc has collected over the decades are also impressive, including a pedal bike with two chains - one for each pedal. Or a so-called buddy bike, a kind of tandem in which the cyclists sit next to each other rather than behind each other.

And have you ever heard of a Cavallo? This is a bike that is not propelled by pedalling, but by rocking body movements that are reminiscent of those of a trotting rider. Curious!

This room contains bicycles from the 1920s, the time when the gear shift was invented and manufacturers began to produce bicycles from light metals. This was particularly important for the sport of racing cycling.Photo: Christiane NeubauerThis room contains bicycles from the 1920s, the time when the gear shift was invented and manufacturers began to produce bicycles from light metals. This was particularly important for the sport of racing cycling.

After a good two hours that fly by, my journey through three centuries of mobility history comes to an end - but not without a look ahead. Because one thing becomes clear: the bicycle was never just a means of transport. It was a revolution and is still a symbol of freedom, social change and technical innovation today.

And while the wheels of the past stand still here in the museum, the wheels of the future have long been turning outside. Those who pedal after their visit will feel the spirit that fills this museum - the unstoppable urge to move.

Worth a visit: The German Bicycle Museum in Bad BrückenauPhoto: Christiane NeubauerWorth a visit: The German Bicycle Museum in Bad Brückenau

German Bicycle Museum: Visitor information

  • The German Bicycle Museum is housed in a pretty Art Nouveau building dating back to 1908 in the district of Staatsbad Brückenau.
  • It is open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Booked groups can visit the exhibition from Tuesday to Thursday. The museum is closed in December and January.
  • Admission prices: Adults: 9 euros, schoolchildren: 5 euros, families: 15 euros, concessions: 7 euros.
  • Further information: www.deutsches-fahrradmuseum.de
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