Deutsches Zweirad- und NSU-Museum, Automobile museum in Neckarsulm, Germany
The Deutsches Zweirad- und NSU-Museum in Neckarsulm occupies the former Deutschordensschloss, a castle of the Teutonic Knights. Its roughly 400 exhibits on almost 2,000 m² span six floors, including a modern glass ramp house linking the historic Bandhaus and Amtshaus. The collection covers 140 motorcycle brands and 45 bicycle makers, from early bicycles to racing and record machines.
The museum was established in 1956 with initial support from NSU and the Munich-based Deutsches Museum, starting with roughly 70 exhibits. Over the following decades, it grew into one of Germany's largest collections of two-wheeled vehicle technology.
The museum's name recalls NSU, the Neckarsulm firm that began building bicycles in 1886 and motorcycles in 1901; the NSU section opened in 1986. Visitors can see a reproduction of the 1885 Daimler Einspur and an 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmüller, the first production motorcycle. At the 1956 opening, speakers described the two-wheeler as a means for workers to reach their jobs faster.
The museum sits at Urbanstraße 9-11 and is fully accessible for visitors with limited mobility, with elevators connecting all floors. Group tours are available and provide guided insights into the collection and the stories behind individual pieces.
The museum holds the largest public NSU collection in the world, documenting the brand built in Neckarsulm itself. Its 1971 exhibition on world record vehicles was the first of its kind on the subject. Among the pieces is a reproduction of the 1885 Daimler Einspur, the first gasoline internal combustion motorcycle.
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