Masterpieces of Science and Technology

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Submarine U-1, Germania Werft, Kiel, 1906, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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The U-1 was, above all, intended as an experimental vessel in order to perform technical tests under working conditions. In 1907 the U-1 completed a journey around Jutland convincing the German admiralty thar submarines had operational capability. In World War I she was employed as a training boat. 

U1 Audioguide, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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Telephone (Transmitter and Receiver), Philipp Reis, Philipp Reis, Friedrichsdorf, 1863, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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Reis first reproduced single tones on a telephone. Speech could only be understood indistinctly. 

First Functional Diesel Engine, Rudolf Diesel, Augsburg, 1897, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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This motor by Rudolf Diesel was built in 1897 and is considered to be the first diesel engine. Tests in 1897 confirmed the diesel motor’s efficiency. Fuel consumption per HP/hour amounted to 238 g, i.e. 26.8 % of the heat contained in the fuel was converted into effective power.

Hahn-Meitner-Straßmann-table, the fission of atomic nuclei (1930/1939) by Otto Hahn, Fritz Strassmann, Lise Meitner, BerlinDeutsches Museum

In the 1930s, Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritz Straßmann experimented with the bombardment of heavy nuclei with neutrons. 















In late 1938, Hahn and Straßmann irradiated uranium nuclei with neutrons.

In the 1930s, Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritz Straßmann experimented with the bombardment of heavy nuclei with neutrons.  In late 1938, Hahn and Straßmann irradiated uranium nuclei with neutrons.

Otto Hahn, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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Otto Hahn describes his experiment

Der Umzug des Otto-Hahn-Tisches, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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The Otto Hahn table being moved within the Deutsches Museum

Refractor of the Berlin Royal Observatory, Josehph von Fraunhofer, München, 1828/1829, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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Joseph von Fraunhofer (1787-1826) began developement of the large and powerful refracting telescopes on a parallactic mounting in 1818. Fraunhofer’s refractors were unequalled both in the size and lens quality, as well as in the precision of the mechanism’s mounting.

Die erste elektrische Lokomotive, Siemens & Halske, Wernerwerk, Berlin, 1879, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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The first electric locomotiv (1879)

Pendulum by Léon Foucault, Léon Foucault, Paris, 1851, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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In 1851, Léon Foucault used a pendulum in the Pantheon im Paris to prove the Earth’s rotation on its axis in relation of the fixed stars in the sky.

Benz Patentmotorwagen, Benz & Co. Rheinische Gasmotorenfabrik, Mannheim, 1886, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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In 1886 the engineer Carl Benz (1844–1929) of Mannheim filed a patent application for a "vehicle operated by a gas engine". It was the first car with a gasoline engine.

Benz & Co. - 125 Jahre Benz Patent-Motorwagen, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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Special Exhibition Benz & Co

Z3: the First Functional Programm-Controlled Automatic Calculating Machine, Konrad Zuse, 1939/1941, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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The Z3, which was destroyed in the Second World War, was made fully functional in 1941. It is considered the world's first fully programmable and automatic computing device. The machine displayed and demonstrated here is a working replica built and authorized by Konrad Zuse himself.

Die Z3 von Konrad Zuse im Deutschen Museum, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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The working functions of the Zuse Z3

Magdeburger Halbkugeln mit Luftpumpe von Otto von Guericke, Otto von Guericke, 1663, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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Otto von Guericke is best known for his public and spectacular experiments with the Magdeburger Hemispheres which he demonstrated before astonished audiences in Magdeburg in 1656 and in Berlin in 1633. He placed 2 bowls together to form a hollow sphere and evacuated the air from the space between them. The air pressure exerted by ambient air around them was strong enough that 16-18 horses could not pull the hemispheres apart.

Faraday'sche Käfig, 1836, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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The demonstration of the Faraday cage is particularly impressive. A member of the museum staff sits inside a sphere consisting of a wire lattice that is hoisted to a height of 3 m (10 ft). Then a voltage of about 270 kV is applied, made visible by a discharge across a spark gap.

Die Hochspannungsanlage im Deutschen Museum, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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Faraday cage demonstration

Das Siemens-Studio für elektronische Musik by Alexander Schaaf und Helmut KleinDeutsches Museum

The Siemens-Studio for electronic music

The Siemens-Studio for electronic music

Mechanical Trumpeter, Friedrich Kaufmann, Dresden, 1810, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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Kaufmann’s trumpeter automaton possesses two pegged-cylinder systems, one of which controls the melody the other the rhythm. Power is provided by winding up a spring, while the notes are generated by twelve metal reeds and two bellows. 

Pharmacy, St. Emmeram, Regensburg, 1800/1899, From the collection of: Deutsches Museum
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In the 18th century this phamarcy supplied the St. Emmera, monastery in Regensburg. 

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