February, 2006 - Nr. 2
Opening 2006 in Stuttgart:
"Mercedes-Benz World"
Toronto -- Near the gates of the DaimlerChrysler plant in the suburbs of Stuttgart, Germany, construction work on the new Mercedes-Benz World building is in full swing. In May 2006, in time for the first matches of the FIFA World Soccer Cup in town, the Mercedes-Benz Museum and Mercedes-Benz Center complex will open its doors to the public.
It was in their experimental workshop near this factory that Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach developed the four-stroke internal combustion engine in 1882 and, in 1886, produced the first viable four-wheel automobile. A few years later, in 1904, the Daimler Motor Company started production there, too.
At a commanding height of more than 47 metres, the architecturally striking Mercedes-Benz Museum is the focal point of the new Mercedes-Benz World complex. Inside, two routes spiralling down helix-style from top to bottom dominate the museum’s interior. One of them guides visitors chronologically through the corporation’s history and legends, while the other displays a spectacular collection of vehicles once produced here. This gives visitors two different ways to access the 120 years of Mercedes-Benz history.
The permanent collection of about 180 cars covers an exhibition area of nine floors and approximately 17.000 square metres. Evocative exhibition themes - Legendary Automobiles, Technology and Research, Adventure, Myths and Milestones - fill the museum with a host of stirring stories. One area of worldwide appeal is the level called Races and Records, paying tribute to many high points in the company’s long tradition in the world of motor sports -- from the Phoenix racing car and the famous Blitzen-Benz up to today’s victorious Formula One and DTM racing cars.
Alongside the new museum, also scheduled to open in 2006, is the new
Mercedes-Benz Center. Its architecture dominated by generous expanses of glass, this building will be home to a presentation of the latest Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and a place where prospective customers can discuss the cars with staff in a tranquil environment, take a look around the different models and set out on test drives.To be found, too, at Mercedes-Benz World are the interactive Fascination of Technology section, a children’s museum -- with an exciting inventors’ studio -- and plenty of shops, catering facilities and special vehicle displays. There is an open-air arena available for outdoor events. Starting in May 2006, a variety of attractive programmes staged here regularly will provide yet more good reasons for visiting Mercedes-Benz World in Stuttgart. For more information and virtual tours, visit the Heritage link on the International Home Page at
www.mercedes-benz.comFor more information on Stuttgart please visit
www.stuttgart-tourist.deFor more information on Germany, please contact the German National Tourist Office’s toll free number, 1-877-315-6237, send an e-mail to
gntonyc@d-z-t.com, or visit GNTO’s Web site www.cometogermany.com.
