Zeppelin Car 144 not only represents an important, historical milestone in the Nuremburg-Fürth Tram Friends Association (NTFA)’s collection of historic tramcars but also plays a key role in the relationship between the cities of Krakow and Nuremburg.
Having been built in Nuremburg in the year 1909, a series of so-called Zeppelin cars (No. 141-150) were sold secondhand to the city of Krakow in 1941, remaining in service until the end of the 1960s. Car 144 was the only car still in operation, but by the end of the 1970s its condition had deteriorated significantly.
At this point, the existence of Car 144 was discovered by the NTFA, which immediately expressed the wish for this to become part of a future tram museum within Nuremberg. These plans were hampered by the ongoing Cold War; Nuremberg was considered part of West Germany, and Poland was under communist rule at the time. Yet in 1979, the situation changed, and a partner-city contract was established between Krakow and Nuremberg. With support from both mayors and city councils, and with the donation of a German rail-bending machine not previously available in communist Poland, a plan to renovate, partially rebuild and return the car back to Nuremberg succeeded in 1984.
Since then, the car has been an important exhibit within the historic St. Peter tram depot in Nuremburg – but after two successful projects in which historical trailer cars within the Nuremburg collection were rebuilt within the guidelines of the Krakow Municipal Tramway Authority (MPK), another monumental partner-city project was forged, marking a new chapter in the car’s history. The existing Zeppelin car would be used for the construction of two new cars, both of which would have the operating license required to carry passengers. The people of Krakow and Nuremburg would each have their own Zeppelin car, opening up new tourism opportunities and highlighting the vital partnership shared and enjoyed between both cities.
