How the Streetcar Connects People

Since 2009 several historic streetcars have been restored in close cooperation with the shops of MPK Krakow. It began with trailer car 336 (1906) being rebuilt from 2009 to 2011, followed by trailer car 1023 (1913) from 2017 to 2019 and trailer car 1581 (1959) from 2019 to 2020. Highlight of course was the rebuilding of motor car 144 („Zeppelinwagen“) starting in 2020 and completed in 2026, resulting in the recreation of two cars – one for Krakow and one for Nuremberg.

Within a timeframe of 8 years, the existing “Zeppelinwagen”, car 144, was split up as the shared basis for two cars. Being historically relevant to both cities, this split now enables this car to be present in both cities, manifesting the friendship between Krakow and Nuremberg.

The cars importance for the relationship between the two cities started in 1941, with the cars of this series being sold to the city of Krakow. In 1976 one of the last remaining cars was rediscovered by one of our members and returned to Nuremberg in 1984. In the following years about 150 used streetcars were transferred to Krakow and helped to reshape the city after the end of the cold war.

In front of 'Zeppelinwagen' #144 representing all those involved for maintain friendship between Krakow and Nuremberg are:
(right to left) Mariusz Szałkowski (MPK Kraków), Jacek Kołodziej (MPK Kraków), Thomas Luber (VAG Nürnberg), Tobias Schneider (VAG Nürnberg).

The exchange with Krakow is especially important to us. Contact started during the occupation of Krakow by German troops in the light of World War 2, but those contacts definitely were not of the friendly sort. Later a personal and intense friendship evolved, which despite changing of individuals throughout the years, is constantly being filled with life and adapted to changing situations.

Reciprocal visits not only involve the streetcar, although it is the connecting element. Our movie for car #1023 gives a glimpse behind the curtain, showing not just progress of reconstructing the car, but especially the people involved.