Saloon coach of Imperial Chancellor Otto von Bismarck

The saloon carriage used by the first Chancellor of Germany, Otto von Bismarck, was the first original vehicle to come to the Nuremberg Transport Museum. The founder of the first German nation state in 1871 used this coach for almost three decades. It was presented to him by the Union of German Railway Administrations (Verein Deutscher Eisenbahn-Verwaltungen), an association of private railway companies in Germany. Bismarck wanted to create a national railway company, and the gift from the private railway operators was probably an attempt to influence his plans.

At the ceremonial handover of the carriage in 1872, the Imperial Chancellor expressed his "great delight at the comfort and manifold conveniences". This was indeed a very special coach; the plain exterior belied its luxurious interior fixtures and fittings. The mahogany wood furniture in the working and sleeping areas is of particularly high quality. Two heated tables could be used to keep food warm, while cold drinks could be supplied from an ice compartment built into the floor of the staff area.