Under pressure

The history of the train toilet

Anyone traveling by train in the mid-19th century usually still had to do without amenities such as toilets. Longer routes and the associated increase in journey times, as well as new types of carriages, finally helped the "lavatory" to make its breakthrough. From then on, the toilet flushes directly onto the tracks - its use is therefore prohibited at stations or even on bridges. Many younger people today find it hard to imagine what older generations still know all too well. Yet until a few decades ago, the downpipe toilet - the "outhouse" of the railroads, so to speak - was something quite commonplace. It was only in the 1980s that the introduction of closed toilets as we know them today began.

In eight themed areas, "Under Pressure" tells the story of the train toilet in Germany from its beginnings to the present day and brings it to life with over 150 exhibits, documents and photographs: from the chamber pot from Chancellor Otto von Bismarck's saloon car, to soap dispensers and toilet paper, up to the modern bioreactor.

For the first time, a museum is focusing on the development of the train toilet in a separate exhibition and highlighting its interrelationships with social developments. Visitors will not only learn all kinds of interesting facts about the various toilet systems, but also about secondary aspects. Whether for secret service activities, smuggling or fleeing the republic: The train toilet also serves various purposes beyond its actual purpose.

A varied accompanying program rounds off "Under Pressure". Exclusive items matching the exhibition are available in the museum store. Families and children aged six and over can look forward to a free discovery booklet to explore the exhibition - so puzzling fun is guaranteed.