Großweil - The Glentleiten open-air museum in the Upper Bavaria district has a new attraction that is unique in Bavaria's open-air museums - a historic petrol station that was originally located in Oberwössen / Brem (Gde. Unterwössen / Lkr. Traunstein).
A gasoline sign greets all visitors on arrival and conveys the message: The modern age of the post-war era has structurally found its way into the Glentleiten.
The museum's latest architectural exhibit has been open to the public since October 1st.
The gas station
The petrol station is an example of the change in rural handicrafts after the Second World War: Before that, a farrier had been operated at the former location in Brem for almost 200 years. When the tractor replaced the horse-drawn carts and carts, the need for carts and wagons decreased rapidly. With the advancing mechanization of agriculture, repair orders no longer ensured full order books. Instead, the need for fuel, as well as the maintenance and care of automobiles and tractors, rose steadily. The Bremen “Walchschmiede”, which had been owned by the Meier family since the 19th century, also had to be reoriented. Therefore, at the beginning of the 1950s, the owner Maria Meier decided to build a gas station. The location of the property played into the hands of the Meiers:The German Alpine Road was the first holiday route in Germany to run right past the family's business.
From the summer of 1953 it was possible to refuel at the Gasolin AG petrol pumps - initially in the open air. In 1955/56 the roof, which still looks modern today, was added. Like the other large oil companies, Gasolin AG wanted their petrol stations to be easily recognizable. Therefore, the company developed a limited number of gas station types with a uniform design. The gas station from Brem is type G T6 / II.
In 1971, ARAL took over Gasolin AG - everything that had previously shone in the characteristic company red has now turned blue. The change to ARAL initially paid off - the years with the highest turnover in the small Bremen petrol station followed. Then, however, self-service filling stations prevailed and the Meier family would have had to rebuild. Since sales had also declined, operations were discontinued in 1981 when the contract with the mineral oil company expired.
Since then, the building has stood unchanged on today's B 305 and waited for a new purpose. Things only got moving in autumn 2019, because the gas station was to give way to a new layout. The open-air museum Glentleiten saved the building shortly from demolition and can now come up with a new attraction that is unique in Bavaria's open-air museums. For museum director Dr. Monika Kania-Schütz, the petrol station is a very special addition, because, “The petrol station is a key object in the history of mobility, which is currently changing rapidly. As the central Upper Bavarian open-air museum, we show the change in the countryside. And there are numerous points of reference to this monument to economic and social change,Starting with the changing world of work and leisure culture to the arrival of modern building materials, concrete and glass. I am particularly pleased that we were able to present a richly illustrated publication at the same time as the opening, which puts the new architectural exhibit into context in an entertaining way. "
Publication and special exhibition
The open-air museum Glentleiten took the reconstruction of the petrol station as an opportunity for a publication: “The German Alpine Road.
Germany's oldest holiday route ”published by Volk Verlag.
The book, with contributions by renowned experts, costs 24.90 euros and is available in the museum shop and in bookshops.
A special exhibition under the same title is planned in the museum for the start of the season in March 2022.
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