New Exhibition At Central Garage in Bad Homburg: Ernst Neumann Neander – A Life Between Art And Technology
BAD Homburg, Germany, 16 April, 2025 -- The latest exhibition at the Central Garage museum in Bad Homburg focuses on Ernst Neumann Neander, a German artist, designer and racer.
At the center of the exhibition is the extraordinary artist, designer and lateral thinker Ernst Neumann-Neander (1871-1954). He first worked as an illustrator. Later he ran an ad agency, before he turned his artistic capabilities to coachbuilding. His most famous contribution was to the SzaWe factory in Berlin.
The next chapter of his life was about motorcycles with radically rethought pressed steel frames that stood out from the crowd with their lightness, stability and futuristic design. A special chapter in its history is the cooperation with Opel: the Opel Motoclub model was based on Neumann's innovative frame design.
But Neumann-Neander went further: with the development of the so-called Fahrmaschine, an experimental, three- and four-wheeled light vehicle between a motorcycle and an automobile, he finally blurred the boundaries between technology and art. His artistic work also remained ever-present - many of his graphic works and designs are characterized by a unique style that combines technical function with aesthetic form. His company, based in Euskirchen and later Düren, was one of the few that combined design, construction and artistic aspirations.
The exhibition “Ernst Neumann Neander - A life between art and technology” shows a selection of original Neander motorcycles, rare exhibits of the bikes, historical photographs as well as artistic works and documents of the versatile visionary. It sheds light on a life between the poles of creativity, pioneering spirit and non-conformity - a fascinating look at a man who was far ahead of his time.
The exhibition is curated by Thomas Trapp, who's already wrote two books on the subject:
- Ernst Neumann-Neander und seine Motorräder (Ernst Neumann-Neander and His Motorcycles). Heel Verlag, 1996
- Ernst Neumann-Neander und seine Fahrmaschinien (Ernst Neumann-Neander and His "Driving Vehicles"). Heel Verlag, 2002
