• Patient A. R., aka “Engineer von Tarden” with the model of his sailing airship.

    © Institute for the History of Medicine and Medical Ethics, Charité (IGM-K-HPAC 3086-1908)

    26.03.2025

    Inventing-Mania – and the Dream of Flying

“Flying cigars” and zeppelins: At the beginning of the 20th century, Germany was gripped by a veritable airship euphoria. For some, this developed into a psychiatrically diagnosed mania. In the special exhibition “Inventing-Mania!”, the Berlin Museum of Medical History tells the story of “Engineer von Tarden” and the sailing airship he built while in the psychiatric ward.

When Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin set off on August 4, 1908 with his airship "LZ4" for his first 24-hour flight from Friedrichshafen to Mainz and back, the enthusiasm among the population was great. And this, despite the fact that the endeavor flopped. Due to an engine failure, the "flying cigar" had to make an emergency landing in Echterdingen near Stuttgart on August 5. In an approaching thunderstorm, the hydrogen in the envelope ignited, and the airship burned. The event triggered a national crowdfunding campaign: within a short time, more than six million marks were raised through donations from the public – the foundation for the construction of later Zeppelin airships in Friedrichshafen.

The "Miracle of Echterdingen" still illustrates the airship euphoria, deemed "insane" by some, that gripped the population at the beginning of the 20th century. It was the time before the First World War; motorized vehicles were driving on the streets, houses and cities were illuminated by light bulbs, and technical progress seemed almost unlimited. Everyone wanted to be an inventor. And for some, the euphoria turned into a psychiatric diagnosed mania. The Berliner "A. R." is one such case. The current special exhibition "Inventing-Mania!" at the Berlin Medical History Museum (BMM) of the Charité depicts his story through letters, sketches, and excerpts from his patient file. In 1909, the trained wood turner, who called himself "Engineer von Tarden," was admitted to the Psychiatric Clinic of the Charité. In the clinic, he tirelessly worked on his invention: a sailing airship with which he wanted to overcome the walls of the psychiatry.

"We use the example of the medical record of 'Engineer von Tarden' to show how psychiatry, the individual, and society are intertwined. There are various testimonies from his stay as a patient in psychiatry from 1909 to 1910, which have been preserved in the medical record," explains BMM Director Prof. Monika Ankele. Artistic research interpretations enrich the exhibition and intertwine past and present, fantasy and reality. For instance, the writer Teresa Präauer was inspired by A. R.'s story for a narrative, and the Mahony Collective created a room installation on the topic. The centerpiece of the exhibition, which is designed as a walk-in patient file, is a replica of the sail airship of "Engineer von Tarden" by Bernd-Michael Weisheit – with sails made from bed sheets.

The airship euphoria met a tragic end in 1937 when the "Hindenburg" exploded just before landing in Lakehurst, New Jersey. 36 people were killed. "Engineer von Tarden" was discharged from psychiatry as cured in 1910. After that, his traces are lost. Whether inventing mania is still a topic in psychiatry today – the exhibition certainly will have an answer to that. A visit is worthwhile! (vdo)

 

Special Exhibition “Inventing-Mania! The Sailing Airship of the 'Engineer von Tarden'”

March 7 to November 30, 2025
Berlin Museum of Medical History

Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin
Tue, Thu, Fri 10 AM to 5 PM / Wed, Sun 10 AM to 7 PM / Closed on Mondays

bmm-charite.de

A central showpiece of the exhibition: Bernd-Michael Weisheit's model of the sailing airship - with sails made of sheets. © Charité / Maria Streltsova

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