Swiss Space Museum opens Collector's items bought at auction on Ebay

A place where the history and future of space travel become tangible: With the Swiss Space Museum in Regensdorf ZH, Switzerland now has a museum for space. Many originals were bought at auction on Ebay.

The universe and its mysteries have fascinated mankind since ancient times. Thales (ca. 624-547 BC) was one of the first mathematicians and astronomers, and is regarded as the first philosopher and scientist to study the universe.

The breakthrough only came in the last century, when the Russians brought the first probe out of the earth's atmosphere and the Americans landed on the moon in 1969.

The Swiss Space Museum was recently opened in Regensdorf ZH - a place dedicated to the fascination of space and space travel.

Behind this ambitious project is Guido Schwarz, a communications employee at the NCCR PlanetS at the University of Bern for space topics, a man with a passion for space and a collection that is now also open to the public.

The founder and driving force behind the museum explains how it all began and the challenges that had to be overcome.

An idea that took off over a decade ago

"The idea was born over ten years ago," recalls Schwarz. "I already had my collection of various space relics and had been thinking for some time that there should be a museum dedicated exclusively to space and space travel."

However, the actual starting signal came from a very special find: a Luna module cockpit that Schwarz discovered online.

"The module was too big to put in my house and too expensive to buy on my own. My wife wouldn't have been happy if I had put it in the living room anyway," says the 59-year-old with a twinkle in his eye.

So Schwarz founded an association with like-minded people, bought the cockpit - and set about looking for a suitable location for a museum. The price is not known.

From vision to reality

However, the search proved difficult. "We would have liked to have an old factory building, but that simply wasn't affordable."

In the end, the Regensdorf location was chosen. The rooms had previously been storage space for Schwarz and his colleagues. A core team of around seven people worked on the implementation of the project.

"At the weekends, we screwed, drilled and did all the things that were necessary," explains Schwarz. The impressive collection was brought together in a variety of ways.

Some of the objects came from eBay, where Guido Schwarz used to be a real treasure hunter. "Not as much today as it used to be, because too many people know that you can get space items there. The prices for rare objects are going through the roof."

Black also bought exhibits at auctions. Here, too, the problem is that the prices are now simply too high.

An international network that Schwarz has built up over the years also helps with the procurement of exhibits. "Sometimes you just ask around: 'I need this or that. Does anyone have this? And with luck, it works out."

A team with passion

Everyone involved works on the museum project on a voluntary basis. "I have a job myself," says Schwarz. However, this fits in perfectly with his passion: he is responsible for communication at the University of Bern for the National Center of Competence in Research PlanetS in the field of space topics.

"The University of Bern is a leader in this field in Switzerland. The cradle of space research in Switzerland is definitely there."

The Swiss Space Museum not only aims to fascinate, but also to educate. With its collection - from original space exhibits to models - it offers insights into the past, present and future of space travel.

For Guido Schwarz, one thing is clear: "The museum should pass on the enthusiasm for space to the next generation."

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