Historical Automobile-Cemetery in Kaufdorf, Switzerland
Posted by Coffeejunkie on November 1st, 2008 | 21 comments | 893 views
The story of this magic place:
Mr. Messerli started to work with sheet metal in 1933.
His speciality was cannibalizing old cars,
so he could sell the spare parts of them.
The empty wrecks he deposed
in a field and let them there.
He had some plans to make a
‘open-air museum’
with those old cars,
but had never
really time to do it.
So nature become stronger and started to
crow trees around the cars,
producing moss and a
lot of animal’s life there.
Insects, snails, birds,
even foxes
and hedge-hogs.
About 2 years ago the inspecting
authority discovered that it is pollution,
and this place has to be cleaned up.
After a lot of fights, lawsuits and many articles, TV interviews etc,
The Federal court decided that this place has to clean up completely.
The reason is a law we have about our ground water.
It is to ‘dangerous’ that it could be contaminated through oil
and other substances coming from the cars.
It is not healthy for the nature they argument…
silly? In my eyes: oh yes! Cars lying there since 70 years!!!!
Nothing happened until now! And the nature takes every part back.
The proof you have in these pictures here.
A magic, unique place will be gone in March 09 just because of our helpful laws.
I will miss it…
after the success of interest
-the last day they had open, they had over 2000 visitors!
in only one day-
makes them now think about renovations.
That means that they have to clean up the soil, build something
that the oil and other substance can not go to the groundwater.
the cemetery would not be the same anymore, but would still be there.
and hopefully after a few year look again like it did today....
News from this Historical Car Cemetry:
the owner trys to sell the whole Cemetry through the internet for 1.1million Swiss francs.
if someone has to much money :-)
Thanks for bringing us such a great story. Love the old cars and the way that they have been taken back by nature. Great pictures, filled with age and emotion and a certain elegance about the place. Glad that it has been saved.
# posted by PixelTerror on June 16th, 2009 9:20 pm
Hoi Karin
Sehr schöne Serie, ich kenne diesen Friedhof weil mein Freund Pascal Boegli aus Nyon dort auch sehr schöne Aufnahmen gemacht hat, ich konnte leider vor der Schliessung nicht gehen... Habe auch Deine Webseite kurz angeschaut, sieht sehr schön aus, bin auch dabei, was freizuschalten, konsumiert aber sehr viel Zeit !
Grüsse aus AR
Ha Karin. You wrote a beautiful blog and the pictures are splendid. By making this picture you gave the cemetry a long live, they cannot deny it was there! I hope they have changed their minds, is there any news about it? Because in 1 1/2 month it is the first of march.
# posted by klirrfactor on January 14th, 2009 7:33 pm
Hy Karin
Thanks for the great story with great pictures. I love oldschool cars, but never seen it in a cemetery.
sorry for bad english :-D
klirrfactor
# posted by F. Miguel on December 5th, 2008 5:23 pm
some if not all of these cars has a huge value, and perhaps at least be interesting to know what is gonna happen to them... saw that same will be recycled ... and that is a pity ... or just moved to a garage ?(Which seems more likely) I am not just talking about the value of cars but also of their parts ... good job!
# posted by Els van Heel on December 5th, 2008 11:05 am
Hello Karin, I read you blog with great attention.
When I saw your serie about the old cars, I wondering about so many details on your pictures !!
It was a pleasure to see this !!
Thanks to tell this sad story and to share and show us these beautyfull photos !!
Greetz,Els van Heel
Beautiful and sad story, Coffeejunkie! Lovely collection with a very good variation of details and angles. Great colours and light.
I wonder if it would help if the owner removed the remaining oil from the engines. I doubt there is any, but at least it might be easier to leave this place as it is. A treasure!
I would also advice all to take a look at the link provided. A true inspiration! :-)
# posted by Nonkel Duvel on November 9th, 2008 10:49 pm
Great blog Karin !!!
A nice story with a lot of great pictures :-)
Greetz Oscar
# posted by Svjetlana on November 1st, 2008 8:18 pm
Great storry and beautiful photos you put here. Nice to see it. Thank you Karin.
# posted by Coffeejunkie on November 1st, 2008 6:50 pm
Thanks to all for the comments
@ortho: i will do it next time :-) thanks for the input
@ Abílio: i had some troubles doing this blog, i never done something like it before. when i have the passion then i will try to do it better. :-) thank you to for the input
I already told you I like your pictures very much, particularly these. They show a piece of historical ruin and decay,but recovered by some millions pixels to the eyes of the world.
Anyway, I think you could pay a little more attention to the text and try to align it in a more aesthetical way. The pictures deserve it.
This is a wonderful story Karin, I like it very much... you should really think about publishing a book about this, you do not need many words for it cos images speak for themselves...I'm glad I was able to get to know this special place through your pictures and words!!! Thanks!!
# posted by ortho158 on November 1st, 2008 10:29 am
good story (but, please, do not underline your text: it looks like a link)
great blog Karin, yes and sometimes laws are going to far! but you documented it anyway.
# posted by Hai Voeten on November 1st, 2008 8:58 am
These pictures would fit into a coffeetable book. Great job done, Karin. Thanks
# posted by sawsengee on November 1st, 2008 7:55 am
Wonderful blog Bunny, you have immortalized the cemetery with this beautifully documented spread.
I myself would grieve at the lost of chance of photographing the RUSTS & oxidised surfaces of the old cars.
Regards,
sawsengee
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