The Minister-President of the State of Baden-Württemberg Günther H. Oettinger, and the Chairman of the Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler AG Dr. Dieter Zetsche opened Mercedes-Benz World on Friday 19th May, 2006, at a ceremony attended by numerous guests from the spheres of politics, economics and society.

At the conclusion of a construction phase lasting just under three years, Mercedes-Benz World has arisen on a site measuring approximately 53,000 square metres (570,000 square feet) outside the main gate of DaimlerChrysler’s Stuttgart-Untertürkheim plant. The foundation stone for the new Mercedes-Benz Museum was laid on 17th September, 2003, and the 'topping-out' ceremony was held on 3rd March, 2005. The starting signal for the new Stuttgart Mercedes-Benz Centre was given on 7th September, 2004, followed by a 'topping-out' ceremony on 14th July, 2005. Mercedes-Benz World opened its doors to visitors from Saturday 20th May, 2006.

Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler AG: “Mercedes-Benz World creates a link between a fascinating museum and a state-of-the-art automotive centre; it encompasses 120 years of history, from the very first motor car up to its boldest visions for the future. Here, and only here, can one experience the entire history of the automobile! And only here can the entire product range of Mercedes-Benz be experienced – passenger cars and commercial vehicles alike.”

The new Mercedes-Benz Museum

As the inventor of the automobile, DaimlerChrysler feel a responsibility to provide an adequate forum for automotive history and, thus, to give a home to the unique tradition of the Mercedes-Benz brand. On a floor area of 16,500 square metres (178,000 square feet), the Mercedes-Benz Museum provides its visitors with an unforgettable experience of the brand. The central elements encompass the entire tradition of the brand – passenger cars, commercial vehicles and motor sport – thus providing a communication platform for the Mercedes-Benz brand that is unparalleled throughout the world. Imaginative, chronologically ordered presentations expound the entire “Mercedes Legend” – from the dawn of automotive history up to visions of the future. Accompanying showcase collections also elucidate the various thematic backgrounds.

The Stuttgart Mercedes-Benz Centre

With the Stuttgart Mercedes-Benz Centre, the company is setting a further bold landmark topped by the Mercedes star on its greened roof: with its striking cubic form, this fascinating, light-flooded building constitutes the architectonic counterpart to the museum. The light is directed through a glass axis and falls directly on the complete, constantly updated passenger car range, spread over an area of about 10,000 square metres (almost 110,000 square feet). On its entire floor area of almost 34,000 square metres (360,000 square feet) the three-story Centre provides sufficient space for a generous presentation of some 130 vehicles. The Centre also houses a vehicle delivery point and a service outlet. The range of attractions at the Stuttgart Centre is rounded off by the brand gallery with its constantly changing exhibitions on topics from the fields of research, safety, design and motor sport.

The Centre is directly connected to the museum: firstly via a link some 100 metres (330 feet) in length – the “Passage” – beneath the landscape, complete with catering islands, shops and some of Mercedes-Benz World’s event areas; a further link is provided through the uniform design and the joint utilisation of the landscape area, with an open-air arena accommodating up to 500 visitors. The entire landscaped site is available for functions attended by up to 30,000 people.

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