120 years of design, society and politics
These podcasts discuss selected chapters from our over 370-page publication, “History of Swiss Bicycle License Plates 1892-2011“. Hundreds of original sources can be found in the museum’s Online Archive. Around 60 episodes are planned, with a new one published at the beginning of each week. Our two hosts have thoroughly researched the material. However, the dialogue occasionally deviates from our findings. So, if you want to know the details, we recommend our publication (German).
The Museum of Swiss Bicycle License Plates thanks …
When the vague idea of a Museum of bicycle license plates emerged in 2010, no one could have imagined the dimensions this project would take on in the following 15 years. Without the years of active support of the staff of countless institutions and dozens of private individuals in Switzerland and abroad, the Museum of Swiss Bicycle License Plates would not exist in its current form. In September 2025, we introduced the “Podcasts” section. It covers 120 years of design, society, and politics. But we want to use this first podcast to audibly thank at least some of these important people. Thanks also to the many other people who have supported us in one way or another and who are not mentioned by name here.
The Bicycle License Plate: A Swiss Cultural Asset
How does the bicycle license plate claim to be a “Swiss cultural asset”? What defines it as the most Swiss of all prescribed everyday objects? What does the honor from the Pro Patria Foundation mean? What relevance do historians and the Swiss National Library attach to the bicycle number?
Swiss Bicycle License Plate Design: Diversity unique worldwide
Why is the development of Swiss design unique worldwide? What role does federalism play in this? What are the two major eras? What are the milestones of this 120-year development? Which materials, shapes, dimensions, colors, techniques and graphic elements were used? Who were the trendsetters for Swiss design standards? How have society and politics influenced design?
Why a Museum of Swiss Bicycle License Plates?
How did the Swiss Bicycle Number Museum come about, how is it organized? How does it define its mission, and how does it strive to fulfill it? What does the museum have to offer its visitors? What is the museum’s official status?
Wikipedia: Poor Article “Bicycle License Plates (Switzerland)”
What are the weaknesses of Wikipedia’s brilliant achievement? How does this spiral of information errors arise? What is the «pleasure principle»? Why is Wikipedia’s requirement for citation so widely ignored? What fundamental role do first-class sources play in research? What important events are missing from the article? What are the results of contacting Wikipedia authors? What are the specific errors and inaccuracies in the Wikipedia article “Bicycle license plates (Switzerland),” in the “History” chapter?
The “pleasure principle”: There are plenty of sources. However, you have to have the “pleasure” to seek them out. 😉
1817-1891: The Backstory of Swiss Bicycle License Plates
What were the first vehicle license plates in the world? What role did the bicycle play in its early days? What social, technological, and political developments paved the way for the invention of the first bicycle plates? What cycling regulations were already introduced in the 19th century?
1869-1883: The World’s first Bicycle Clubs
Where and when was the world’s first bicycle club founded? What were the bicycles ridden back then like? What were the goals of these early bicycle clubs? What kind of people joined together to form a bicycle club? What was their club life like? To what extent did these clubs have anything to do with the introduction of the first bicycle license plates? When were the first bicycle clubs founded in Switzerland?
1869-1876 Munich: The World’s first Bicycle License Plates
How were the world’s first bicycle license plates discovered? What role did King Ludwig II play in this? Which 16 people were honored with the world’s first bicycle license plates? What did the special night-time license plates look like? What are the consequences for the history in Switzerland? By what coincidences, how, where and by whom were the original documents relating to this historic event discovered?
1883-1960: Influence of Cycling Clubs and Associations
When was the first cyclists’ association founded in Switzerland? Which were the most important associations? Did you know that the Touring Club of Switzerland (TCS) was founded by cyclists? Why did cyclists’ associations prevent the first bicycle numbers in Switzerland in Fribourg in 1893 and then propose them in Zurich? Did you know that cyclists’ associations were the first lobbyists for national traffic law, before automobile associations? How did the associations overturn the first Swiss traffic law? What profound and long-lasting effects did their success have across Switzerland? What influence did the associations have on the introduction of liability insurance? How did cyclists’ associations settle a 27-year dispute between the federal government and the cantons?
Swiss Bicycle License Plates: The Events from 1892 to 1894
This podcast summarizes the most important social, political and legal circumstances of the years 1892 to 1894 surrounding bicycle license plates as well as the development of the design.
1869-1904 Density Stress: People enforce Bicycle Plates in Cities
How did density stress arise at the end of the 19th century in Switzerland? What impact did the newly emerging bicycles have on urban traffic? How did city dwellers experience the situation with these new machines? How did cyclists gain a bad reputation? Were cyclists perpetrators or victims? How were the authorities put under pressure? What attempts were made to solve the problem?