The roots of people born at the end of the Second World War are characterized by deprivation. While my father was away – in captivity – until my 4th year, my world of play consisted of everyday objects, e.g. firewood from the coal box. Under these conditions, I became inventive and familiar with wood as a material. As a child, I was also fascinated by all forms of mechanics.
Later, I was able to gain a lot of know-how in my vocational training in the automotive sector and deepen it further during my studies. I worked as a development engineer at the former “Auto Union” until the fall of the Berlin Wall.
My free time was filled with motor sports, vehicle conversions, developing alternative means of transportation, but also with a love of old things, old farmhouse furniture.
After reunification, a new stage in my life began. My hobby became my profession. I not only restored old farmhouse furniture, but also toys and Erzgebirge folk art. The “Manufactory of Dreams” in Annaberg was the first major project in which I was significantly involved in terms of content and design.
The “Pohl Ströher Depot” was a challenge that subsequently arose. In addition to restoring folk art, I was also able to use my technical skills to build mechanical Christmas mountains.
I discovered the remains of a used and once beloved pedal car at a junk dealer. I immediately had the idea of restoring and preserving it. A new passion with far-reaching consequences was born.
The space available in the “Pohl Ströher Depot” made it possible to present a growing collection of restored children’s vehicles to the public.
This resulted in new contacts and thus new interesting rare children’s vehicles. In addition to tracking down collector’s items, I began to preserve, restore, document and research the vehicles and their stories.
The hardships of childhood and youth certainly awakened this collector’s gene, which later developed into a passion for collecting.
While working with these historical objects and the desire to preserve something for posterity, a collection of around 220 historical children’s vehicles from the beginnings around 1860/80 to the present day was created over the following years.
The focus of this collection is on German vehicles from all manufacturers, as well as selected vehicles from Europe and the Junior Cars created in the mid-1920s. The three most extraordinary vehicles of this era are: “BUGATTI BABY” by Ettore Bugatti, ‘CITROENETTE’ by Andre Citroen and the ‘ROLLS ROYCE’ by Lines Brothers, all three with electric drive. But here we are leaving the toy sector and entering the realm of automotive passion.
I am now at an age where I have to make an effort to find a successor and continue the collection.
I have never pursued commercial interests.
Breaking up the collection was never an option for me, as this collection of historic children’s vehicles from Germany and Saxony in particular can no longer be built up in this day and age. A cultural and industrial history would be lost forever.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a suitable buyer in the past two years.
Now I trust that this unique collection will find new enthusiasts through the competent mediation of the auction house Ni Cola from Ladenburg. Date: November 15, 2024, from 5 p.m.
https://auction.nicola-ac.de/catalog125/
However, the entire collection will remain in the form of a virtual museum – www.hollers-kinderfahrzeuge.de – and will be further expanded and supplemented in the future.
Eckart Holler – Chemnitz, in October 2024