History

The Arnhem tram company GETA (Municipal Electric Tram Arnhem) started operating in Arnhem in 1911, with the first tram line (Arnhem-Velp) being completed in 1912. Over the years the tram network was expanded to include five lines. GETA acquired six new trams, the famous GETA 70-75 series, in 1929. These vehicles were equipped with four axles rather than the usual two. They were ultramodern and the pride of the city of Arnhem. Only Rotterdam could also boast such modern trams.  

The war years were difficult for GETA. Cuts were made in the tram network, but every effort was made to keep the trams running as efficiently as possible. On 17 September 1944, the violence of war was unleashed on the city during the battle of Arnhem. Virtually all the trams were destroyed and the depot on the Westervoortsedijk collapsed following a targeted shell attack.

This signalled the end of the tram in Arnhem, as the city switched over to trolley buses after the war.  

In 1996, a long-held ambition of the museum became a reality. For a number of years the museum had been trying to find a way to make the undulating site more easily accessible, especially for older and disabled visitors.

In collaboration with the Dutch Tramway Preservation Society, within the framework of the Museum Tram Foundation for the Netherlands Open Air Museum, a replica of an Arnhem tram was built, the tram depot reconstructed and the track laid.

 

Without the ongoing efforts of staff and numerous volunteers it would be impossible to operate the trams at the Netherlands Open Air Museum. In addition to the work that takes place in the tram depot – maintenance, restoration, repair etc. – groups of volunteers also help out every day on the trams that run through the museum, dressed in the uniforms that would have been worn by the tram personnel in the 1930s! More than a hundred volunteers have been specially trained as conductors or drivers.