#ikarus #gdr #bus The Ikarus 280/3 was a bus from Hungary that was very well known and popular in the former GDR. Many people used this bus to go to work, to school and to visit their relatives. It was nicknamed "Schlenki" and was an important part of many people's childhoods before and after reunification.
The rotating plate of the bus was particularly fascinating, but also frightening. The sound of the closing trapdoor and the bus driver's long gear stick are memories that are sometimes more than 30 years old.
It happened that a door opened while driving because the pressure in the air was not sufficient. The seating arrangement was strictly regulated, the playful children sat in the back, while stressed passengers took a seat in the front. The "cool ones" stood in the articulation of the bus without holding on. The Ikarus 280 built in 1989 had a capacity of 53 seats and 10 standing places and was used both in the city and on intercity routes.
The punctuality of the buses in the GDR played a subordinate role, since there was a very high frequency and the next bus often followed soon. In the event of a breakdown, the bus was repaired as quickly as possible, since there were not many reserves and it was often difficult to obtain spare parts. Some spare parts were even manufactured in-house or produced by other companies.
It was common for passengers to stand tightly together on the bus due to high demand. The vehicles were all used and there were hardly any reserves. Nevertheless, the Ikarus 280 was an important part of local public transport in the GDR and left good memories for many people.

However, we also had the great pleasure of taking a tour of Chemnitz exclusively for our recordings. What was commonplace back then is definitely a little adventure in this time machine today. The smells, sounds and vibrations - all long forgotten - were back immediately thanks to these pictures.