Every year at Whitsuntide, the VW Beetle Club Última Edición e.V. organises a special Beetle meeting.
In 2022, Dresden and the surrounding area was the venue, and over 150 participants with more than 75 Beetles came to see Prof Dr Hahn in person. He had accepted Walter Köhler's invitation to be the guest of honour.
In perfect weather, the Beetles drove past Moritzburg Castle, took the Beetle fans to Königstein Fortress and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, and were taken across the Elbe on the castle ferry from Pillnitz to Kleinzschachwitz. The Beetles then climbed up to Lingnerschloss, where an unprecedented highlight took place:
The last VW Beetle ever built was brought to Dresden by Autostadt Wolfsburg and handed over to Club President Walter Köhler. Prof. Dr. Hahn, whose father was a DKW owner, has close links with Saxony and was delighted with the organisation of the meeting, and even more so when he was chauffeured around Dresden for an hour by Walter Köhler in the Beetle: Lingner Castle.
There it was greeted with enthusiasm by the participants and other guests of honour. The Última Edicíón Beetles were lined up in a semi-circle in front of the palace entrance, with a place reserved for the last Beetle to drive up, right in front of the entrance steps. As soon as Prof. Dr. Hahn stepped out of the car, which was greeted with loud applause by the guests, he gave an impressive welcome speech before walking down the red carpet with Club President Walter Köhler to the palace entrance, where he was greeted by guests of honour and representatives of the City of Dresden.
Prof Hahn then addressed the participants once again before dinner was served to all guests and participants on the Lingnerter terraces. Quote from Dr Hahn: "After all, it was the Volkswagen Beetle that gave people unprecedented mobility.
Club President Walter Köhler then invited all the guests to the castle hall. There he hosted the evening, and Prof Hahn's speech on the history of the Beetle was broadcast. Guests of honour Robert Radermacher (Gottfried Schultz Group), Tiddo Bresters (FIVA President), Dr Lenk as host and Isolde Decker (TDE) entertained the participants with interesting presentations, including some 'inside stories'.
The evening went by far too quickly, but the next day brought an unprecedented highlight:
75 VW Beetles were given special permission to park on the Neumarkt square in front of the Frauenkirche church! The arrival of the Beetles, with their unmistakable engine noise, attracted a great deal of attention. While the club president personally marshalled the Beetles, the band Silberberg-Musikanten played. A special atmosphere was in the air. When the 75 cars were lined up, our guest of honour, Prof. Dr. Hahn, arrived at Neumarkt. Even at his advanced age (95), he had never seen such a formation. And in front of the Frauenkirche in Dresden! It was a unique sight, these spherical floats lined up like pearls on a string, and with music that fascinated even the spectators who rushed towards them!
Prof. Dr. Hahn stood in front of the Beetle Formation with enthusiasm... And he was particularly taken with the music: he conducted the band himself... And because it was so atmospheric, he sat down on the rear wing of a Beetle and put his right foot on the bumper: a Beetle lover rejoicing with emotion! Yes, what he has not done for the VW Beetle in his career and he was able to experience how much the Beetle still has a huge fan base today...
It was a special historic venue, a car with a special history and a special experience for everyone who was there. It can't be beaten and will probably never be equalled.
The programme included guided tours of Dresden, visits to museums and in the evening an exciting boat trip on the Elbe on the paddle-steamer 'Pillnitz'.
The next day, the Beetles travelled to Meißen, where the club president organised a special highlight: All the Beetles were allowed to line up in front of the cathedral for a photo session.
