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Ernst Menzi and the climbing excavator

In 1966, the inventor Ernst Menzi designed the world’s first ever walking excavator. He was also a talented businessman and systematically applied for patent protection for his inventions. Part three of our series on Swiss inventions featured on postage stamps.

The drawing for patent specification CH445396. The walking excavator designed by Ernst Menzi was a world first in 1966.

The walking excavator designed by Ernst Menzi (1897–1984) was a sensation at the time. It can move with ease over steep and rough terrain, whereas the traditional diggers used until then couldn’t cope with difficult work on slopes. In 1966, the first Menzi Muck excavator was delivered. Its name was based on the German fairy tale character Muck, who has magical powers.

 
The Menzi Muck Model 2500. Photo: Menzi Muck AG
 

Ernst Menzi invented a lounger too

Success wasn’t long in coming. The product was in particular demand internationally. Ernst Menzi kept on inventing and filed numerous improvements to his walking excavators with the Federal Industrial Property Agency (as the IPI was then known) in the following years. He occasionally delved into other areas, developing a lounger, among other things. During his career, he applied for patents for numerous inventions.

 
Ernst Menzi applied for patent protection for numerous inventions, not all of which were related to excavators. For example, you can find a ‘foldable lounger’ in his name (CH217182).
 

The Menzi family has long since withdrawn from the business, which has been a public limited company since 1996. Its name – also Menzi Muck – is now the only connection with its past. The technology has moved on. The excavator has been continuously developed.

 

Walking excavators can work on any kind of terrain, thanks to their stabilising technology. As a result, walking excavators have been to lots of places that human beings can’t normally access.

 
Swiss Post has dedicated a stamp to the invention of the excavator. Photo: Swiss Post
 

Swiss inventions on stamps: the background story

Swiss Post has dedicated a stamp to the inventor of the toilet duck. It appeared in September 2025 and was the fifth stamp featuring a Swiss invention. The first four inventions were the garlic press, Menzi Muck diggers, Velcro fasteners and Barryvox avalanche transceivers. We’re dedicating a story to each of these legendary innovations.

 

Previous blogposts:

1. Toilet duck

2. Garlic press

 

“Swiss themes, especially ‘Swissness’, are very popular with our target group – collectors and philatelists. In combination with the theme of inventions, this helps to draw attention to Switzerland as a country of inventors,” wrote Swiss Post in response to a query from the IPI.

 

The five inventions were selected during a brainstorming session. “The aim was to showcase the diversity and richness of Swiss inventions while covering our target group’s wide-ranging areas of interest.”

 

The toilet duck completes the stamp series for the time being. So Swiss Post has compiled a folder containing all the stamps issued to date that feature Swiss inventions.

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