The yard was started as a auto recycler/junkyard by Walter Messerli in 1933. Fast forward to 1975, Franz Messerli (his son) took over. The son tried to carry on the business selling parts. Then tried to make money as a museum. Basically the business went under and now the grounds are to be emptied and cleaned up.
The above is a turn signal semaphore
http://foto.blick.ch/album/CID-u0003196-147/ Best website I've found... use the slideshow function.A similar European junkyard gallery http://www.cb-globe-image.ch/bild-Autofriedhof%20%20Genf%201988/3/53
I learned about these on http://stipistop.com/ and from http://jalopnik.com/394712/swiss-junkyard-actually-a-museum
