He developed close links with one of his professors, the famous mineralogist Albin Julius Weisbach, with whom he worked on several projects.

Other Dresden revolutionaries had fled their home country for Zürich (Richard Wagner, Gottfried Semper, Theodor Mommsen).

It was in Zürich that Zeuner made his model of a locomotive front end in 1858; he recognised its potential for creating momentum but was only interested in the theory and did not develop the design any further.

His former professor, Albin Weisbach, commemorated his friend's acquisition of the post by naming a mineral after him - the transparent green crystal zeunerite.

[1] In 1871 Zeuner returned to Germany and was once again able to work with Weisbach when he succeeded his old friend as director of the Freiberg Mining Academy.