Railway Bridge in

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

crosses

Nemunas river Neman, Nemunas or Niemen is a river in Europe that rises in central Belarus and flows through Lithuania then forms the northern border of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia's western exclave, which specifically follows its southern channel. It drains ...

to connect Central Kaunas and lower Freda of

Aleksotas The Aleksotas Eldership () is an eldership in the southern section of the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, bordering the left bank of the Nemunas River. Its population in 2006 was 21,694. The elderate borders Vilijampolė and Centras in the north, ...

district. Because of its green paint, it is often called ''Green'' (). Construction of the bridge started in 1859 and ended in 1862. The usage of the bridge started on the 4 February 1862. Together with central Kaunas Railway Station and

Kaunas Railway Tunnel Kaunas railway tunnel () is one of the two railway tunnels existing in Lithuania and the only railway tunnel operating in the Baltic states. Passenger trains are operating between Vilnius and Kaunas through this tunnel. The length of the tunnel ...

, it forms an important Kaunas railway hub in Lithuania. However, during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

parts of the bridge were destroyed, but soon afterwards were rebuilt as well as the

standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...

was laid by

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

during

Paul von Hindenburg Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German military and political leader who led the Imperial German Army during the First World War and later became President of Germany (1919� ...

was among the guests who participated in the opening ceremony of the reconstructed bridge. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the bridge was blown up several times, but was rebuilt later. Kaunas Railway Bridge was included into the Registry of Immovable Cultural Heritage Sites of the Republic of Lithuania in 1996.
The Registry of Immovable Cultural Heritage Sites: Unique object code: 22215. Retrieved on 30 October 2010.

References

Railway bridges in Lithuania Bridges in Kaunas Bridges completed in 1862 1862 establishments in the Russian Empire Objects listed in Lithuanian Registry of Cultural Property {{Lithuania-bridge-struct-stub