The South Bridge (german: Südbrücke ; ) is a bridge over the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
on the
Cologne freight bypass railway in
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
in the German state of
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inha ...
. On the west side of the Rhine, it forms the border between the districts of Neustadt-Süd and
Köln-Bayenthal. On the east bank of the Rhine it forms the border between
Köln-Deutz
The Cologne borough of Deutz (german: Köln-Deutz ; ), is a part of central Cologne, Germany, and was once an independent town.
History
Deutz was established under Roman Emperor Constantine I in 310 AD, when he established ''Castrum Divitia'', ...
and
Köln-Poll.
The two track South Bridge is used by railway traffic, pedestrians and cyclists. Since its construction it has been used mainly by freight services. Some
Intercity-Express
The Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE ()) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany. It also serves some destinations in Austria, Denmark (ceased in 2017 but planned to resume in 2022), France, Belgium, Switzerl ...
services were also scheduled to run over the bridge before the rebuilding of
Köln Messe/Deutz station
Köln Messe/Deutz station (called ''Köln-Deutz'' until November 2004, Colognian: , ) is an important railway junction for long-distance rail and local services in the Cologne district of Deutz in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It i ...
.
History
![köln_südbrücke_tuerme_rechtsrheinisch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/K%C3%B6ln_s%C3%BCdbr%C3%BCcke_tuerme_rechtsrheinisch.jpg)
The South Bridge was built from 1906 (start of construction: 8 November 1906) to 1910 for 5.5 million
marks
Marks may refer to:
Business
* Mark's, a Canadian retail chain
* Marks & Spencer, a British retail chain
* Collective trade marks, trademarks owned by an organisation for the benefit of its members
* Marks & Co, the inspiration for the novel ...
by the
Prussian state railways
The term Prussian state railways (German: ''Preußische Staatseisenbahnen'') encompasses those railway organisations that were owned or managed by the State of Prussia. The words "state railways" are not capitalized because Prussia did not have a ...
[ ] under the direction of the head of the board of works, Fritz Beermann. The design was in the hands of Frederick Dircksen, who also initially directed the construction. The designs of the stonework at the portals, the ramps and the piers was carried out by the Berlin architect
Franz Schwechten
Franz Heinrich Schwechten (12 August 1841 – 11 August 1924) was one of the most famous German architects of the Wilhelmine era, and contributed to the development of historicist architecture.
Life
Schwechten was born in Cologne, the son of a ...
, who designed the corresponding work for the
Hohenzollern Bridge. It was officially put into service on 5 April 1910.
[ ] The construction of sidewalks on both sides of the bridge was funded by the city of Cologne.
An opening ceremony was dispensed with as a result of a severe accident in 1908 (during the building of the middle truss arch), in which eight workers were killed.
The steel main structure has three spans (101.5 m + 165 m + 101.5 m) with a total length of 368 m and a width of 10.34 m. The pylons are built in a
Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...
style and furnished with rich sculptural decorations, which were made by the Berlin sculptor Gotthold Riegelmann (1864–1935).
In the Second World War, the South Bridge was largely destroyed in an air raid on 6 January 1945. The central span lying in the stream had to be demolished and therefore was no longer available for the reconstruction. In May 1946, the bridge was first opened provisionally with a single track and later rebuilt for
DM 10 million, resuming operations on 1 October 1950. As with its northern counterpart, the Hohenzollern Bridge, the reconstruction did not include the decorative parts of the portals and pylons. Part of the square stone block was used for the reconstruction of the stone arches over the Rheinallee and on the bank at Porz. The total length of the bridge is now 536 m.
Today, the bridge is owned by
Deutsche Bahn. The city of Cologne is responsible for the maintenance and care of the sidewalks.
Conservation
The bridge is now heritage-listed for its historical importance as a railway because of its steel truss construction and partially preserved Romanesque Revival stonework. The ''Rheinische Verein für Denkmalpflege und Landschaftsschutz'' (Rhenish Association for heritage conservation and landscape protection) presented it as the monument of the month in May 2006,
[ ] in order to draw attention to its condition.
The renovation of sidewalks and the pylons located on both sides of the Rhine began in December 2009. The costs amounted to about €5.1 million.
Notes
References
*
*
* {{cite book, author=Hans-Fried Schierk , title=100 Jahre feste Rheinbrücken in Nordrhein-Westfalen 1855/1955., location=Opladen , year=1985 , language=German
Buildings and structures in Cologne
Bridges over the Rhine
Railway bridges in Germany
Bridges in North Rhine-Westphalia
Bridges completed in 1910
Bridges completed in 1950