The Chain Bridge (german: Kettensteg) is a pedestrian
chain bridge
A chain bridge is a historic form of suspension bridge for which chains or eyebars were used instead of wire ropes to carry the bridge deck. A famous example is the Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest.
Construction types are, as for other suspen ...
in
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. The bridge crosses the river
Pegnitz just a few meters upriver of Fronveste and Schlayerturm, fortifications in the course of the medieval city wall guarding the river's exit from the town. It connects Maxplatz in Sebalder Altstadt (the old quarter north of the river) with Untere Kreuzgasse in Lorenz, the quarter on the south side of the river.
The Chain Bridge was built in 1824 and is thus the oldest chain bridge on the European continent.
[Older examples were James Finley's ]Jacob's Creek Bridge
Jacob's Creek Bridge (1801, demolished 1833) was the first iron-chain suspension bridge built in the United States. Designed by James Finley, a local judge and inventor, it spanned Jacob's Creek, just south of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. Nothi ...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
(1808, demolished 1833), and, in Great Britain, Dryburgh Abbey Bridge
Dryburgh Abbey Bridge was a cable-stayed footbridge of significant historical interest erected near Dryburgh Abbey, in the Borders of Scotland. It connected the villages of Dryburgh and St. Boswells (part of a ribbon of settlements, including ...
(1817) and 137 m Union Bridge (1820). Dufour's Saint Antoine Bridge in Geneva (1823) was the first wire cable suspension bridge. It was not given any specific name, but the public used to call it by what it appeared to be: a narrow pedestrian bridge (german: Steg) with chains (german: Ketten).
The bridge has two spans of 33 m each and a total length of 68 m. On either side, there are two strands of
wrought iron
Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a wood-like "grain" ...
eyebar
In structural engineering and construction, an eyebar is a straight bar, usually of metal, with a hole ("eye") at each end for fixing to other components. Eyebars are used in structures such as bridges, in settings in which only tension, and ne ...
s, originally supported by three wooden towers standing on the banks of the river and on the small island, and anchored in solid masonry blocks on either side. The wooden deck was suspended from the chains by hangers, also of wrought iron.
The wooden towers were damaged by the very high floods of 1909 and, thereafter, replaced by towers of iron trusses still in existence.
As in most early suspension bridges, its bridge deck was not stiff and easily developed swaying motions under the steps of the pedestrians—and some youths enjoyed provoking the swaying on purpose. Eventually, in 1927 a police ordinance was issued in order to stop such dangerous actions. In 1930, the bridge deck was stiffened by steel girders and wooden piles were placed in the river supporting the deck. In the Nazi era, the official opinion was to remove it altogether, which was only prevented by the outbreak of war in 1939.
In 2009, the wooden piles were not safe any more and the bridge had to be closed. Substantial donations of citizens and local companies allowed a complete reconstruction, using as much as possible of the original structure and reinstating the suspension bridge structure without any other supports. The renewed wooden deck was stiffened by integrating a flat steel box girder into it, which is hardly visible. On 22 December 2010 the bridge was reopened to pedestrian use.
See also
*
*
*
References
External links
*
''Nürnberger Kettensteg,''a detailed description of the bridge and its reconstruction, by BauLust, the initiative who brought it about, in German
a comprehensive description by Nuernberginfos.de, in German
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures in Nuremberg
Pedestrian bridges in Germany
Suspension bridges in Germany
Chain bridges
Bridges completed in 1824