Bridges of Salzburg
In the Austrian city of Salzburg there are now thirteen bridges that cross the Salzach . Some of them are located in places where a bridge has existed for a century and much longer, or where ferries used to exist. Seven bridges are called "Steg" and are intended exclusively for pedestrians and cyclists. Four bridges are designed for motor traffic, three of which are in the inner-city area. There is also a railway bridge and a motorway bridge on the northern outskirts, both of which are accessible to pedestrians after renovations.
In the entire city area and beyond, there is a continuous cycle path on both banks of the Salzach , which crosses under all city bridges for car traffic, which enables the city to be passed on these paths without crossing.
Since September 2013 it has been possible to cross the Salzach without a motor, in addition to the bridges between Pionier- and Traklsteg at the newly built Sohlstufe Lehen power plant .
Salzach bridges in the Roman Juvavum
With a probability bordering on certainty, there was already a bridge over the Salzach in the then city of Juvavum in Roman times , which connected the buildings to the right and left of the river and at the same time was part of the Roman long-distance route network. A simple ford through the Salzach in Juvavum would be inconceivable simply because the river here has a flow rate that is significantly too high for most of the year.
Bridges in the Middle Ages
The first evidence of a medieval Salzach bridge in Salzburg comes from the time of Archbishop Konrad von Abensberg (1111), when the insubordinate archbishop's property manager was caught during his nightly secret escape on the Salzach bridge and then blinded as a punishment . The first Salzburg bridge over the Salzach is certainly considerably older. The road connection to what was then Austria was also very important in early Salzburg and therefore made a bridge absolutely necessary. Since the early 12th century at the latest, a bridge toll has been levied on the Salzburg city bridge, and a bridge toller is mentioned in a document in 1120. In 1277 Rudolf von Habsburg again confirmed the archbishop's right to collect the bridge toll. At that time, the archbishop usually gave the toll right to fiefdoms. Among these fiefs were the lords (ministerial nobles) von Radeck and Unzing (today's Itzling district ). The toll collectors gave the archbishop an annual lump sum. Since the end of the 14th century, the toll law was then regularly granted to the Salzburg city judge in order to better exercise control over the bridge and its respective use. Since around 1350, the citizens of the city no longer had to pay a bridge tariff for their own goods. The bridge toll was first collected at the Schlagtor in the middle of the bridge, between 1486 and 1496 this toll station was then moved to the town hall. Since the 17th century, the bridge toll was no longer leased, but collected directly by the state administration.
In the late 14th century were called " bridge gentlemen Bürgerspital, Abbot of St. Peter, township, Cathedral Chapter, Berchtesgaden provost and abbess of Nonnberg, each for a" Brückenjoch and the Archbishop for two yokes responsible. In the 16th century the bridge had seven bays. This is shown by pictures from the years 1598 and 1565. In the 16th century, the tasks of the individual bridge lords were regulated as follows:
| old town-side bridgehead | Citizens Hospital |
| first bridge yoke | Citizens Hospital |
| second bridge yoke | Prince Archbishop |
| third bridge yoke | Abbot of St. Peter's Monastery |
| fourth bridge yoke | Borough |
| fifth bridge yoke | Cathedral chapter |
| sixth bridge yoke | Prince Archbishop |
| seventh bridge yoke | Prince Provost of Berchtesgaden |
| New town side bridgehead | Abbess of the Nonnberg Monastery |
In the time of the increasing absolutism of the sovereigns before 1600, the work of bridge maintenance was increasingly taken over by the sovereign, although the nominal obligation of the former bridge lords remained formally for a long time.
Bridges in modern times
In the Middle Ages, there were various shops on the bridge, but mainly meat shops. After the floods in 1573, many of these estates moved to the Gries , only to stay there in 1608.
When the bridge was badly damaged again in a flood in 1598, Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau decided to build a new one and wrote a treatise on bridge construction himself. The Hallein bridge master Hieronymus Stubhainz built a bridge with only four bays. The bridge changed its location from Klamperergässchen next to the town hall. For a short time there were two bridges next to each other. To implement the new bridge connection, the old Lasserhaus on the later Platzl at the beginning of Linzer Gasse was demolished, the office building relocated and the fish market relocated. The meat banks, which had been located on the Gries since 1573 to relieve the old bridge, were temporarily allowed to move back onto the new bridge until it turned out that the small number of yokes revealed new weak points. Therefore, in 1607, the butchers' banks were finally relocated. As early as 1608, the bridge had to be completely abandoned and give way to a new temporary bridge. Now Wolf Dietrich wanted to build a really stable stone bridge, probably on the suggestion of Vicenzo Scamozzi. The first foundation of the new yokes was insufficient and had to be renewed. In 1610 the bridgehead and two yokes stood. The construction did not come to an end due to the fall of Wolf Dietrich. Markus Sittikus von Hohenems had construction stopped and temporarily canceled for cost reasons. In 1620 the new wooden bridge was finally completed, which withstood the flood of 1663.
The newly built bridge lasted until 1787, when the middle yoke sank in the flood. Shortly after 1788 the roof of the bridge (probably already rotten) was removed, which had given the bridge an allegedly gloomy appearance. As a result, the bridge was not only a roadway, but increasingly also a romantically transfigured social center of the city, offering a good view of the old city of Salzburg and its surroundings. It was now illuminated by five lanterns in the late evening hours. Even after 1900, what was then the “Aryan State Bridge” appears to be a popular playground for everyone.
The individual Salzach bridges and their past
Hellbrunn Bridge (Sigmund-Thun Bridge)
The bridge is located south of the Alpine settlement on the outskirts of Salzburg and is particularly important for local traffic. As part of the only 1.2 km long Hellbrunn state road (L106), it represents an important connection between the southern end of the Alpenstraße and Glasenbach (in the municipality of Elsbethen ) and subsequently with the Salzburg district of Aigen .
As an extension of the Fürstenweg, a temporary wooden bridge 101 m long and 6 m wide was built in place of an earlier ferry in 1878. This was the emergency bridge that was no longer needed after the completion of the main bridge (today the State Bridge) and was used here a second time. With this bridge, the two important Salzburg tourist attractions in Aigen and Hellbrunn were to be connected with each other, also for horse and carts. The building was significantly funded by the then still independent communities of Morzg , Anif and Aigen. The emergency bridge was provisionally taken over by the State of Salzburg in 1881 at the request of these municipalities. The actual main bridge was built in 1887 - largely subdivided by Viktor Ludwig on behalf of the State of Salzburg - and opened on February 16, 1888 as a toll bridge, according to Sigmund Graf Thun Hohenstein as the "Sigmund-Thun Bridge". Already badly damaged by the floods in 1897 and 1899, large parts of the bridge were torn away during the renewed floods in 1920. A few years later the building could be repaired again, but it remained a temporary measure. On March 1, 1945, the pioneer replacement and training battalion, which was housed in the nearby camp on the Alpenstrasse, built a new temporary bridge, designed as a wooden bridge with iron girders, which was erected on August 13, 1959 a few hours before the motorway bridge collapsed was torn away by the floods of the Salzach. Although it was rebuilt in its old form in 1960, it no longer met the requirements of the increasing traffic. In 1968, the new Hellbrunn Bridge was finally built in its current location, which also spans the railway line and thus avoids the long waiting times in front of closed railway gates. The traffic structure was opened on October 29, 1971.
Wilhelm-Kaufmann-Steg
On July 22, 2011, another crossing over the Salzach was opened. The pedestrian and bicycle bridge connects the districts of Aigen and Josefiau .
Among other things, the footbridge was built with a view to the easy accessibility of the opposite district for schoolchildren. The idea of relieving traffic also played a role, as the new crossing eliminates the need for a detour over the Hellbrunn Bridge. The Wilhelm-Kaufmann-Steg is also passable for emergency vehicles.
During the construction phase, the name of the structure was "Salzachsteg Süd". When the name was officially given, it was initially thought of naming the footbridge after a well-known female Salzburg personality, but ultimately the decision was made in favor of the painter Wilhelm Kaufmann , who, among other things, campaigned for the preservation of the Salzburg cityscape during his lifetime.
Transfer bridge
This bridge for pedestrians and cyclists was built in 1980 and, like the Wilhelm-Kaufmann-Steg, connects the Josefiau with Aigen.
A regular ferry service ("Überfuhr") was opened between 1830 and 1860 on the site of today's bridge. In 1889 a crossing cost 3 cruisers (group tariff) or 4 cruisers (single trip) per person. After 1945, the ferry was taken over as a cable ferry by the public transport company of the Stadtwerke, which carried over 100,000 passengers in 1949. In 1952 it was leased to Franz and Therese Lindinger with its sharply declining transport numbers and discontinued in 1965. Today's bridge, popularly known as the Josefiausteg, was opened on December 20, 1980; it also serves as a connection for various supply lines.
In 2013 the overpass bridge was completely refurbished.
Karolinenbrücke (Nonntaler Bridge)
The Karolinenbrücke, together with the Staatsbrücke and Lehener Brücke, bear the brunt of urban traffic. It is located at the southern end of Salzburg's old town and connects the Inner Nonntal and the beginning of the Alpine Road on the left with the Outer Stein on the right side of the Salzach. The name "Nonntal Bridge" is popularly known as familiar as the earlier designation by Caroline Augusta of Bavaria , the widow of the Austrian Emperor Francis I .
In place of the current bridge, ferry traffic has existed since 1722. As an emergency bridge during the construction of the rotten main bridge, a bridge was proposed in 1856 at the level of the Kajetanertor on the site of today's Karolinenbrücke. The city was supposed to cover the costs for this emergency bridge, but initially did not want to take on this obligation. She only approved the construction of the new bridge after fierce resistance in 1858. The contractor Carl Andessner was commissioned with the construction. In honor of the imperial widow, the bridge was named "Karolinenbrücke" and opened on July 23, 1859 in the presence of Carolina Augusta.
Almost thirty years later the wooden Karolinenbrücke had become decrepit. For this reason, planned by the director of the Frankfurt waterworks company , it was rebuilt from 1883 to 1884 using a rather filigree steel bridge with rich decorative elements. However, it could not guarantee the stability for the weight of the Salzburg – Hangender Stein local railway , which was opened in 1886 and which ran over it at that time . So it was decided to build a new bridge as early as 1914. The start of construction was delayed until March 7, 1938. The new bridge was completed in autumn 1939. In 1990/91 the footpaths and cycle paths of this bridge were widened and in 2006 the bridge structure was reinforced with arched support elements.
Salzburger Straße (B 150) leads over the Karolinenbrücke .
Mozart Bridge
The footbridge follows the Karolinenbrücke downstream and is named after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart . It is located at the level of the southern end of Mozartplatz and connects the old town on the left with Imbergstrasse, which runs along the right bank of the river, and the historic Steingasse , which runs parallel to it, at the foot of the Kapuzinerberg .
Endorsed by the municipal council since 1897, the pedestrian link - largely supported by the "Second Salzach-Eisensteg Association" - was completed in 1903 and opened on March 29th of that year as a toll bridge. Since 1921 no more tolls have been collected. The toll booth on the left bank of the Salzach has been preserved and was used as a small shop for a while. A general renovation of the footbridge took place in 1992/93. For this purpose, a housing designed by the artist Anton Thuswaldner and covered with black plastic film was built, which caused heated discussions in Salzburg.
The footbridge with its Art Nouveau decorations had its original wooden covering until 2011. However, after water, dirt and road salt got onto the bridge structure through the joints between the wooden planks and led to considerable corrosion, another renovation was necessary. During a four-and-a-half month closure, the supporting structure was therefore derusted and newly protected against corrosion, a continuous stainless steel surface coated with sand was applied and the drainage improved.
The footbridge and the toll booth are under monument protection.
Staatsbrücke (city bridge, main bridge)
Today's State Bridge connects the left-hand and right-hand old town at the level of the historic Linzer Gasse .
As early as 1856, the previously existing wooden bridge, which had been renewed many times, had become so rotten that it could no longer carry heavy loads, so that only light or empty wagons were allowed to cross the bridge. After the responsible ministry of the monarchy had originally considered itself incompetent, it was possible to convince the responsible authorities of the overriding value of the traffic bridge. At that time, the name "State Bridge" was becoming increasingly common in view of the state bridge maintainer. (Since 1966, however, this bridge has again been owned by the city).
For a long time, a new chain bridge with a single central yoke was planned to replace the wooden bridge. This idea was only given up late. After the completion of the Karolinenbrücke in 1858, the new construction of the main bridge as an iron construction could be carried out quickly and opened on March 1st, 1859 with the now official name "State Bridge". The bridge's second name, "Franz-Josefs-Brücke", did not prevail.
The construction of today's State Bridge began in 1941, with 55 French and later 60 Soviet prisoners of war being called in to work. The new building was only reopened in 1949 after nine years of construction. The monumental lions intended for the bridge were not erected; these lions now adorn the main train station in Linz . In 1987, after long discussions, the bridge was only given a cycle path underpass on the right bank and in 2004 also on the left bank, which means that for the first time all bridges with motor vehicle traffic can be crossed under bicycles on both sides without crossing, which significantly increased cycle traffic on this route. A general renovation of the bridge took place in 2007.
As part of the “ Art Project Salzburg ”, in which contemporary sculptures and other art objects were installed at various locations in downtown Salzburg from 2002 to 2011, the State Bridge was selected as a location for this. The work Beyond Recall from 2011 by Brigitte Kowanz consists of four semi-transparent mirror cubes that are placed on the four bases of the bridgeheads. They show lettering in neon light; reference is also made to the prisoners of war who built today's bridge. Immediately next to the State Bridge on the right bank of the river is another work from the “Art Project Salzburg”, the Spirit of Mozart created by Marina Abramović in 2004 .
Iron construction in place of today's State Bridge on a painting from 1897
Opening of the new bridge in 1949
Staatsbrücke, in the background the Mozartsteg
Bridge with one of the frequently changing flags
One of the four mirror cubes
Makartsteg (museum footbridge)
This pedestrian walkway in the old town is named after the painter Hans Makart and leads from Hanuschplatz to Makartplatz and, among other things, to the residences of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Christian Doppler.
The first footbridge at this point was funded by the then "Museum Footbridge Association" and was built in 1905 as the "Museum Footbridge". The footbridge lost its filigree Art Nouveau steel construction in 1967. In 2000/01, the old footbridge was torn down and a new one was erected, which only rests on one pillar and is also noticeable due to its curved shape. The building was planned by the HALLE 1 architectural group .
In May 2011, according to an existing order to keep posters and the like away from the bridge, 42 love locks were cut from the railing fence by the Salzburg City Council . The removal of the locks was soon recognized as a mistake and locks could get stuck in the future.
The Makartsteg is the location for the “Knowledge Bridge” project of the University of Salzburg together with the Salzburg City Administration (city archive). For several weeks in spring and summer, posters on historical topics are shown in the form of an exhibition, mainly with regard to immigration to the city of Salzburg. The explanations are in German and English.
- 2012: History of the University of Salzburg
- 2013: Migration City Salzburg: A long look back to 1960
- 2014: Migration city Salzburg: A brief look back. 1960-1990
- 2016: Migration city of Salzburg: 50 years of the recruitment agreement with Yugoslavia
Müllnersteg (Franz-Carl-Gehbrücke)
At the level of the Mirabell Gardens, the footbridge forms the bridge connection for pedestrians and cyclists between the district of Mülln on the left and Neustadt on the right bank of the Salzach.
On May 11, 1869, a temporary wooden footbridge was opened here for pedestrian traffic. At that time, the stone staircase down to the quay was built here. The following permanent footbridge with two stone pillars was opened on August 15, 1878 under the then name "Franz-Carl-Gehbrücke". It was named after the father of Emperor Franz Josef I and was built by the "Archduke-Franz-Carl-Gehbrücken-Verein". Similar to the Makartsteg and Mozartsteg there was a toll booth next to the footbridge, where the bridge users had to pay a small toll. The bridge was partially destroyed by bombs in 1944 and was later rebuilt first as a temporary wooden structure and in 1956 as a permanent steel structure. Today's bridge was built in 1996 to replace the previous bridge that had fallen into disrepair.
Railway bridge
This bridge is not far from the Müllnersteg down the river and was gradually rebuilt with three tracks from mid-2005 to 2009 in order to offer more space for the Salzburg S-Bahn . In addition, a new connection for pedestrians was created, which is located between the train tracks and leads directly to the Salzburg Mülln - Altstadt S-Bahn station. Such a pedestrian bridge had already been applied for in 1860, but was not implemented at that time for reasons of cost. The new bridge only has two slim pillars and was given a contemporary, attractive shape.
The railway bridge was the first step in the city towards the construction of the later new railway line ( Franz-Josefs-Bahn ). Work on regulating the Salzach began here on the left bank of the Salzach. The first building blocks were ceremoniously driven to the Salzach in a wreathed wagon on September 11, 1857. On August 12, 1860, the bridge with its four pillars was inaugurated in a festive train journey with Empress Elisabeth . The iron girder construction was expanded to two tracks in 1903. The original romanticist fortified turrets and other design elements from the Wilhelminian era were later found disturbing and removed.
Lehener Bridge (Archduke Ludwig Viktor Bridge)
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This bridge connects the districts of Lehen and Elisabeth-Vorstadt (Froschheim).
Until it was rebuilt in 1966/67, it was called the Archduke Ludwig Viktor Bridge or, for short, the Ludwig Viktor Bridge . A long and persistent bridge dispute preceded their construction. For a long time it was unclear whether a road bridge should be built in Mülln or in Lehen. Müllner, Lehener and Froschheimer citizens feared that the bridge construction would devalue their reasons. In the 1896 election campaign, the Liberals advocated a Lehen road bridge, the German Nationalists a Müllner road link. In 1899 the project for the Lehener Brücke finally began, which was opened on August 24, 1902 by Archduke Ludwig Viktor . The bridge soon became too narrow for the growing traffic and had to be widened in 1954 and equipped with additional cycle paths. In 1966 a completely new building took place, which was inaugurated on September 25, 1967 as a four-lane bridge with wide sidewalks and cycle paths on both sides.
Today the bridge is owned by the Republic of Austria and is used by around 23,000 cars every day. Wiener Straße (B1) leads over it . Since May 2012, the bridge has had yellow tubular masts on both sides with a distinctive s-curve, which extend from the long edges of the bridge, over which the sidewalks and bike paths collapse and carry lights. The pairs of trolleybus overhead lines are otherwise guyed. In 2014 the bridge was partially renovated (covering, noise reduction technology). The costs were estimated at € 800,000. In 2015/2016, the railings and the side staircases were renovated.
Pioneer bridge
This bridge for pedestrians and cyclists, like the Lehener Brücke, connects the two districts of Lehen and Elisabeth-Vorstadt. It takes you from Lehener Park in the direction of Jahnstraße to the main station .
The pier opened on August 6, 1977. He bears the name in memory of the help of the Salzburg pioneers of the Austrian Armed Forces in the construction of the bridge.
The bridge was renovated in 2017.
Traklsteg
Further downstream, the Traklsteg connects the districts of Lehen and Liefering on the left of the Salzach with Itzling on the right side of the river as another pedestrian and cyclist bridge at the point where the Glan Bach flows into the Salzach . It is named after the Salzburg-born poet Georg Trakl . The jetty was opened on July 12, 1991.
Highway bridge
This bridge is located far to the north of the city and, as an urban motorway, also carries part of the inner-city traffic.
The section of the motorway including the bridge was built between 1938 and 1941. The bridge itself was completed on May 31, 1940. The motorway section could not be opened to traffic until 1949 due to the lack of connecting pieces. It was only important as a pedestrian bridge between the lanes. The “old” motorway bridge collapsed in August 1959 during a severe flood after a poorly executed sheet pile wall had led to a pillar being submerged. Fortunately, the bridge had been closed to traffic shortly before. At that time it was restored to its old condition. The sidewalk was at the same level between the two directional lanes, separated from them by handrails and guardrails, and was connected to both banks by stairs near the bridge piers. Due to the risk of further scouring , those responsible decided after 1993 to rebuild the bridge, which was carried out from 1995 to 1997. The motorway bridge now has a pedestrian walkway below the carriageway level.
See also
literature
- Thomas Weidenholzer, Guido Müller: Salzburg's old and new bridges over the Salzach , series of publications by the Salzburg City Archives No. 15, Salzburg 2001, ISBN 3-901014-75-6
Web links
- Second Glance: Hidden Treasures in Salzburg , link list on www.visit-salzburg.net to smaller sights in Salzburg with links to all Salzach bridges (English)
- Information on the Wilhelm-Kaufmann-Steg at stadt.salzburg.at, version of August 27, 2012 ( memento of August 27, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) in the Internet Archive , accessed on May 3, 2014.
- Information on the new construction of the railway bridge on S-Bahn-Salzburg.at, version from January 11, 2013 ( memento from January 11, 2013 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on May 3, 2014.
Individual evidence
- ^ “ Wilhelm-Kaufmann-Steg opened” , salzburg.orf.at, July 22, 2011, accessed on August 15, 2011
- ↑ Thomas Weidenholzer, Guido Müller: Salzburg's old and new bridges over the Salzach . Salzburg 2001, ISBN 3-901014-75-6 .
- ^ Mozartsteg: renovation completed salzburg.orf.at, September 23, 2011, accessed on July 7, 2012
- ↑ List of monuments ( Memento of the original dated December 30, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Federal Monuments Office, June 6, 2012, accessed on July 7, 2012
- ↑ View of the main bridge 1644: digitized
- ↑ Salzburg Foundation ( Memento of the original from September 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed on August 11, 2013
- ^ “Magistrate does not like love locks” , salzburg.orf.at, May 10, 2011, accessed on August 15, 2011
- ↑ www.stadt-salzburg.at ( Memento of the original from May 20, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed on May 21, 2016
- ↑ a b Lehener Brücke is being completely renovated , ORF.at of July 7, 2014, accessed on July 10, 2014
