Bridge tower
A bridge tower was a tower on a bridge that was found in many places from the Middle Ages to the early modern period . These towers were often part of a city fortification or castle complex . Usually there was a tower only on one side or in the middle of the bridge. The terms "bridge tower" and "bridge gate" are sometimes used synonymously.
Occasionally, modern are pylons of hanging or cable-stayed bridges called the bridge towers.
Function of the bridge towers
These towers were used in ancient times , in the Middle Ages and in the early modern period to protect access to the bridge and to enable the collection of customs duties . At bridges, important roads crossed the rivers, mostly in the area of cities. The rivers were part of the fortification of these cities. It was therefore important for the city's defense not to let enemies attack the bridges. The bridges served as a bulwark and in a few cases had a smaller drawbridge . In addition to the purely protective and defensive function, the need for representation and artistic aspects also played a role in the construction of the bridge towers. These towers were often the first stately buildings that the traveler saw of a city.
The bridge tariffs were supposed to cover the mostly high construction and maintenance costs. The gates of the bridge towers were closed at night so that no one could cross the bridge during this time. In the 19th century, neo-Romanesque bridge towers were built. These towers were used primarily for architectural decoration, but also for military protection.
After the bridge tariffs were finally abolished by the beginning of the 20th century, the towers lost their function. As the volume of traffic increased , the bridge towers became a traffic obstacle. As a result, the towers were often demolished. Today the few remaining bridge towers serve as landmarks of the respective city and are a magnet for tourists.
Cities with preserved bridge towers
Germany
- Bridge tower of the Stone Bridge in Regensburg (built before the 13th century)
- Medieval tower of the Old Lahn Bridge in Limburg an der Lahn (built 1315–1354)
- Bridge Gate in Heidelberg (15th century, remodeled 1786–88)
- Towers of the south bridge in Mainz (built 1860–1862)
- Neo-Romanesque tower of the Nibelungen Bridge in Worms (built 1897–1900)
- Bridge gate in Traben-Trarbach (built 1899)
- Portal of the old Harburg Elbe Bridge (built 1899)
- Bridge gate in Miltenberg (built in 1900)
- Tower of the Friedrich-Ebert-Brücke in Duisburg (built 1904–1907)
Rest of Europe
- Milvian Bridge and Torre dei da Ponte in Rome , Italy
- Besalu Bridge , Catalonia , Spain (14th century)
- Pont Valentré , Cahors , France (14th century)
- Bridge Orthez , Béarn , France (14th century.)
- Frías Bridge , Castile , Spain (14th century)
- Old Town and Lesser Sider Bridge Tower on Charles Bridge in Prague , Czech Republic (built from 1357)
- Bridge tower in Stříbro (Mies) , Czech Republic (built 1555)
- Le Pont-de-Montvert , Lozère department , France (17th century)
- Tower Bridge in London , England (built 1894)
Bridges with memorial arches
Several ancient and medieval bridges had memorial arches - sometimes placed in the middle - in honor of the respective ruler.
- Alcantara Bridge , Extremadura , Spain
- Triumphal gate at the bridge of Frederick II in Capua (destroyed)
Web links
- Description of the Regensburg bridge towers at baufachinformation.de