Malchow swing bridge
The swing bridge in Malchow , Mecklenburg, connects the old town , which is located on an island in Malchower See, with the districts on the western bank of the water.
Until 1845, the only transport connection from the island of Malchow was in the form of a wooden bridge to the western mainland. Shipping traffic could pass freely east of the island at this time. When a road embankment was built on the southeastern mainland in 1846, the rigid wooden bridge had to be replaced by a lift bridge in order to obtain a new passage for shipping.
This lift bridge was replaced in 1863 by a swing bridge made entirely of wood . It was not until 1912 that the wooden swing bridge, which had become too narrow, was replaced by a steel structure. In 1945 the bridge was completely demolished. The traffic was ensured by a wooden makeshift bridge lying on a bridge boat. A new swing bridge was built in 1948/1949. The turning process was carried out for the first time by an electric motor. Until the opening of the Berlin-Rostock motorway in 1978, it was the only crossing over the upper lakes of the Mecklenburg Lake District. Until 1980 the swing bridge deteriorated. There was no money for a general repair. After ten years of inactivity, a new bridge was built between 1989 and 1991 and opened to traffic.
Since then, until 2012, it has opened every hour on the hour to allow the ships sailing on the Müritz-Elde waterway to pass. The building appraisals carried out in early 2012 showed that the swing bridge in Malchow urgently needed to be renewed. The construction costs for this were estimated at six million euros. A completely new rotating pylon bridge was constructed and completed within a year. The new bridge was put into operation in 2013, and in 2014 it received the audience award and a commendation for the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania State Building Prize .
Malchow swing bridge, information sign
The bridge structure from 1991–2012
Since 2013, a new bridge has been connecting the island with the western mainland.
The swing bridge is the only hydraulic structure in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to be operated and maintained by a municipality . The swing bridge is also a registered technical monument .
In order to guarantee the maintenance of the swing bridge, the bridge keeper collects a voluntary contribution from the captains and passengers of the ships passing through. To do this, from the rotating bridge, he suffices a long stick with a collecting bag in the direction of the moving ships. As a thank you, each donor receives a small photo card of the swing bridge, which is also provided with interesting information on the back.
Malchow swing bridge, half turned
Malchow swing bridge, passage of sailing ship
Malchow swing bridge, passage of the liner
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Nordkurier ( Memento from March 11, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Malchow swing bridge. Inselstadt Malchow, accessed July 15, 2016 .
Coordinates: 53 ° 28 ′ 27 " N , 12 ° 25 ′ 38" E