Maiden Bridge (Berlin)
Coordinates: 52 ° 30 ′ 50 ″ N , 13 ° 24 ′ 5 ″ E
| Maiden Bridge | ||
|---|---|---|
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| use | pedestrian | |
| Convicted | Friedrichsgracht and Oberwasserstraße | |
| Crossing of | Spree Canal , Schleusengraben | |
| place | Berlin center | |
| construction | wooden bascule bridge on stone abutments | |
| overall length | 28.0 m | |
| width | 4.5 m | |
| Longest span | 8.7 m | |
| Clear height | 4.5 m | |
| location | ||
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The Jungfernbrücke in the Berlin district of Mitte is the oldest surviving bridge in the city and at the same time the only one of the previous nine identical bascule bridges. It spans the Spree Canal (Schleusengraben) and connects the streets Friedrichsgracht and Oberwasserstraße.
history
The maiden bridge was under Friedrich III. probably built in 1688 or 1689, as the chronicler Friedrich Nicolai reports in 1786, by Martin Grünberg and was first referred to as the Spreegasse Bridge . As a wooden drawbridge over the Spree Canal (Schleusengraben) it connected the Friedrichsgracht with the Alte Leipziger Strasse , which led to the Leipziger Tor, one of the city gates of Berlin at that time. The name Jungfernbrücke was first recorded as early as 1690 . After the construction of the so-called Little Maiden Bridge over the Mühlengraben in 1699, it was also known as the Great Maiden Bridge.
Until the Landwehr Canal was expanded in 1850 and the Mühlendamm lock was built from 1890 to 1893, the Spree Canal was the only inner-city shipping route between Unterspree and Oberspree.
In 1798 the bridge was replaced by a construction made of wood and iron based on a design by the Oberhofbaurat Friedrich Becherer , whereby the middle section could still be raised using chains and wheels to enable ships to pass through. The bridge built at that time has remained unchanged in its appearance since then.
Between 1937 and 1939 the river bed was deepened and the nearby Mühlendamm lock was renewed. As part of these measures, the Maiden Bridge was given a new foundation, whereby the pillars had to be lengthened by three meters. The chain hoist was shut down and the folding mechanism was thereby disabled. The hinged side parts were replaced by a continuous bridge surface made of steel girders with wooden planking. The west vault was completely torn down and rebuilt in reinforced concrete . The cable ducts on both sides of the bridge were also removed. The ramps leading up to the bridge gave way to stairs so that it could only be used by pedestrians.
Several thorough renovations in 1954, 1967 and 1979 ensured the preservation of the historic building. The last basic repairs for the time being took place in 1998/1999 in cooperation with the Berlin State Office for Monument Preservation and contributed to creating the most authentic, stable structure possible. All parts of the bridge were removed, checked for their condition and put back into the bridge after a revision or the production of historically accurate copies as possible. The wooden planking and the vaults made of red Miltenberg Main sandstone, which is now placed on an inner structure made of steel , were also renewed . This conversion cost around 4.1 million marks . The pavement leading to the hatches was redesigned with small stone paving in a historicizing way.
Construction data
The cross-section of the Jungfernbrücke was constructed sinusoidally with two arched side openings of different widths between the bank and the bridge piers (3.60 m / 6.60 m clear width). The middle section is 8.70 meters wide, the foldable bridge halves 4.20 meters wide. The bridge piers and the side openings were made of red sandstone . The portal pillars are made of wood and carry the rollers for the pull chains that lead from the valve tips over the rollers to the capstan wheels and castors. Arched boxes on the pillars accommodate the roller conveyors and the guide rails of the pull flaps. The pull chains are equipped with counterweights. On both sides of the bridge there were curved boxes to accommodate cables that had to be routed across the canal. These distinctive sinusoidal arches were removed and the cables were laid differently.
Since the renovation in 1997/1998, the middle section of the Jungfernbrücke has consisted of steel girders that support a wooden plank covering and are covered by wooden panels on the sides. Before that, there was no longer a folding mechanism.
origin of the name
The origin of this name is unclear, there are various legends about it:
- There was a men-only river bath nearby. The maidens had to stay behind at the bridge.
- A wedding custom: the bride had to cross the bridge. If the planks creaked, her virginity was in doubt. ( Note: the planks always creaked!)
- Because of the jealous murder of a young woman on or near the bridge.
- The daughters of a Huguenot who lived nearby were busy sewing fine linen, repairing and washing edges and laces and silk stockings in a booth on the bridge. They had the best reputation in Berlin for this. Only her pointy tongue had an even greater reputation. Whoever wanted to find out the latest gossip went to the maidens . Every bad news and malicious fiction could ultimately be attributed to the maidens at the bridge. This is where the nickname Klatschbrücke is supposed to come from.
- After the territory of the light girls who offered themselves on or near the bridge. The oldest brothel in Berlin was located nearby .
- The most likely explanation concerns two “Fräuleins” who lived in the nearby “Französischer Hof” inn and offered their fine handicrafts in a small sales facility next to this bridge. The Berliners simply referred to the strange women as "maidens", so they went to the maidens at the bridge to buy accessories.
The vernacular and the art
The boys who had to cross this bridge on their way to school in those days could come too late. Because against the excuse: “The bridge was jrade uffjezogen!” No teacher could object.
The GDR postal administration depicted the Jungfernbrücke on a series of special stamps in 1985. Other stamp issues on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of Berlin contained a pen line drawing of the Jungfernbrücke on the decorative covers on the day of issue (May 19, 1987).
The beautiful shapes of the small bridge repeatedly inspired painters in particular to depict this subject . The old Berlin building is a popular sightseeing destination for tourists . The popular Berlin composer and conductor Paul Lincke grew up near the Jungfernbrücke.
See also
literature
- The architectural and art monuments of the GDR . Berlin, I. Ed. Institute for Monument Preservation at Henschelverlag, Berlin 1984, pages 128–129
- Eberhard Heinze: Berlin and its bridges . Transpress Berlin 1987
- Helmut Caspar: Jungfernbrücke is like new again . In: Berlin monthly magazine ( Luisenstädtischer Bildungsverein ) . Issue 2, 2000, ISSN 0944-5560 , p. 73-74 ( luise-berlin.de ).
- Eckhard Thiemann, Dieter Deszyk, Horstpeter Metzing: Berlin and its bridges . Jaron Verlag, Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-89773-073-1 , pp. 85-87.
- Claus Back: Three girls at the Jungfernbrücke . Ev. Publishing house, 1970
Web links
- Entry in the Berlin State Monument List with further information
- Maiden Bridge (Berlin). In: Structurae
- Article about the Jungfernbrücke at berlinstreet.de
- From the legend book of the Prussian State , Glogau, 1868/71
- historical photo from 1885
Individual evidence
- ^ Berlin-Archiv, Archiv-Verlag, Braunschweig, 1980–1990, collective sheet 02024
- ↑ Korinna Fehrenbacher: With the compressed air drill in the Spree. Divers repair the sandstone base of the Jungfernbrücke / monument so it will soon be accessible again . In: Berliner Zeitung , November 17, 1998
- ^ Nickname at the Luisenstädtischer Bildungsverein