Chain bridge

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Coordinates: 49 ° 27 ′ 15 ″  N , 11 ° 4 ′ 15 ″  E

Kettensteg in Nuremberg
Kettensteg in Nuremberg
Kettensteg seen from the south bank (2011)
Convicted pedestrian
Subjugated Pegnitz
place Nuremberg
overall length 68
location
Kettensteg (Bavaria)
Chain bridge

The Kettensteg is a pedestrian bridge in Nuremberg and spans the Pegnitz . It is considered to be the oldest surviving iron chain bridge in continental Europe.

It is located directly at the old town outflow of the Pegnitz in front of the Fronveste between the Hallertor and Kreuzgasse. The narrow footbridge is around 68 meters long and has been used exclusively for pedestrian traffic from the start. The Kettensteg is considered a technical historical monument and is part of Nuremberg's historical mile .

history

New building in 1824

Kettensteg view to the north (2011)

The chain bridge served as a replacement for the wooden so-called drying bridge . After a construction period of only four months, it was inaugurated on December 30, 1824. The construction costs were 3,620 guilders, 3.65 tons of wrought iron were used. The bridge structure was designed and constructed by engineer Conrad Georg Kuppler , who was also involved in the creation of the first German railway between Nuremberg and Fürth .

The bridge has two openings with spans of 33 meters each. The Kettensteg is the oldest preserved iron chain bridge on the European mainland. The initially nameless transition got its name from the vernacular. It refers to the numerous chain links, each three meters long, on which the bridge is suspended. They are attached to three five meter high pylons and anchored in massive abutments on both sides of the river. These components are largely preserved in the original. The pylons, which were originally made of oak, were replaced by the existing steel framework after being severely damaged by floods in 1909.

Reinforcement 1930

View of the state from 1930 to 2010 with the supporting yokes underneath, in the background the nail mills destroyed in the Second World War

Because of the insufficient transverse reinforcement of the construction, vibrations could build up, which endangered the stability. This was brought about on purpose and was therefore prohibited by a police ordinance since 1927. In 1930 the bridge was stiffened by iron girders on the side and supported with four wooden yokes. Since then, the suspension structure has been without a load-bearing function and the appearance of the footbridge has been severely impaired. After 1930 there were efforts to modernize as well as to demolish; In the time of National Socialism, the bridge, which originated in the early industrial era, was seen as a break in the historical cityscape, which should be cleaned up as part of the so-called de-trading. The outbreak of war prevented the demolition, which had already been ordered in 1939.

Refurbishment 2011

Kettensteg over the Pegnitz, in front of the Fronveste (2012). The reinforcing steel beam cannot be seen from a normal angle.

The temporary arrangement from 1930, which was only intended for a few years, then lasted for almost six decades. At the beginning of May 2009, the bridge had to be closed for safety reasons, as the stability of the temporary support was no longer sufficient.

The renovation began in 2010; extensive donations from citizens and companies made it possible to restore the original state as a suspension bridge as far as possible. The construction was initially completely removed, the abutments were reinforced by small bored piles, the original chain links restored and partially replaced. The bridge was rebuilt as a cantilever suspension bridge. The construction was additionally stabilized by a flat box girder built under the walkway. On December 22nd, 2010, the pedestrian bridge, which had been restored to its original state, was opened to traffic again.

literature

  • Uli Walter: The chain footbridge in Nuremberg. In: Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation (Ed.): Monument Preservation in Bavaria - Bridges in Bavaria - History, Technology, Monument Preservation , No. 2, 2011. P. 74–75. PDF online
  • The chain bridge swings! Renovation and restoration of the Kettensteg in Nuremberg as a suspension bridge in accordance with historical monuments. BauLust Initiative for Architecture and the Public e. V., Nuremberg 2011. Online
  • Franz Sonnenberger: The bridge builder. Conrad Georg Kuppler. The life picture of the Nuremberg technology pioneer on the threshold of the industrial age. Schrenk-Verlag Röttenbach 2017. ISBN 978-3-924270-89-6 . Pages 47 to 66

Web links

Commons : Kettensteg  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Press release from the City of Nuremberg ( Memento of the original from October 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.nuernberg.de
  2. ↑ Ordinance of May 19, 1927: “Driving on the Kettensteg with vehicles of any kind is prohibited. Furthermore, all actions that can cause the bridge to vibrate are prohibited, in particular swinging, walking in step and jumping. "
  3. ↑ Kettensteg: renovation will begin next year , Nürnberger Nachrichten of December 15, 2009