Potsdam Bridge

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Coordinates: 52 ° 30 ′ 22 ″  N , 13 ° 22 ′ 6 ″  E

Potsdam Bridge
Potsdam Bridge
The historic bridge in 1899
use Road traffic
Convicted Potsdamer Strasse ,
part of Bundesstrasse 1
Crossing of Landwehr Canal
place Berlin Tiergarten
construction Beam bridge made of prestressed concrete
overall length (medium) 38 m
width 38.8 m
Longest span approx. 15 m
completion 1966
opening October 1, 1966
location
Potsdam Bridge (Berlin)
Potsdam Bridge

The Potsdamer Brücke is a road bridge in the Tiergarten district of Berlin's Mitte district and leads Potsdamer Strasse , part of Bundesstrasse 1 , between Reichpietschufer and Schöneberger Ufer over the Landwehr Canal . Today's girder bridge made of prestressed concrete dates from 1966.

Previous buildings over the Schaafgraben

Schaaf Bridge in front of the Potsdamer Thor ,
copper engraving , 1775

A bridge over the Schaafgraben on the road from Berlin to Potsdam already existed in the 15th century at the latest. This was a wooden catwalk. It was only when the Schaafgraben began to be used as a raft ditch at the beginning of the 18th century that a hinged passage had to be built into the bridge.

The name Potsdamer Brücke as a name for the bridge appears for the first time on a map from 1723. The name Schaaf Bridge is assigned to a bridge over the Schaafgraben in the course of Lindenstrasse . In later years (1772, 1778, 1786, 1809 and 1810) the bridge on the road to Potsdam bore this name. This is probably related to the name of a bridge over the Hornwerkgraben, an old fortification ditch south of Dorotheenstadt , in the center of Berlin as the Potsdam Bridge . Even after the ditch and the bridge were removed, the name lasted until around 1790 due to the colonnades that still existed .

Bridge from 1850

Between 1845 and 1850 the Schaafgraben was expanded into the Landwehr Canal. All old bridges over the moat were replaced by new bascule bridges, including the bridge on Potsdamer Strasse, which was now called Potsdamer Brücke again. Since the canal made a tight curve in the area of ​​the intersection with Potsdamer Strasse, the new bridge was led across the canal at right angles so as not to impede navigation even more. The bridge was therefore not in the axis of Potsdamer Straße, so that road traffic over the bridge had to drive over it in an S-curve. The new bridge had three spans, two massive stone pillars rested in the canal bed. The width of the bridge was only 11.03 meters. However, this bridge soon no longer met the requirements of the growing city and so it was widened to 18.8 meters in 1864. In 1874 the bridge was supplemented by 4.30 meter wide fixed pedestrian walkways on both sides. The pedestrian walkways could be made steeper than the carriageway, so that they were made of iron and without a folding function. Despite this two-fold capacity expansion, the bridge was still a traffic obstruction. Especially after the tram crossed the bridge as a single track from 1878 and double-tracked from 1882, because the tram also had to be guided over the steep bascule bridge with tight counter curves. But the bridge was also an obstacle for shipping. There was only a passage width of eight meters between the two stone pillars in the canal bed. Together with the location of the bridge in a narrow canal curve, the passage was fundamentally difficult. In addition, strong currents sometimes developed on the pillars, so that tugs had to be used at times to pull ships through the bridge. Finally, the clearance height of the bridge was so low that empty or lightly loaded ships could only pass the bridge when it was opened. Since this restriction should not be expected of the ever increasing road traffic, ships for which the bridge had to be opened when passing through were only allowed to pass at night.

  • Site plan (dashed lines, straightened canal and location of the new bridges)

  • Potsdam Bridge as it was around 1890

  • View from the bascule bridge over the S-curves of the tram into Potsdamer Strasse

Competitions in the late 19th century

The unsatisfactory traffic situation south of the bridge encouraged the Berlin Architects' Association to start a competition among its members as early as January 1891 to improve the road island south of the Potsdamer Brücke . Among others, Eduard Fürstenau , Paul Müßigbrodt , August Senz and Otto Spalding took part in the monthly competition that was not awarded a prize . However, the submitted proposals did not satisfy the ideas of the Berlin magistrate .

In 1894, the Berlin Architects' Association set the construction engineering design for the construction engineering for the Schinkel Festival in 1896, which should also include a high station above the bridge. Six applicants took part, including Otto Schulze , who was awarded the Schinkel Prize on March 2, 1896 .

Bridge from 1898

Potsdam Bridge around 1905
As it was in October 1945. In the foreground the destroyed emergency cable bridge, behind it the emergency bridge from 1939 in front of the damaged Potsdam bridge
Today's bridge with the New National Gallery
The ring , "Pieces for Cities", by Norbert Radermacher
Memorial plaque for Nikolaj Ivanovich Massalov

The designs for the new Potsdamer Brücke go back to the city planning officer James Hobrecht . The implementation took place under his successor Friedrich Krause , who took up this office on June 3, 1897. When designing the new bridge, numerous requirements had to be taken into account. The bridge should now be in the axis of Potsdamer Strasse and Viktoriastrasse should be better connected. In addition, the gradient of the road to the bridge had to be reduced and ultimately the curve of the Landwehr Canal also had to be defused. Krause designed a double bridge that split on the southern side of the canal and led Viktoriastraße and Potsdamer Straße across the canal with its own structures. This dichotomy was necessary so that light fell on the Landwehr Canal under the bridges for the passing ships. Above all, the reduction in the gradient made numerous modifications necessary in the area around the bridge. The ramps raised for this purpose extended over 100 meters into Potsdamer Strasse on both sides of the bridge. Some buildings on Potsdamer Strasse had to be reconnected to the elevated street due to structural changes. But the straightening of the Landwehr Canal to simplify shipping also led to road modifications. The northern Kanaluferstraße (Königin-Augusta-Straße, today Reichpietschufer ) was widened, the southern one (Schöneberger Ufer) narrowed. Both streets also had to be adjusted in their elevation in order to connect to the higher ramp of Potsdamer Straße.

The bridge was built from 1897 to 1898 under the supervision of Fritz Eiselen . The construction of the bridge was a slightly curved sheet metal arch bridge with an overhead carriageway. The span between the abutments in the canal bank walls was 26 meters. The bridge supports were clad in granite . Because of the cramped conditions, the construction was quite plain.

Above the carriageway, however, the bridge was provided with plenty of ornaments, since the magnificent Siegesallee was laid out in the immediate vicinity at the same time . The bridge was given a wrought iron railing with floral ornaments. At the apex there were ornate candelabras integrated into the railing , each bordered by two Prussian eagles . At the four outer corners of the double bridge there were pedestals made of red granite, on which bronze statues in honor of important German scientists and engineers were erected. These were Carl Friedrich Gauß , Hermann von Helmholtz , Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen and Werner von Siemens . The magistrate made the selection in consultation with the Academy of Sciences . The statues should point to the high level of science in Berlin. Each statue was designed by a different sculptor according to a uniform scheme. The representation of the people was naturalistic and seated. Each of the four was given a genius who referred to the scientific achievements of the personality with appropriate attributes. The statue of Gauss was created by Gerhard Janensch , that of Helmholtz Max Klein , that of Röntgen Reinhold Felderhoff and that of Siemens Julius Moser . The statues were made in the Lauchhammer art foundry . The bronze statues of the double bridge were later melted down for armament purposes during World War II . The plaster models, however, have been preserved and are in the Märkisches Museum .

Immediately north of the double bridge, construction work began on the House of Tourism with the laying of the foundation stone on June 14, 1938 . This building was part of the round square in the north-south axis , which in turn was part of the redesign plans of the Reich capital Berlin . The southern Viktoriastraße was built over by the House of Tourism. The Victoria Bridge was thus useless. The plans foresaw the Victoria Bridge to be removed and the Potsdam bridge by a 36.8 meter wide new girder from steel to replace (St52). First, a so-called cable emergency bridge was built west of the Victoria Bridge, which was completed in March 1939. Then the lines from the Viktoria-Brücke were laid over the emergency bridge and the Viktoria-Brücke was demolished. Now an emergency bridge was built parallel to the Potsdamer Bridge in the area of ​​the demolished Viktoria Bridge, inaugurated in 1939, over which traffic on Potsdamer Strasse was diverted. At the end of August 1941, Albert Speer agreed to the design for the new Potsdam Bridge. The old Potsdamer Bridge was never torn down.

During the Second World War, the Potsdam Bridge was damaged by Allied air raids , the cable emergency bridge was destroyed and fell into the canal. However, traffic could still be handled via the emergency bridge from 1939.

In the early post-war years (probably 1947) the damage to the Potsdam Bridge was repaired and the emergency bridge was torn down. The substructure of the Potsdamer Brücke from 1898 was largely preserved, the new superstructure was now unadorned using steel construction.

The current bridge from 1966

Between 1964 and 1966 - offset by a few meters - today's one-piece girder bridge made of prestressed concrete was built after the road layout between Potsdamer Platz and the canal had been changed. In addition to footpaths and bicycle paths, the new bridge has seven lanes.

On December 10, 2003, a commemorative plaque was placed in the bridge railing in honor of the Soviet sergeant (NCO) Nikolai Ivanovich Massalow (1921-2001), who on April 30, 1945 near the Landwehr Canal on the Potsdamer Bridge a little three-year-old girl in the hail of bullets and to have brought to safety in the fire protection of his comrades. The bilingual inscription ( German and Russian ) reads:

"In memory of the Soviet sergeant Nikolaj I. Massalow (1921–2001), who on April 30, 1945 in the fighting for Berlin on this bridge, at the risk of his own life, saved a child from the fire zone between the fronts."

- Inscription dated December 10, 2003

For a discussion and the different versions of the heroic deed, see: Soviet Memorial . On the railing of today's bridge on the corner of Schöneberger Ufer there is a work of art by Norbert Radermacher from 1985 with the title The Ring . The black bronze ring, inconspicuous at first glance and placed around two railing posts at foot height, corresponds with the vertical lifebuoy in the middle of the bridge. Thomas Beck writes about the artwork:

“Radermacher's gaze is that of the strollers, equipped with a sensitivity for the breaks and the sometimes grotesque logic of rationally designed urban spaces. With his subtle interventions in the public space, Rademacher represents a consistent counter-position to an ostensibly triumphant commissioned art. "

- Thomas Beck In: Art in the City. 2002.

The work of art in public space by the Berlin visual artist Radermacher, who has been a professor at the Kunsthochschule Kassel since 1992 , is part of his theme “Pieces for Cities”.

Surroundings of the bridge

Monument to the " Iron Gustav " at the Potsdamer Bridge

To the south-west of the bridge, on the median of Potsdamer Strasse, there has been a memorial by Gerhard Rommel for the cab driver Gustav Hartmann , who went down in history as "Iron Gustav", since 2000 .

To the north are the Potsdamer Strasse building of the State Library and the Kulturforum Berlin with u. a. New National Gallery and Picture Gallery . The Bendler Bridge follows to the west and the Georg C. Marshall Bridge to the east .

literature

  • Magistrate of the City of Berlin (Ed.): The road bridges of the city of Berlin. First volume. Julius Springer, Berlin 1902, pp. 194–199. (Reprint: VDI-Verlag, Düsseldorf 1986, ISBN 3-18-400725-1 )
  • Engineering structures in and near Berlin, commemorative publication for the 50th anniversary of the Association of German Engineers . Berlin 1906, pp. 176-178.
  • Jürgen Handke: New construction of the Potsdamer Brücke in Berlin-Tiergarten from pre-stressed concrete. In: The construction technology. Issue 1/1967, pp. 17-25.

Web links

Commons : Potsdamer Brücke (Berlin)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ Weinland calls the design "Krause". Krause himself stated the following before the city council: “I am in the peculiar position of having to represent a matter before you with which I officially had very little to do; because when I started work, the resolutions for the decoration of the Potsdamer Brücke had already been made, contracts had also been concluded in this regard and construction had already begun. "

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Martina Weinland: Wasserbrücken in Berlin / On the history of their decor. Gebr. Mann Verlag, Berlin 1994, p. 199.
  2. ↑ The Royal. Residenz Berlin, how it presented itself around the year 1723 ( Memento of the original from November 12, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 2.4 MB) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / 130.73.102.69
  3. ↑ New geometric plan of the entire Royal Prussian and Electoral Brandenburg Capital and Residence City of Berlin ( Memento of the original from November 12, 2013 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. (PDF; 10.7 MB) from 1772 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / 130.73.102.69
  4. ↑ Floor plan of the Königl. Residenzstädte Berlin 1778 ( Memento of the original dated November 12, 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. (PDF; 5.1 MB) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / 130.73.102.69
  5. ↑ a b Floor plan of the Royal. Residenzstädte Berlin, compiled from new ones in 1786 and engraved by DF Sotzmann ( memento of the original dated November 12, 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. (PDF; 6.5 MB) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / 130.73.102.69
  6. ↑ Floor plan of Berlin and its immediate surroundings by IC Selter ( Memento of the original from November 12, 2013 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. (PDF; 4.6 MB) from 1809 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / 130.73.102.69
  7. ↑ Latest floor plan of Berlin ( Memento of the original from November 12, 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. (PDF; 6.1 MB) ed. by DG Reymann, from 1810 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / 130.73.102.69
  8. ↑ Plan from Berlin and the surrounding area to Charlottenburg ( Memento of the original from July 15, 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. (PDF; 20.7 MB) from 1862 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / 130.73.102.69
  9. ↑ a b c d The road bridges of the city of Berlin . 1902, p. 194.
  10. ^ The road bridges of the city of Berlin . 1902, pp. 194-195.
  11. ^ Draft by Eduard Fürstenau at the Architekturmuseum der Technische Universität Berlin , last accessed on November 19, 2017
  12. ↑ design by Paul Müssigbrodt the Architecture Museum of the Technical University of Berlin, last accessed on November 19, 2017
  13. ^ Draft by August Senz at the Architekturmuseum der Technische Universität Berlin, last accessed on November 19, 2017
  14. ^ Draft by Otto Spalding at the Architekturmuseum der Technische Universität Berlin, last accessed on November 19, 2017
  15. ^ A b Martina Weinland: Water bridges in Berlin. To the history of your decor. Gebr. Mann Verlag, Berlin 1994, p. 71.
  16. ↑ Centralblatt der Bauverwaltung , Volume 14, 1894, No. 49 (from December 8, 1894), p. 512 (announcement and description of tasks in the Miscellaneous section ) ( digitized version of the Berlin State Library).
  17. ↑ Design by Otto Schulze for the Architecture Museum of the Technical University of Berlin
  18. ↑ top v .: The failure of this year's Schinkel Prize application by the Berlin Architects' Association. In: Centralblatt der Bauverwaltung , Volume 16, 1896, No. 10 (from March 7, 1896), p. 107 ( digitized version of the Berlin State Library).
  19. ^ Stenographic report of the city council of October 21, 1897. In files: Landesarchiv Berlin. A Rep. 000-02-01 No. 841.
  20. ^ The road bridges of the city of Berlin. 1902, p. 196.
  21. ^ The road bridges of the city of Berlin . 1902, p. 197.
  22. ↑ Engineering structures in and near Berlin . 1906, p. 176.
  23. ↑ Kunstgießerei Lauchhammer: Reference list, see 1898 ( Memento of the original from October 24, 2010 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. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.kunstguss.de
  24. ↑ Explanatory report on the design of the Potsdamer Brücke from September 16, 1941. In files: Landesarchiv Berlin, A Rep. 010-01-02 No. 1075.
  25. ^ Note from the building authority of the Reich capital Berlin regarding Potsdamer Brücke from April 19, 1939. In files: Landesarchiv Berlin, A Rep. 010-01-02 No. 1071.
  26. ↑ Letter from the company H. Gossen Stahlhochbau- und Brückenbau to the building authority of the Reich capital Berlin regarding the steel construction of the emergency bridge over the Landwehr Canal west of the Potsdamer Bridge from October 5, 1939. In files: Landesarchiv Berlin, A Rep. 010-01-02 No. 1072.
  27. ^ Letter from Friedrich Tamms to the bridge construction office of the Reich capital Berlin of August 25, 1941. In files: Landesarchiv Berlin, A Rep. 010-01-02 No. 1711.
  28. ↑ Wolfgang Ribbe, Jürgen Schmädeke : Small Berlin story . Stapp Verlag, Berlin 1994, ISBN 3-87776-222-0 , p. 194: Aerial view of the Potsdamer Brücke from 1945 (in lower resolution on the website of the Senate Department for Urban Development: stadtentwicklung.berlin.de )
  29. ^ HW Heusel: The road bridges of Berlin in 1949. In: Brücke und Straße. Issue 1/1949, pp. 5-6.
  30. ↑ Berlin Mitte and Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, pedestrian bridge over the Landwehr Canal . Realization competition open to a limited extent. Call for applications, Berlin 2006, pp. 38, 41. (PDF; 2.5 MB) Senate Department for Urban Development
  31. ↑ J. Handke: New construction of the Potsdamer Brücke in Berlin / Tiergarten from pre-stressed concrete parts. By erecting a 38 meter wide road traffic bridge with precast beams spanning over 32 meters with a double-symmetrical cross-section and longitudinal and transverse prestressing. In: Bautechnik , 1/1967, pp. 17–25.
  32. ↑ goruma.de Architecture of the 20th and 21st centuries: Soviet Memorial in Berlin-Treptow (Germany) ( Memento of the original from July 12, 2010 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.goruma.de
  33. ↑ Text of the plaque in the picture
  34. ↑ Database about sculpture in Berlin ( Memento of the original from December 26, 2008 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. ; Retrieved October 29, 2009 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bildhauerei-in-berlin.de
  35. ↑ Quoted from: Thomas Beck: Art walks. February 17, 2003. ( Memento of the original from October 12, 2008 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. In: Hans Dickel, Uwe Flechner (ed.): Art in the city. Sculptures in Berlin 1980–2000. Nicolaische Verlagsbuchhandlung, Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-87584-399-1 . @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / radio.weblogs.com
  36. ↑ Rainer Mügel: Norbert Radermacher: "Pieces for cities". Pointing the urban space - a special position of the location-relatedness of art in public space. Tenea (series: Tenea Wissenschaft), Berlin 2003 (phil. Diss .; University of Fine Arts Braunschweig 2003). The book contains a detailed discussion of the work of art Der Ring on pp. 179ff . Extract from google books