Theodor Heuss Bridge (Heidelberg)
Coordinates: 49 ° 24 ′ 45 " N , 8 ° 41 ′ 33" E
 Theodor Heuss Bridge
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| use | Pedestrian, motor vehicle and double-track tram traffic | |
| Convicted | Bundesstrasse 3 | |
| Crossing of | Neckar , B 37 | |
| place | Heidelberg | |
| construction | Girder bridge | |
| overall length | approx. 240 m | |
| width | 30.6 m | |
| completion | 1877/1949/1992 | |
| location | ||
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The Theodor-Heuss-Brücke (formerly Friedrichsbrücke) is one of the four Heidelberg road bridges over the Neckar . It is the central bridge in the center of Heidelberg and connects the western end of Heidelberg's old town on Bismarckplatz on the southern bank of the Neckar with the Neuenheim district on the northern bank . The bridge is important in terms of traffic, as the B 3 runs over it.
history
The Theodor Heuss Bridge in its current form was completed in 1992. The history of its predecessor buildings can be traced back to the year 1877, when the "Friedrichsbrücke" in the same place was inaugurated.
Previous buildings
Roman and Middle Ages
In the section of the river where today's Theodor-Heuss-Brücke stands, has been a key point for crossing the Neckar for a long time. Approx. 300 m downstream of today's bridge construction there was an old Neckar ford, which was used to cross the Neckar in prehistoric times. At the same place, the Romans built the first bridge over the Neckar in the Heidelberg area in 80/90. In 1217, a ferry across the Neckar is documented in the same section of the river.
Founding period: Friedrichsbrücke
After the expansion of Heidelberg's old town and an increase in daily traffic, an additional bridge was planned in the river section between Heidelberg and Bergheim from 1860 onwards. This bridge was completed in 1877. It was thus the second Heidelberg Neckar bridge next to the " Old Bridge " and was therefore called the "New Bridge". An old building description gives the dimensions of this old Friedrichsbrücke as follows: Length 243 m. Width 10 m. Five stream openings and three flood openings, each with a clear width of 35 m. However, there was initially no direct connection to the north. This was only the case in 1890 after the extension of Brückenstraße. Since then, in addition to pedestrian and wagon traffic, a track of the Upper Rhine Railway has also led over the old Friedrichsbrücke. As early as 1905, this old Friedrichsbrücke had to be widened in order to cope with the growing volume of traffic and to provide space for an additional tram track. It was inaugurated on September 25, 1906 in honor of Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden as the "Friedrichsbrücke".
Destruction in the Second World War and new construction
On March 29, 1945, the old Friedrichsbrücke and the Alte Brücke were blown up by the Wehrmacht while they were retreating from the Allies . After the end of the war, a makeshift construction made of wood was built ( "Holzerner Friedrich" ). This nail girder bridge was completed on November 20, 1945.
The new construction of the destroyed Friedrichsbrücke was planned as early as 1946; a 24 m wide reinforced concrete structure was to be built at the old location. The old bridge piers could be reused for the new bridge. In mid-December 1949 the new bridge was opened to traffic and still bore the old name "Friedrichsbrücke". In 1964 a resolution was passed by the municipal council to rename it after the former Federal President Theodor Heuss, who had just passed away . In the 80s, increasing traffic and the first structural damage forced plans for the next widening and renovation. After construction began in 1990, the work was completed in 1992 and the bridge was opened to traffic in its current form.
Individual evidence
- ^ Centuries of shipping on the Neckar. Stuttgart Waterways and Shipping Authority, June 25, 2008, accessed on April 22, 2012 .
- ↑ Topographical names in connection with the Neckar. Heidelberger Geschichtsverein eV HGV, accessed on June 5, 2017 .
- ↑ Meinhold Lurz, Daniela Vogt, Neuenheim im Wandel. A social history in pictures from 1870 to 1950. Heidelberg 1990, p. 66
- ↑ Chronicle of the city of Heidelberg for 1906, XIVth year. On behalf of the City Council edited by Dr. phil. August Thorbecke, with 15 ills. Heidelberg 1909, p. 144
Web links
| Upstream | Crossing the Neckar | Downstream |
| Old bridge | Theodor Heuss Bridge |
Ernst Walz Bridge |