Mittlere Rheinbrücke - Basel, Switzerland
Posted by: 
fi67
N 47° 33.606 E 007° 35.388
32T E 393915 N 5268371
This bridge crosses the Rhine in Basel, Switzerland.
Waymark Code: WM6KNZ
Location: Basel Stadt, Switzerland
Date Posted: 06/16/2009
Views: 19
EN: The original Mittlere Rheinbrücke in Basel was built in 1226 and was one of the first bridges spanning the Rhine since the decay of the Roman empire (only the bridge of Rheinfelden is older). It was made of wood and 12.6 meters wide.
For many centuries most of the traffic from Germany to Southern Europe had to go over this bridge. This lead to an enormous increase in prosperity of the Basel area in the late Middle Ages. Neither the well known university nor the many internationally recognized museums in Basel would exist without this bridge.
In the late 19th century the old bridge began to be unstable and was not able to hold the modern traffic. In 1899 the city council decided to build a new bridge. On May 27th 1903 the bridge was closed and teared down.
Between 1903 and 1905 the new bridge was built. It is completely made of granite from the Gotthard mountain. It is 192 meters long and 18.8 meters wide. The new bridge opened on November 11th 1905.
DE: Die ursprüngliche Mittlere Rheinbrücke in Basel wurde im Jahre 1226 erbaut und war eine der ersten Brücken über den Rhein seit dem Zerfall des römischen Reiches (nur die Brücke von Rheinfelden ist älter). Sie war aus Holz und 12,6 Meter breit.
Für viele Jahrhunderte musste der Großteil des Verkehrs von Deutschland nach Südeuropa über diese Brücke. Dies führte zu einem enormen Anstieg der Wohlstand in der Region Basel im späten Mittelalter. Weder der bekannte Universität noch die vielen international bekannten Museen in Basel wäre ohne diese Brücke denkbar.
Im späten 19. Jahrhundert begann die alte Brücke instabil zu werden und war nicht mehr in der Lage, den modernen Verkehr zu bewältigen. Im Jahr 1899 beschloss der Rat der Stadt, eine neue Brücke zu bauen. Am 27. Mai 1903 wurde die Brücke geschlossen und abgerissen.
Zwischen 1903 und 1905 wurde die neue Brücke vollständing aus Granit aus der Gotthard-Regiongebaut. Sie ist 192 Meter lang und 18,8 Meter breit. Die neue Brücke wurde am 11. November 1905 eröffnet.
Length of bridge: 192m
What type of traffic does this bridge support?: pedestrians, motor vehicles, tramways
What kind of gap does this bridge cross?:
the river Rhine
Date constructed: 1903-1905
Is the bridge still in service for its original purpose?: Yes
Name of road or trail the bridge services: The roads on the ends of the bridge have different names. The bridge itself is not part of one of them.
Location:
Basel, Switzerland
Height of bridge: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
Please submit a photo(s) taken by you of your visit to the location (non-copyrighted photos only). GPS photos are also accepted with the location in the background, and old vacation photos are accepted. If you are not able to provide a photo, then please describe your visit or give a story about the visit. If the bridge location prevents you from taking a safe photograph, then please do not stop to take the photo. Safety is more important.