Restoration of Brielow Bridge - Brandenburg, Germany
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Bernd das Brot Team
N 52° 25.510 E 012° 33.439
33U E 333914 N 5811134
Article about the restoration of a locally famous bridge
Waymark Code: WM11PJB
Location: Brandenburg, Germany
Date Posted: 11/26/2019
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Alfouine
Views: 2

Brielow Bridge (Brielower Brücke in German) is a small truss bridge over a small canal, connecting the city of Brandenburg with the village of Brielow.

The original bridge, built in 1910, was destroyed at the end of World War II. The new bridge was built in 1958. It crosses the Silo Canal, a short but important waterway, allowing navigation on River Havel to circumvent the downtown area with its narrow bridges and steep turns.

For a small bridge, this one was built extremely solid to allow the tanks of an East German Army brigade stationed nearby to cross the bridge.

The article was published in the leading regional newspaper Märkische Allgemeine, after local authorities decided on a comprehensive restoration including fixing cracks in the concrete parts and replacing some of the foundation.

The article also tells some history, not only of the bridge but also of the canal and the nearby Brandenburg Steel Mill, which was the back bone of the local industry since its foundation in 1914 (and the reason for the nearby Army brigade).

When the steel mill closed in 1993 it ended 100 years of Siemens-Martin-foundry history in Western Europe.

The article mentions that that Brielow Bridge is the only remaining building in town built entirely from steel made in town.

It also tells a story of local soldiers stationed near the bridge daring each other to walk (or crawl) across the bridge's arch, which at it top is about 25 feet high. The article did not mention that this was not only common practice among soldiers but also kind of a local high school initiation. The author of this waymark - who grew up in this town - can proudly report to have passed that challenge in a full moon night in August 1972.


Top-picture from the article

Type of publication: Newspaper

When was the article reported?: 08/01/2019

Publication: Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung

Article Url: [Web Link]

Is Registration Required?: no

How widespread was the article reported?: regional

News Category: Society/People

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