Frankfurt Old Bridge by Thomas Riess

About "Frankfurt Old Bridge"

by Thomas Riess

About the artwork

Partial view of the Old Bridge over the Main towards Sachsenhausen.The Old Bridge in Frankfurt am Main is the oldest and was the only stone bridge on the lower reaches of the Main until the middle of the 19th century. From the Middle Ages until 1914, it connected the Fahrgasse in Frankfurt's old town with Brückenstraße in Sachsenhausen. Since it was first mentioned in a document in 1222, Frankfurt's development has been inextricably linked to it. Over the centuries, it has been destroyed and rebuilt at least 18 times. With its 13 brick round arches, Sachsenhausen Bridge was considered the city's most important structure. Because it was no longer able to cope with the demands of modern road and shipping traffic, it was demolished in 1914. Today's Old Bridge, more correctly called the New Old Bridge, was inaugurated on 15 August 1926 by the then Lord Mayor Ludwig Landmann. Two of its original eight arches, clad in red Main sandstone, were blown up by German soldiers on 26 March 1945. After an initially provisional reconstruction, the middle section was replaced by a steel box bridge and opened for traffic on 15 September 1965. In 2006, the Old Bridge was rebuilt with the New Portico, which is reminiscent of the early bridge mill. The bridge received its current appearance, characterised by four portal walls on both sides of the middle section, during the renovation in 2014. The landmarks of the Old Bridge are the Brickegickel and the statue of the mythical city founder Charlemagne.