As we approach our second year of Pic of the Week, here’s our 52nd pic which is located in Thuringia in the city of Jena. This bridge spans the River Saale in the southern suburb of Burgau. The nine-span stone arch structure was first built in 1534 and connected Burgau and Lobeda; at that time they were separate villages that were not part of Jena. The merger with the city happened after World War II. Half of the bridge was destroyed in 1945 by the Nazis in an attempt to stop the approaching soldiers. For over half century, the bridge remained a ruin and there had been discussions about removing the historic structure during the time of the East German era. Fortunately it did not happen, but the creation of the group to rebuild the bridge in 2001 began the sequence where funding and expertise resulted in the successful reconstruction of the stone arch bridge, which was completed in 2004. Today, the bridge still serves bike and ped traffic and connects the eastern and western parts of Jena, whose border is the River Saale. The bridge can be photographed both in the daytime as well as at night, but this one definitely deserves recognition as it was taken from the dam, 200 meters away. The cross-sectional shot shows the original bridge with the middle spans having been rebuilt. Although the bridge appears to be the original, that difference can still be seen, even after it was reopened to traffic 15 years ago. Still, the bridge’s a beauty and a book on how it was built and rebuilt can be bought through the City of Jena’s tourist information center.
When passing through, take a half hour and visit this place. You will not regret having done it. 🙂
The Bridgehunter's Chronicles 