Photo: architectural monuments, Müngsten Bridge, North Rhine-Westphalia

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Müngsten Bridge - the highest in Germany

Architectural Monuments

Müngsten Bridge is a true masterpiece ofengineering. This steel arch bridge was opened in 1897. It was built in justthree years. As a result, the road between Remscheid and Solingen was shortenedfrom 44 km to 8 km and the Ruhr got a new symbol. Originally, the bridge wasnamed after the Emperor Wilhelm I (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Brücke), but in 1918 it wasrenamed in honor of the village Müngsten, which previously sat on the Wupper riverbank.

Müngsten bridge,which is 107 meters high and 465 meters long, seems an openwork, almostweightless construction, but in fact it weighs about 5000 tons! Itsconstruction was a unique experiment: for the first time ever the bridge wasbuilt simultaneously from both sides of the river and joined in the middle. Allthis required very exact calculations of the project chief engineer Anton vonRieppel. A suspended-type ferry (Schwebefähre) across the river commands one ofthe best views of Müngsten bridge. Although the ferry is driven manually, morethan 200 thousand passengers have availed of this ferry since its opening in2006. The bridge and the valley are perfectly visible also from the Neo-Gothicgazebo, built on the gorge slope in 1901. Locals call the gazebo a “DiederichTemple” (Diederichstempel) in honor of the former school director Augustus Diederich,who gave money for its construction. In 2006, the area along the river waslandscaped and turned into a Bridge park (Brückenpark). You can peep into theexisting blacksmiths shop in the park and admire the metal sculptures.

Müngsten Bridge - the highest in Germany

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