Consider the weight of history above. The Yorckbrücken are an ensemble of railway bridges in Berlin. Today 29 bridges still stand on Yorckstraße. They span a 500-meter section in Schöneberg. It lies at the border with Kreuzberg.
Originally, city planners wanted a straight boulevard here. James Hobrecht planned it in 1862. It was to be a ring road like in Paris. But the rapid expansion of railway facilities changed these plans. The Potsdam and Anhalter freight stations grew south of the Landwehr Canal.
Since 1840, the Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg Railway ran here. The Berlin-Anhalt Railway followed in 1841. In 1875, the Berlin-Dresden Railway joined them. More traffic meant more railway expansions. Passenger stations were mostly north of the canal. But facilities for locomotives, freight, and maintenance grew south of it.
City planners and private railway companies clashed for decades. Planners wanted to stick to the original axis. They wanted a 60-meter-wide street. Railway companies wanted fewer expensive bridges. They sought to reduce the street’s width and delay bridge construction.
Eventually, the Yorckstraße was built 400 meters south of the original plan. The area rises five to eight meters toward the Teltow plateau. Even with this shift, many bridges were needed. The street width was set at 26.5 meters under the bridges.
The Yorckbrücken show varied designs and techniques. Three private railway companies were involved. Architects and engineers created unique solutions. Construction began around 1883. The underpass was then called Blücherstraße. In 1885, it was renamed and integrated into Yorckstraße. However, a report from 1873 mentions foundation work starting. The oldest bridge dates back to 1875.
Architect Franz Schwechten and Heinrich Seidel designed most of the Yorckbrücken. They worked for the Berlin-Anhalt Railway. They used plate girder bridges on yellow clinker foundations. Cast iron Hartung columns supported them. Greppiner clinker likely faced the bridge abutments.
The Berlin-Potsdam and Berlin-Dresden Railways used other bridge supports. Emil Hartwich was among those involved. In total, 45 tracks crossed Yorckstraße by March 2014. Nine bridges are still in operation. Four are for the S-Bahn. Four are for long-distance and regional trains. One connects to the German Museum of Technology. Twenty-four bridges still exist but are not used. Twelve bridges are gone.
Until the 1930s, nine tracks belonged to the Berlin-Potsdam Railway. After a new S-Bahn station was built, seven tracks remained. The other tracks belonged to the Anhalter freight station. This included the Berlin-Dresden Railway.
Over time, the bridges were rebuilt and reinforced. In the 2000s, a new four-track bridge was built for the north-south connection to the main station. One of the old bridges had to be demolished. In 2014, the S-Bahn bridge supports were renovated.
The Yorckbrücken are now a protected monument. Only ten bridges are needed for current operations. The railway wanted to demolish the rest due to high costs. But preservationists wanted to keep the unique ensemble. The bridges show the evolution of bridge construction.
Today, the Yorckbrücken connect green spaces. They link the Park am Gleisdreieck and Flaschenhalspark. Four bridges are open to pedestrians and cyclists. Bridge 15 is a monument bridge. It displays the historic rail structure.
So, as you stand here, consider the layers of history. The Yorckbrücken represent Berlin’s past. They also point toward a greener future.