“Here stood a bridge.” Those words echo the sentiment about the Paußnitzbrücke. This bridge once spanned the Elsterflutbett along the Schleußiger Weg. Its story is one of replacement and delayed demolition.
The original Paußnitzbrücke was built in 1887. It crossed the Paußnitz. In 1912, a newer arched bridge replaced it. As the Schleußiger Weg was straightened and upgraded in the 1960s, a new bridge became necessary. This new bridge crossed the Elsterflutbett. The Paußnitzbrücke name stuck.
Interestingly, the old bridge wasn’t torn down right away. For a long time, there were no resources available. Eventually, the project was simply forgotten.
However, cracks had formed in the old structure since the Schleußiger Weg was straightened. Letting it stand was dangerous. The old Paußnitzbrücke was finally demolished 102 years after its completion. It was also 50 years after it was closed.
The city invested 360,000 euros in the demolition. By late December, the city began demolishing the 1912 bridge. The municipal transport and civil engineering office considered its condition extremely critical. In the event of a flood, this would have been dangerous. The authorities said that if the dilapidated structure began to crumble, it could become a serious obstacle to drainage as floods rose. Paddlers and canoeists were also in danger when passing through.
The Paußnitz itself plays an important role. It helps flood the southern Leipzig floodplain. This includes the Beipert and the Nonne areas.
A temporary traffic light system was installed on Schleußiger Weg a few days before demolition began. The traffic lights regulated access to the construction site. This allowed construction vehicles to safely enter and exit Schleußiger Weg.
There was even a proposal to build a Chinese snack bar on the old Paußnitzbrücke. But that never happened either.
Today, only memories and photographs remain. The demolition is complete. The Paußnitzbrücke is gone. Now the area is restored. The old access roads are being removed and reforested. The Paußnitzbrücke is no more.