Across the Dahme River stands the Schmökwitzer Brücke. Its sturdy form a silent witness to centuries of Berlin history. This isn’t just any bridge. The Schmökwitzer Brücke has a story. A story of fire destruction and daring reconstruction.
The first Schmökwitzer Brücke appeared in 1602. It was a simple structure. Sadly it burned down at the end of the Thirty Years’ War. Imperial army passage proved disastrous. The bridge’s fate sealed by flames.
For almost two hundred years a basic wooden bridge replaced it. This one had lifts. These allowed sailing ships to pass. Imagine the creak of the wooden planks. Feel the gentle rocking of the boat beneath your feet. Repeated repairs and a brief existence followed. It supposedly burned down again in 1813. In 1887 its Adlergestell was removed. Nine years later Krugwirt Gärrisch built a more permanent bridge. Schmökwitzer became a popular water sports and recreation area for Berliners.
Then in 1907 they started building a new steel bridge. This one was called the Neue Brücke. It was shifted about 50 meters upstream from the old bridge. New bridge ramps were created. The western opening had a steel swing bridge. This allowed for ship passage. The eastern opening was a steel framework spanning 45 meters. The bridge was 10.3 meters wide. The roadway was 5.6 meters. It was paved in the east. Wooden planks covered the swing bridge area.
The Neue Brücke opened in 1908. Its lifting mechanism lasted until 1939. It remained under the jurisdiction of the Waterways Office until 1941. On April 23 1945 German troops blew up the eastern superstructure. Minutes before the Red Army arrived.
Soviet pioneers quickly replaced the destroyed bridge. They created a temporary floating bridge. Two transverse pontoons formed this makeshift structure. Disaster struck on June 6 1946. A truck with two trailers crossed the unlit bridge. Overload caused the pontoons to tip. The vehicle plunged into the Dahme.
A new emergency bridge replaced the floating one. This simple structure had a five-meter-wide roadway built on driven wooden piles. In 1947 this 80-meter bridge reopened for car traffic. The destroyed steel structures had been removed from the water. This narrow wooden bridge was a temporary solution.
By 1951 plans for a new bridge emerged. They considered various steel designs. Construction began in 1960. This time a steel girder structure with three openings was created. The bridge supports made use of the old abutments. An extra pier was added creating spans of 9 36 and 9 meters. Old lock cellars were covered with a concrete slab.
The new Schmökwitzer Brücke was 72.4 meters long and 22.8 meters wide. Twelve meters were allocated to the roadway. The bridge axis remained unchanged. The temporary bridge was removed in 1963. The new bridge was completed with the construction of the bank revetment.
The Schmökwitzer Brücke stands strong. It continues its silent watch over the Dahme. A testament to resilience through war and peace. A symbol of Berlin’s enduring spirit.