“Rebuilt!” That’s the word that comes to mind when you see the Rosensteinsteg. It’s not just a bridge. The Rosensteinsteg is a testament to Stuttgart’s resilience and commitment to connectivity.
The Rosensteinsteg we see today is actually Rosensteinsteg II. The original Rosensteinsteg II was built for the BUGA in 1977. BUGA is the German abbreviation for the Federal Garden Show. However, it was dismantled during the construction of the Leuzetunnel B10. This left a gap in the connection between Rosenstein Park and Mineralbad Leuze.
But Stuttgart wasn’t content with a broken link. The Rosensteinsteg was rebuilt to restore this vital connection. The design of the Rosensteinsteg remains faithful to the original. The Rosensteinsteg is a cable-stayed bridge with a suspended deck.
The Rosensteinsteg’s structure consists of two main cables. It also has a tensioning cable and suspension cables. Pre-fabricated concrete slabs form the walkway. These slabs are attached to the cables with clamps. The railing and overhead contact line protection mirror the original 1977 bridge.
The Rosensteinsteg spans 29 meters. It offers a usable width of 2.70 meters. Ed. Züblin AG, Stuttgart division, was the contractor for the Rosensteinsteg. The City of Stuttgart was the client.
Rosenstein Park itself is worth noting. It is the largest English garden in southwest Germany. King William I of Württemberg commissioned it. The park’s creation spanned from 1824 to 1840. Johann Bosch, his gardener, designed it. The King acquired all the land from Cannstatt citizens between 1817 and 1818.
Rosenstein Palace sits in the middle of the park. It was constructed between 1822 and 1830. Today, the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart occupies part of the palace. The Löwentor, or Lion’s Gate, marks the upper park entrance. Giovanni Salucci designed it. A railway tunnel also runs beneath the park.
The State of Baden-Württemberg owns the park today. It is preserved as a historical monument. Together with Schlossgarten, Leibfried Garden, Wartberg, and Killesbergpark, it forms Stuttgart’s “Green U”. The park has the highest concentration of hares in Germany. Hunting is prohibited there. There are 98.9 hares per 100 hectares.
Before the palace existed, the hill was bare of trees. It was known as Kahlenstein, or Bald Rock. Later, it became Rosenstein, or Rose Rock. This was due to the rose garden southeast of the palace. Württemberg’s first railroad tunnel is directly under Rosenstein Palace. It was built between July 1844 and July 1846. The tunnel is 326 meters long. A new tunnel, further east, replaced it in 1915.
So, as you cross the Rosensteinsteg, remember its story. It connects not just places. It connects the past with the present. It embodies Stuttgart’s spirit of renewal.