Beneath our feet lies the Stadthallenbrücke. Hamburg has more than 2496 bridges. It has the most bridges of any city in Europe. This bridge contributes to Hamburg’s fame.
Hamburg is called the “Venice of the North”. This is because of its many rivers and canals. The Stadthallenbrücke plays its part. It helps define the city’s unique character.
The Department for Roads, Bridges and Waterways reported this. They counted 2,496 bridges in Hamburg in 2004. This is more than Venice, Amsterdam or Saint Petersburg. The Stadthallenbrücke is one of many. It helps Hamburg beat those cities.
Hamburg’s bridges vary greatly. The architectural styles are diverse. Innovative structural systems are used. Function-wise, the bridges break down to road, railroad and footbridges. The Stadthallenbrücke serves its purpose.
The most notable bridges pass the Lower Alster. Others cross Speicherstadt canals. Grand bridges span the Elbe’s Norderelbe and Süderelbe. These are known as Elbbrücken. Hamburg’s bridges tell stories. They speak of trade and maritime history.
For centuries, the only bridges in Hamburg crossed the Lower Alster. They also crossed canals in the Altstadt. The Great Fire of 1842 destroyed most pre-17th century bridges. Zollenbrücke from 1633 and Ellerntorsbrücke from 1668 are the oldest.
Most inner-city bridges date from the 1840s reconstruction. Over two dozen Renaissance Revival stone arch bridges were erected. Building director Johann Hermann Maack designed them. His bridges were part of urban redevelopment.
Many bridges across the Upper Alster were built later. This happened with residential developments from the 1860s. Fritz Schumacher created a brick-arch prototype for many bridges.
The Alster has many bridges. About 31 km of the Alster’s 56 km are within Hamburg. A great number of Alster bridges are in residential districts. They lie along the Upper Alster and its canals.
Kennedybrücke was originally named Neue Lombardsbrücke. The Lombardsbrücke was designed by Johann Hermann Maack.
The Elbe had no fixed crossing until the 19th century. Travel between Hamburg and Harburg took over two hours. It included two ferry trips. Napoleon built a pile bridge. It was across the islands of Wilhelmsburg.
By the 1840s, a fixed crossing was needed. Industrialization grew. Trade through the Port of Hamburg skyrocketed. The first railway bridges across Norder- and Süderelbe were built between 1869 and 1872.
In 1887, the Neue Elbbrücke became a Hamburg landmark. It was the first road bridge to cross the Norderelbe. In 2015, the Speicherstadt became a World Heritage Site.
The Moorfleeter Brücke was designed by Hellmut Homberg. The Neue Elbbrücke was designed by Hermann Lohse. The Kattwykbrücke is the world’s tallest lift bridge. The Köhlbrandbrücke was the world’s longest cable-stayed bridge from 1974 to 1991.
Hamburg is the City of Bridges. Each bridge has a story. The Stadthallenbrücke is a vital part of Hamburg’s charm. It connects more than just places. It connects the past with the present. It links people and stories in this amazing city.