Hubbrücke

Gazing at the Hubbrücke, have you ever considered its real name? It’s actually the Marstallbrücke, named after the nearby Marstall, a princely stable. But Hubbrücke, meaning lift bridge, is the name that stuck. This grand structure, with its red brick towers and steel railings, is hard to miss. It’s a trifecta of bridges, each with its own truss structure: one for pedestrians, one for road traffic, and one, now silent, for the harbor railway. The Hubbrücke, completed in 1900, proudly holds the title of Germany’s oldest operational lift bridge. Its nearest rival, the Plauer Hubbrücke, came along a full 16 years later. The Hubbrücke spans the Klughafen, connecting Lübeck’s Old Town Island to the Burgtorhafen in St. Gertrud. Its construction was a key part of the Elbe-Lübeck Canal project. This canal, initially named the Elbe-Trave Canal, links the Elbe River to the Baltic Sea. Interestingly, the Hubbrücke isn’t just a feat of engineering. It carries a touch of imperial history. Emperor Wilhelm II himself inaugurated the bridge in 1900. The bridge’s neo-Gothic towers are a clear nod to the Wilhelmine era. These towers aren’t just decorative. They house the machinery and counterweights essential for the bridge’s lifting mechanism, powered by hydraulics. The bridge functioned flawlessly for 80 years. Then, in 1985, it underwent its first major overhaul. New, hand-crafted drive wheels were installed, ensuring its continued operation. While the pedestrian section has been removed and the railway line lies dormant, the Hubbrücke still stands. It is a beloved landmark and a testament to engineering ingenuity.