Consider the year 1910. The Tegeler Brücke is brand new. It connects Spandau and Reinickendorf across the Berlin-Spandauer Schifffahrtskanal. This bridge wasn’t just built for looks. It serves a vital purpose.
The Tegeler Brücke allows the Gartenfelder Straße to cross over the canal. Without it, travel between these districts would be far more difficult. The original Tegeler Brücke was constructed in 1910. It became necessary to replace it due to its deteriorating condition.
Now, let’s jump back a bit to another bridge nearby. Not this Tegeler Brücke, but the Tegeler Hafenbrücke. Locals call it the “Sechserbrücke”. This pedestrian bridge spans the entrance to Tegel Harbor. It also crosses the mouth of the Tegeler Fließ.
The Tegeler Hafenbrücke has a fascinating history. Before it was built, a fisherman named Siebert ferried people across the Tegeler Fließ for five Pfennigs. That’s a “Sechser” in local slang. As more people wanted to visit the Großen Malchsee, Siebert built a small wooden bridge. He still charged the same fee.
By 1905, the harbor needed expanding. Siebert’s bridge had to go. In 1908, a steel truss bridge was built. This is the Tegeler Hafenbrücke we know today. It included a concrete section over the Tegeler Fließ. Ernst Hornig was the architect. In 1921, the southern gate was added. It had two ticket booths.
The new Tegeler Hafenbrücke charged the “Sechser” toll. People kept calling it the “Sechserbrücke”. For almost every year, the investors made a profit of 7,000 marks which is around 4,000 euros today. The inflation of 1922 brought an end to the bridge toll. Personnel costs exceeded the revenue.
To allow cargo barges to pass into the harbor, the Tegeler Hafenbrücke needed to be tall. It is an imposing structure for a pedestrian bridge. The steel truss bridge, now painted red, spans the harbor entrance. It rests on a foundation with pavilion-like structures.
A concrete bridge section, in gray, crosses the Tegeler Fließ. It leads to the bridgehead and the staircase. The pavilion-like structures have accessible narrow galleries. A staircase inside the eastern “Pavillon” accesses the Humboldt Island. It is not open to the public.
From the Tegeler Hafenbrücke, you can see the Tegel Harbor and the Tegeler Fließ. You can also see Hasselwerder Island and the Reiherwerder peninsula. In the background is the Freibad Tegelsee. A short walk away is the “Dicke Marie”, perhaps Berlin’s oldest tree.
While the Tegeler Brücke we’re standing at is a vital road bridge undergoing renewal, the story of the nearby Tegeler Hafenbrücke gives an insight into the area’s vibrant past. These bridges show how infrastructure shapes community and history. The Tegeler Brücke ensures movement. The Tegeler Hafenbrücke carries stories.