Oberbaumbrücke

One of the most recognizable symbols of Berlin is certainly the Oberbaumbrücke Bridge, which connects the shores of two districts - Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain, famous for their vibrant nightlife.

History and features of architecture

The ancestor of the modern structure is a wooden bridge, built in 1732, which acquired a stone foundation only in the 19th century, thanks to the German architect O. Stahn. In the early 90s, the design engineer S. Calatrava undertook a large-scale reconstruction of the bridge. 2 million marks were spent on the implementation of this project.

The architecture of the bridge reflects the Neo-Gothic style and includes many pointed arches, cross vaults and coats of arms. In this case, red brick was used in the construction, with a yellow and black finish. Two 34-meter towers with metal spires with images of an eagle and a bear, the national symbols of the country, deserve special attention. The lower part of both towers has a polygonal shape, the upper level is cone-shaped. They differ from each other only in that one has a clearly defined diagonal cone laying, and the other is diametric, which looks very impressive from the outside.

The Oberbaumbrücke Bridge itself has two tiers. The upper floor has metro lines that were launched at the beginning of the 20th century, while the lower floor is designed for cars, cyclists, and pedestrians. The length of the seven spans of the structure reaches 150 m, the width is 27.9 m, and the height is about a meter.

Walking along the Oberbaumbrücke Bridge, in addition to the picturesque view of the Spree River and the cluster of industrial and office buildings in the German capital, you can also see its other attractions. These are the ruins of the Berlin Wall, a television tower with a height of more than 300 m, which is the tallest building in Germany. Jonathan Borofsky's 30-meter sculptural composition Molecular Man, placed right in the river, is also impressive.

In addition, various concerts, marathons and water sports competitions are held here every year, as well as numerous festivals. Among them, the light show and comic vegetable competitions, organized for many years by the residents of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain, stand out. The participants in the battle throw rotten vegetables, flour, eggs and other similar "ammunition" at each other in order to capture the enemy's area. At the same time, observers need to be extremely careful not to waste time and money on dry cleaning services.

Oberbaumbrücke has repeatedly become a filming location, including films about Jason Bourne.