Palace Bridge (Berlin)

Palace Bridge in 2005. In the background is the Zeichhaus .

Palace Bridge ( Schloßbrücke ; German: Schloßbrücke ) - a bridge over the Spree Canal at the eastern end of Unter den Linden in the historic center of Berlin . An architectural monument located in the Mitte district connects the historic districts of Friedrichsverder and Spreeinsel . The stone bridge, built in 1821-1824 according to the design of Karl Friedrich Schinkel , was replaced by the old wooden Dog bridge across the Spree . In 1951-1991, the bridge bore the name of Marx and Engels .

The surviving maps of Berlin and Cologne allow us to conclude that the bridge at this place already existed in the 15th century. It was necessary for the delivery of building materials for the first Berlin City Palace through Kupfergraben , which at that time was called the Copper Ditch. The wooden semi-arched bridge on stilts with a hinged middle part was called the Dog: on it the royal inhabitants of the City Palace went with their dogs to hunt in the Tiergarten . Despite all the changes that affected the City Palace and Unter den Linden, the Dog Bridge survived until 1736, when it was rebuilt by the court carpenter Birig. A modern design with a counterbalance system to raise the bridge was created in 1738. In 1806, Napoleon entered Berlin over this bridge.

The construction of the new front bridge was entrusted to the architect and senior secret adviser on construction issues, Karl Friedrich Schinkel , who introduced the first design of the bridge in 1819. The construction of the bridge became an important task within the framework of the new design of the entire territory from the City Palace to the Opera Square , the ensemble of which was supplemented by the rebuilt Lustgarten and the New Guardhouse . The new vaulted bridge was supposed to be built from sandstone in three segments of equal size so that it allowed river transport without drawbridges.

On May 29, 1822, the ceremony of laying the first stone in the foundation of the bridge took place, and on this occasion the bridge was called the Palace. On November 29, 1823, the marriage of the Crown Prince of Prussia and the future King Frederick William IV was appointed. The day before, the still unfinished Palace Bridge was inaugurated. The Berlin Student Society, in honor of the high-ranking bride Elizabeth Louis organized a torchlight procession to Lustgarten, a crush appeared on a temporary wooden bridge, people fell into the water. More than 20 people died, but reports of a tragic incident in the press did not appear for reasons of censorship. The bridge was finally put into operation only in 1824. Schinkel’s project provided for the decoration of the bridge eight monumental figures on the theme of victory in the Liberation Wars , but due to lack of funds, sculptures were installed only in 1857, after the architect’s death.

In 1912, the Kupfergraben bed was deepened, and in 1938 the bridge was reinforced with reinforced concrete structures. In the Second World War , unlike the neighboring bridges, Schlosbrucke survived, having received only minor injuries during the fighting in the spring of 1945. Sculptures of the bridge back in 1943 were taken out for storage to the west.

As a result of the post-war division of the city into sectors, the bridge ended up in the Soviet sector of Berlin. In 1950-1952, the bridge was repaired, but the sculptures remained in the western part of the city. On May 1, 1951, the restored bridge was renamed the Marx and Engels Bridge in accordance with the new name of Palace Square . Only in 1981, as part of an intra-German cultural exchange, did historical sculptures return to East Berlin , were restored and in 1983-1984 returned to their pedestals on the bridge. Until August 1989, work was underway on other details of the bridge: new lights were installed, the decorative elements of the pedestals and the fence were updated and the supports were repaired.

On October 3, 1991, on the first anniversary of the reunification of Germany , the historic name Schlosbrucke was returned to the bridge. In 1995-1997, the bridge was overhauled.

Palace bridge on the Shinkel project, 1819		View from the Palace Bridge to the City Palace , 1900		The Marx and Engels Bridge and the demolished building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the GDR in 1996