Schloßbrücke

Schloßbrücke and Humboldt Forum.

With its historic railings and eight statues, the Schloßbrücke in Berlin-Mitte is one of Berlin's most beautiful bridges. It was built according to plans designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and is located near the Lustgarten on Museum Island.

The Schloßbrücke, sometimes also written as Schlossbrücke, crosses the western branch of the Spree and was designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The stone bridge carries traffic across Museum Island. In addition to its functional purpose, the bridge is one of the most beautiful in Berlin: the railing of the three-arched bridge is interrupted by eight marble figures. The figures depict the life of a hero from youth to death. Although the bridge was completed in 1824, the marble figures were not created until between 1842 and 1857. They were created by students of the sculptors Johann Gottfried Schadow and Christian Daniel Rauch.

Transport route and dog bridge

Before the stone bridge was built, a wooden drawbridge spanned the Spree at the same location. It served as a transport route for the materials needed to build the palace. In addition to its function as a transport route, the bridge was used by hunting parties with their dogs on their way to the Tiergarten, which earned it the nickname Hundebrücke (dog bridge). In 1821, the king ordered the construction of a new bridge, as he felt that the wooden bridge no longer suited the surroundings of the magnificent buildings.

Schloßbrücke becomes Marx-Engels-Brücke

To protect the marble figures from destruction, they were removed and stored during the Second World War. After the end of the war, the Schloßbrücke was located within the East German occupation zone, while the figures were in the West. After the demolition of Berlin Palace and the renaming of the square to Marx-Engels-Platz, the bridge was also renamed Marx-Engels-Brücke. It remained so until October 3, 1991, when it was renamed Schloßbrücke again. The marble figures were reinstalled in the mid-1980s.

Information

• Address:
  Unter den Linden 1
  10117 Berlin
  City map
• Architect: Karl Friedrich Schinkel
• Text: Jaron Verlag