![]() The goal is to widen and straighten Highway B-283, which runs parallel to the Zwickau Mulde River, connecting Aue with Klingenthal and the Czech Border. Since 28 August, 2017, the Bockau Arch Bridge has been closed to all traffic as part of the project to replace it with a new structure on a new alignment. This includes the bridge itself, which is also protected by the German Preservation Laws- Denkmalschutzgesetz. This area, which is being considered for a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is protected by law by state and local natural reserves to ensure that no harm is done to the region. ![]() The natural reserve includes some rare species, such as the fire salamander, white-throated dippers and bats, many of whom use the arches of the bridge as their natural habitats. The Zwickauer Mulde Valley near the bridge has a wide selection of flora and fauna, which is protected by law. The same bridge was used again 23 years later, as soldiers from the Warsaw Pact armies, consisting of mainly Russians and East Germans, crossed this bridge enroute to Prague to quash the Spring Movement of 1968, which the then Czechoslovakia tried to mix socialism with democracy to the disapproval of the Soviets and the Americans alike. The 11th Panzer surrendered in Passau on 2 May, 1945, six days before Germany capitulated. This allowed for the Soviets and Americans to easily cross the bridge in Bockau with their tanks with ease while setting the people free in the process. Yet a brave unknown soldier did the unthinkable and relocated the bombs to a temporary bridge in Zwickau before blowing that bridge up. This is the same tank division of the German army that had fought (and lost) at Stalingrad, Kursk and the Battle of the Bulge before retreating towards Germany. In an attempt to slow down the progress of advancing soldiers from the east, the 11th Panzer Division was ordered to detonate the bridge in April 1945. ![]() After the war, it was converted into a restaurant called Gasthof Rechenhaus, which is still in service to this day. Even the headwaters plant was once a mill before it eventually became the barracks for the 11th Panzer Division of the German Army during World War II. The flow of the water was ideal for transporting mined minerals and other materials downstream, and workers constructed several canals in the mountain region over the next 90 years. A local restaurant with the name Rechenhaus was the site of the dam and lock complex and headwaters plant, which were built between 15. It took approximately a full year with lots of man- and horsepower to construct a five-span stone arch bridge that connected Bockau with Albernau and Zschorlau on the opposite side. Its current structure was built in 1872 and is made of natural stone mined nearby. It goes as far back as 1559, when a wooden bridge was built, as part of the dam and lock complex, used to transport minerals mined to Schlema. ![]() The Bockau Arch Bridge is one of a few historic landmarks in the Ore Mountain (Erzgebirge) Region that is connected with both mining and military history. As a result, a petition to save and restore the Bockau Arch Bridge has been created to stress the importance of saving this historic crossing and reusing it as a key pedestrian and bicycle crossing. ![]() The old stone arch bridge is scheduled to be removed prior to the date of completion of the new bridge. The bridge is currently being replaced on a new alignment by a concrete structure which will be opened in November 2019. It continued to serve traffic until its closure on 28 August, 2017. The bridge is located six kilometers west of Aue in the German state of Saxony. Built in 1872, it spans the Zwickau Mulde River and the Rails-to-Trails bike route Aue-Blauenthal, carrying B 283, connecting Bockau and Albernau (Zschorlau District). The Bockau Arch Bridge (known in German as the Rechenhausbrücke) is a five-span stone arch bridge constructed of natural stone from the Ore Mountain region. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |