Blue Wonder
Construction took two years and was completed in 1893 at a cost of 2.25 million Goldmarks (equivalent to 16 million 2021 €) and named König-Albert-Brücke in honor of Albert, King of Saxony. In the 19th century, a bridge of this length without supporting river piers was considered a technological masterpiece. Today the technology is less miraculous, but the bridge is a much-loved symbol of the city.
The original bridge toll ended during the hyperinflation of 1923. Towards the end of World War II, an SS unit attempted to destroy the bridge, but this was prevented when two people cut the detonator wires. Preserved in its original construction, the advanced age of the structure in recent years has led to some traffic limits. Until the opening of the Waldschlösschen Bridge on 26 August 2013, it was the only Elbe crossing east of the city centre.
The surrounding area of 19.3 km (7.5 sq mi) of the Elbe meadows was declared a cultural World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 2004, but lost the title in 2009 following the construction of the Waldschlösschen Bridge, meant to relieve congestion on the Blue Wonder.
See also
References
- ^ Taylor, Frederick (2004). Dresden: Tuesday, February 13, 1945. New York: HarperCollins. pp. 383–284. ISBN 0-06-000676-5.
External links
- Media related to Blue Wonder at Wikimedia Commons
- The Blue Miracle at Structurae