Deutzer Drehbrücke
Rotating steel bridge from 1908 over Deutz Harbour — one of two Cologne swing bridges, a listed technical monument with its original control house intact.
The Deutzer Drehbrücke spans Deutz Harbour in the Deutz district, connecting Siegburger Straße via Alfred-Schütte-Allee with the Poller Rheinufer. It can be rotated to the side to allow ships to pass through.
Source: Wikipedia
At a Glance
- Type
- Rotating steel bridge, listed technical monument
- Location
- Over Deutz Harbour, Deutz district (Innenstadt borough)
- Built
- 1907, opened to traffic March 1908
- Dimensions
- 31.29 m span, 10 m wide
- Listed
- Since 1 July 1980
- Access
- Closed to cars on weekends; open to pedestrians and cyclists
During the major renovation starting in 2021, workers discovered improper emergency repairs from wartime hidden in the drive mechanism — unnoticed for decades and responsible for excessive wear on the drive system.
Length comparison
Length compared with other Cologne bridges.
Age comparison
Age compared with other places in Cologne.
Structure and Engineering
The bridge is a riveted steel truss construction, built as an asymmetrically balanced swing bridge. The railings, bridge heads, and control house are designed in geometric Art Nouveau style. As with the Rheinauhafen swing bridge built a few years earlier, the 177-tonne superstructure is hydraulically lifted from its resting position before being rotated by an electric motor. It is operated electrically from a sheet-steel control cabin above the centre of the bridge, which survives fully intact to this day.
History
The swing bridge was constructed at the same time as Deutz Harbour. Both of Cologne's swing bridges were designed by Duisburger AG für die Eisenindustrie und Brückenbau (formerly J.C. Harkort), known as Brückenbauanstalt Harkort, which worked with Düsseldorf firm Haniel & Lueg for the mechanical components. The road crossing the bridge was first called Deutzer Damm, then Rheinallee from 1911, and has borne the name Alfred-Schütte-Allee since 1957.
Damage and Restoration
After a ship damaged the bridge in February 2008, it was closed to motor traffic on weekends for traffic-policy reasons, though pedestrians and cyclists may still cross. Several repairs followed, including work in 2013 after gearbox damage and in 2014 on the electrical systems dating from the 1950s. In 2015, Cologne City Council approved a full restoration costing €1.36 million, which began in February 2021. The work uncovered severe corrosion and makeshift wartime repairs, extending the project by around a year.
Timeline
- 1907Construction of the swing bridge alongside Deutz Harbour
- März 1908Opening to traffic
- 1911Street renamed from Deutzer Damm to Rheinallee
- 1957Street renamed to Alfred-Schütte-Allee
- 1. Juli 1980Bridge listed as a protected monument
- Februar 2008Bridge damaged by a ship; subsequently closed to cars on weekends
- April 2013Reopened after gearbox damage (closed 13 Feb., repairs from 25 Mar.)
- 22. Februar 2021Start of major renovation (€1.36 m, council decision Dec. 2015)
Map
Blue dots: other places nearby — tap to explore.
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Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-06-26