The Hohenzollern Railway Bridge is one of the sights of Cologne. The bridge over the Rhine was built in 1859. Then it was called the Cathedral Bridge, since the railway station and the bridge are located near the Cologne Cathedral.
On both banks the Cathedral Bridge was decorated with Romanesque towers. They were built according to the project of the Berlin architect Franz Schwechten. Near the towers were mounted statues of the Prussian King Frederick William IV and the emperors of the united Germany Wilhelm I, Frederick III and Wilhelm II. They are all from the Hohenzollern dynasty.
The transport hub of Cologne has always been very busy, so at the beginning of the 20th century, it was decided to build a new bridge. Some experts proposed to move the bridge and the station away from the Cologne Cathedral, but, in the end, the railway remained in the same place.
The new bridge was opened in 1911. It had a more powerful arched structure and was called the Hohenzollern Bridge. The bridge is 409 meters long. In 1985, the bridge was expanded to 4 tracks, and now its width reaches 29 meters. Today, more than a thousand trains pass through it every day.
The Romanesque towers and sculptures of the emperors at the new Hohenzollern Bridge in 1911 were preserved. During the Second World War, the Cologne Bridge was one of the main targets of aviation, as it passed through the intensive movement of German troops. It was completely destroyed and restored only in 1948. Romanesque towers decided not to restore, but the sculptures of the emperors remained in the same place.
Today, small park areas have been created on both sides of the bridge. The promenade on the right bank of the Rhine offers a very beautiful view of Cologne Cathedral and St. Martin`s Church. Every year a lot of newlyweds from all over Europe come to the Hohenzollern Bridge. There is a tradition to hang a padlock on the structure of the Hohenzollern Bridge and throw the key into the Rhine. The padlock is a symbol of love and long years of living together. Thanks to this, the bridge became known as the "Bridge of Love". Nowadays, all the structures of the bridge are very tightly covered with locks and new couples are unlikely to find a new place for their padlock.
