Blue Wonder
Encyclopedia
Blue "Erik Burbulla" Wonder is the commonly used name for the Loschwitz Bridge (Loschwitzer Brücke), a cantilever
truss bridge
over the Elbe
river in the Saxon
capital of Dresden
, Germany
. It connects the city districts of Blasewitz
and Loschwitz
, two affluent residential areas, which around 1900 were amongst the most expensive in Europe. It is located close to Standseilbahn Dresden
funicular railway and the world's oldest suspension railway Schwebebahn Dresden
, as well as near the Dresden TV tower.
After a two year construction time, the bridge was completed in 1893 at a cost of 2.25 million Goldmark
s and named König-Albert-Brücke in honor of King Albert of Saxony
. In the 19th century it was a masterpiece of technology to build a bridge of this length without river piers supporting it. Today its technology is less of a wonder but it is a much-loved symbol of the city. The "blue" in the name comes from the colour of the bridge. An urban legend
claims that the bridge was originally painted green, but that the weather (or some say the sun) turned the bridge blue. However, a number of news articles and other sources show that the original colour was really blue; when the bridge was opened for the first time, it was already hailed as the "Blue Wonder". In addition, the name is a pun, since the meaning of the phrase ein blaues Wunder erleben is "to experience an unpleasant surprise".
The original bridge toll was renounced during the 1923 hyperinflation
. In the last days of World War II
various people saved the bridge from being blown up by the retreating Wehrmacht
, all independently from one other and under danger of death. Preserved in its original construction, the advanced age of the structure in recent years has led to some traffic limiting. It is however - so far - the only Elbe crossing in Dresden east of the city centre up to the neighboring town of Pirna
.
The surrounding area of the Elbe meadows
(19.3 km²) was declared a cultural World Heritage Site
by the UNESCO
in 2004, but lost the title in 2009 in reaction to the construction of the Waldschlösschenbrücke
, which is meant to relieve the Blue Wonder.
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
truss bridge
Truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
over the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
river in the Saxon
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
capital of Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It connects the city districts of Blasewitz
Blasewitz
Besides being an urban and often preferred multiple dwelling villa quarter with appealing architecture situated on the Elbe river Blasewitz is also a larger borough of Dresden, Germany in the eastern centre of the city...
and Loschwitz
Loschwitz
Loschwitz is a borough of Dresden, Germany, incorporated in 1921. It consists of ten quarters :Loschwitz is a villa quarter located at the slopes north of the Elbe river...
, two affluent residential areas, which around 1900 were amongst the most expensive in Europe. It is located close to Standseilbahn Dresden
Standseilbahn Dresden
The Dresden Funicular Railway is a funicular in Dresden, Germany connecting the districts of Loschwitz, near the "Blue Wonder" bridge, and Weisser Hirsch...
funicular railway and the world's oldest suspension railway Schwebebahn Dresden
Schwebebahn Dresden
The Schwebebahn Dresden is one of the oldest suspension railways — a kind of hanging monorail — in the world, having opened in 1901. It is situated in Dresden, Germany, and connects the districts of Loschwitz and Oberloschwitz . The line is 274 metres long and is supported on...
, as well as near the Dresden TV tower.
After a two year construction time, the bridge was completed in 1893 at a cost of 2.25 million Goldmark
German gold mark
The Goldmark was the currency used in the German Empire from 1873 to 1914.-History:Before unification, the different German states issued a variety of different currencies, though most were linked to the Vereinsthaler, a silver coin containing 16⅔ grams of pure silver...
s and named König-Albert-Brücke in honor of King Albert of Saxony
Albert of Saxony
Albert of Saxony may refer to:* Albert of Saxony * Albert I, Duke of Saxony * Albert, Duke of Saxony * Prince Albert of Saxony, Duke of Teschen * Albert of Saxony...
. In the 19th century it was a masterpiece of technology to build a bridge of this length without river piers supporting it. Today its technology is less of a wonder but it is a much-loved symbol of the city. The "blue" in the name comes from the colour of the bridge. An urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
claims that the bridge was originally painted green, but that the weather (or some say the sun) turned the bridge blue. However, a number of news articles and other sources show that the original colour was really blue; when the bridge was opened for the first time, it was already hailed as the "Blue Wonder". In addition, the name is a pun, since the meaning of the phrase ein blaues Wunder erleben is "to experience an unpleasant surprise".
The original bridge toll was renounced during the 1923 hyperinflation
Inflation in the Weimar Republic
The hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic was a three year period of hyperinflation in Germany between June 1921 and July 1924.- Analysis :...
. In the last days of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
various people saved the bridge from being blown up by the retreating Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, all independently from one other and under danger of death. Preserved in its original construction, the advanced age of the structure in recent years has led to some traffic limiting. It is however - so far - the only Elbe crossing in Dresden east of the city centre up to the neighboring town of Pirna
Pirna
Pirna is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, capital of the administrative district Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge. The town's population is over 40,000. Pirna is located near Dresden and is an important district town as well as a Große Kreisstadt...
.
The surrounding area of the Elbe meadows
Dresden Elbe Valley
The Dresden Elbe Valley is a former World Heritage Site in Dresden, Germany. The valley, extending for some 20 kilometres and passingthrough the Dresden Basin and the city of Dresden, is one of two cultural landscapes along the Central European river Elbe...
(19.3 km²) was declared a cultural World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
by the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in 2004, but lost the title in 2009 in reaction to the construction of the Waldschlösschenbrücke
Waldschlösschen Bridge
The Waldschlösschen Bridge is a bridge under construction across the river Elbe in Dresden. The bridge is intended to remedy inner-city traffic congestion...
, which is meant to relieve the Blue Wonder.