Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden
Encyclopedia
Rapperswil
Rapperswil-Jona is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.Besides Rapperswil and Jona, which were separate municipalities until 2006, the municipality includes Bollingen, Busskirch, Curtiberg, Kempraten-Lenggis, Wagen, and Wurmsbach.-Today:On...
and the village of Hurden crossing the upper Lake Zürich
Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zurich. It is also known as Lake Zürich and Lake of Zürich. It lies approximately at co-ordinates ....
(Obersee) in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The prehistoric timber piles discovered to the west of the Seedamm
Seedamm
Seedamm is the partially artificial dam and bridge at the most narrow area of Lake Zurich, between Hurden and Rapperswil .- Geography and location :...
date back to 1523 BC. The first wooden footbridge led across Lake Zürich, followed by several reconstructions at least until late 2nd century AD when the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
built a 6 metres (19.7 ft) wide wooden bridge. Between 1358 and 1360, Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria
Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria
Rudolf IV der Stifter was a scion of the House of Habsburg and Duke of Austria and Duke of Styria and Carinthia from 1358, as well as Count of Tyrol from 1363 and first Duke of Carniola from 1364 until his death...
, built a 'new' wooden bridge across the lake that was used until 1878. On April 6, 2001, the reconstructed wooden footbridge was opened, being the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland.
Geography
The pedestrian bridge is located next to the so-called SeedammSeedamm
Seedamm is the partially artificial dam and bridge at the most narrow area of Lake Zurich, between Hurden and Rapperswil .- Geography and location :...
, as of the today, on upper Lake Zürich
Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zurich. It is also known as Lake Zürich and Lake of Zürich. It lies approximately at co-ordinates ....
(Obersee), and connects Rapperswil
Rapperswil
Rapperswil-Jona is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.Besides Rapperswil and Jona, which were separate municipalities until 2006, the municipality includes Bollingen, Busskirch, Curtiberg, Kempraten-Lenggis, Wagen, and Wurmsbach.-Today:On...
, canton of St. Gallen
Canton of St. Gallen
The Canton of St. Gallen is a canton of Switzerland. St. Gallen is located in the north east of Switzerland. It covers an area of 2,026 km², and has a population of . , the population included 97,461 foreigners, or about 20.9% of the total population. The capital is St. Gallen. Spelling...
, and Hurden, canton of Schwyz
Canton of Schwyz
Schwyz is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne in the east and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz....
. From Rapperswil railway station
Rapperswil railway station
Rapperswil is a train station located in Rapperswil, Switzerland.- Nodal point of S-Bahn Zürich, SBB-CFF-FFS and Südostbahn :Rapperswil railway station is an important junction of the S-Bahn Zürich and Südostbahn networks, and thus a bottleneck for public traffic. Rapperswil is a nodal point where...
it is just a few minutes’ walk, starting right next to the Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil
Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil
HSR or University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil is a technical university in Rapperswil, a town of the City of Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland...
. Its filigree timber structure invites the hiker to observe the richly varied flora and fauna in the nature reserve situated around the small islands neighbooring the so-called Heilig Hüsli
Heilig Hüsli
Heilig Hüsli is a chapel in the city of Rapperswil, canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland.- Geography :The chapel is located next to the so-called Seedamm, as of the today, situated on a small island on upper Lake Zürich on the Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden, a historical wooden bridge reconstructed in...
.
Neolithic and Roman bridges between the lake shores
The prehistoric timber piles discovered to the west of the dam date back to 1523 BC. Situated not far from Heilig HüsliHeilig Hüsli
Heilig Hüsli is a chapel in the city of Rapperswil, canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland.- Geography :The chapel is located next to the so-called Seedamm, as of the today, situated on a small island on upper Lake Zürich on the Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden, a historical wooden bridge reconstructed in...
a lakeside settlement was discovered, where a hamlet was built around 1650 to 1500 BC on a
small island. The first wooden footbridge led across Lake Zurich, followed by several reconstructions at least until late 2nd century AD when the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
built a 6 metres (19.7 ft) wide wooden bridge under Empire Marcus Aurelius (161–180). At Kempraten
Kempraten
Kempraten-Lenggis is a village within the municipality of Rapperswil-Jona, Wahlkreis of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It is one of the most important archeological sites in the canton of St...
's Lake Zurich bay, the Roman transshipment harbour for goods was located that have been transported on the Roman streets, on the wooden bridge and on the waterway Zürich–Walensee.
Medieval bridge (1358-1878)
In 981, a ferry to the UfenauUfenau
Ufenau is an island located, with the neighbouring island of Lützelau, in Lake Zürich in Switzerland between Freienbach and Rapperswil .- Geography :...
island is mentioned, probably there was a ferry to the other lakeside, too. By 1358, ferry services between Rapperswil and Hurden are mentioned. Between 1358 and 1360, Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria
Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria
Rudolf IV der Stifter was a scion of the House of Habsburg and Duke of Austria and Duke of Styria and Carinthia from 1358, as well as Count of Tyrol from 1363 and first Duke of Carniola from 1364 until his death...
, built a 'new' wooden bridge across the lake that has been used to 1878 – measuring approximately 1450 metres (4,757.2 ft) in length and 4 metres (13.1 ft) wide; 546 oak piles have been installed. A small wooden bridge from Ufenau island to Hurden is mentioned around 1430, so-called «Kilchweg in die Uffnow».
In 1873, the Swiss federal parliament approved the construction of the Seedamm
Seedamm
Seedamm is the partially artificial dam and bridge at the most narrow area of Lake Zurich, between Hurden and Rapperswil .- Geography and location :...
's stone dam and the southeastern and southwestern bridges. Construction works have been begun in 1875 and finished in 1878 – in the same year the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
wooden bridge was broken.
Reconstructed bridge (2001)
On April 6, 2001, the reconstructed wooden footbridge was opened alongside the Seedamm. It was built within nine months in quite the same place as the original neolithic and medieval bridges linking Rapperswil with the nearby bridge chapel (Heilig HüsliHeilig Hüsli
Heilig Hüsli is a chapel in the city of Rapperswil, canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland.- Geography :The chapel is located next to the so-called Seedamm, as of the today, situated on a small island on upper Lake Zürich on the Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden, a historical wooden bridge reconstructed in...
) built in 1551. This connection for centuries has been part of old pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
routes, the so-called Jakobsweg to the Einsiedeln Abbey
Einsiedeln Abbey
Einsiedeln Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in the town of Einsiedeln in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. The abbey is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits, the title being derived from the circumstances of its foundation, from which the name Einsiedeln is also said to have originated...
. The old pilgrimage way leads from Wattwil
Wattwil
Wattwil is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Toggenburg in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-Geography:Wattwil has an area, , of . Of this area, 52.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 37.3% is forested...
over the Ricken pass
Ricken Pass
Ricken Pass is a mountain pass in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.It connects the Linth valley and Toggenburg. The pass road has a maximum grade of 9 percent.A Federal Railway tunnel has been dug under the pass....
to Schmerikon
Schmerikon
Schmerikon is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-Geography:Schmerikon has an area, , of . Of this area, 38.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 23% is forested...
on to Lachen
Lachen, Switzerland
Lachen is a municipality in March District in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.-Geography:Lachen has an area, , of . Of this area, 26.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 5.8% is forested...
and along the left bank of the lake to Pfäffikon
Pfäffikon, Schwyz
Pfäffikon is the principal town of the Municipality of Freienbach in canton Schwyz in Switzerland. Together with Wollerau, Pfäffikon is considered the principal town of the borough Höfe and the center of the region of Ausserschwyz. The former farm town is known today as cultural, economic and...
. Another route leads from Schmerikon along the lake to Rapperswil and then over the wooden bridge respectively from Constance
Constance
Constance is a female given name that derives from Latin and means "constant." Variations of the name include Connie, Constancia, Constanze, Constanza, Stanzy, and Konstanze.Constance may refer to:-People:*Constance Bennett , American actress...
over the Hörnli
Hörnli
Hörnli mountain, altitude 1133 meters, coordinates 47/22/16/N - 8/56/16/E, is located on the territory of the community of Fischenthal, in the Zürcher Oberland, in the eastern part of canton of Zürich, in Switzerland....
mountain through Zürcher Oberland
Zürcher Oberland
The Zürcher Oberland in Switzerland, is the hilly south-eastern part of the Canton of Zurich, bordering on the Toggenburg, including the districts of Uster, Hinwil, Pfäffikon as well as the Töss Valley as far as the district of Winterthur. The territory gradually fell under the control of the city...
via Rapperswil
Rapperswil
Rapperswil-Jona is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.Besides Rapperswil and Jona, which were separate municipalities until 2006, the municipality includes Bollingen, Busskirch, Curtiberg, Kempraten-Lenggis, Wagen, and Wurmsbach.-Today:On...
and the wooden bridge to St. Meinrad pass (Etzel mountain
Etzel (mountain)
The Etzel is a mountain in the Alps on the south side of Lake Zurich in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland....
) and heads to Einsiedeln
Einsiedeln, Switzerland
Einsiedeln is a municipality and district in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland known for its monastery, the Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey. Einsiedeln is also the birthplace of Paracelsus, a Renaissance physician and alchemist who is credited with first naming zinc.-Prehistoric...
.
The new wooden bridge opened in 2001 is significant internationally and historically. As mentioned this narrowest part of the Lake Zürich was already bridged in pre-Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
times. The Middle Ages wooden bridge, with loose planks, was built from 1358 to 1360, while the last one was demolished in 1878 when the Seedamm was built. The bridge has a length of 841 metres (2,759.2 ft), is 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) wide, and its path is 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) above mean water level (406 metres (1,332 ft). 415m3 solid Oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and 61 tons steel components have been used, and 233 piles, each 7–16 m long, diameter 36–70 cm. Piling started on August 9, 2000, the bridge was officially opened on April 6, 2001.
Nature reserve
The lake and the small islands between the timber piles and the dam are designated as a nature reserve. Together with an artificial island made of gravel, they form one of the most important waterfowlWaterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
breeding areas. For this reason, fishing from the wooden bridge is prohibited, as is swimming and mooring boats in the area.
Heritage site of national significance
After the SeedammSeedamm
Seedamm is the partially artificial dam and bridge at the most narrow area of Lake Zurich, between Hurden and Rapperswil .- Geography and location :...
was built in 1878, the Heilig Hüsli
Heilig Hüsli
Heilig Hüsli is a chapel in the city of Rapperswil, canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland.- Geography :The chapel is located next to the so-called Seedamm, as of the today, situated on a small island on upper Lake Zürich on the Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden, a historical wooden bridge reconstructed in...
chapel was the only remaining structure of the medieval wooden bridge. It stood isolated in the lake and was not accessible to visitors until the reconstruction of the former wooden bridge was erected in 2001. The reconstructed wooden bridge is listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
as part of the Seedamm
Seedamm
Seedamm is the partially artificial dam and bridge at the most narrow area of Lake Zurich, between Hurden and Rapperswil .- Geography and location :...
area including Heilig Hüsli and the remains of the prehistoric wooden bridges respectively stilt house
Stilt house
Stilt houses or pile dwellings or palafitte are houses raised on piles over the surface of the soil or a body of water. Stilt houses are built primarily as a protection against flooding, but also serve to keep out vermin...
settlements.
Literature
- Beat Eberschweiler: Ur- und frühgeschichtliche Verkehrswege über den Zürichsee: Erste Ergebnisse aus den Taucharchäologischen Untersuchungen beim Seedamm. In: Mitteilungen des Historischen Vereins des Kantons Schwyz, Ausgabe 96, Schwyz 2004.
- Hans Rathgeb: Brücken über den See. Hrsg. von der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Fussgänger-Holzsteg Rapperswil-Hurden, Rapperswil 2001. ISBN 3-9522511-1-9
- Dieter Trachsler: Pilgerwege der Schweiz: Jakobsweg; Schwabenweg: Konstanz – Einsiedeln, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Zürcher Oberlandes. Hrsg. Zürcher Wanderwegen (ZAW), 2. Auflage, Wetzikon 2000.