posted by: Dunia Andromeda
Most Tumski
is a bridge over a branch of the River Oder. There has been a bridge
here for centuries, marking the boundary between the jurisdiction of the
city authorities on one side, and the cathedral authorities on the
other.
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The
current steel truss bridge was built in 1889. It originally carried
road traffic, but is now pedestrianised. It was damaged in the second
World War, but repaired, and has been extensively refurbished in more
recent times. It is illuminated by antique gas lanterns at night.
The bridge's two spans total 52m in length. There is a small skew, although
this is not really noticeable. The structural form is clearly unusual.
It's essentially a truss structure, although with some of the attributes
of a suspension bridge, notably the separation of the top chord from
the stiffening truss, where it passes above the central pier.
The
main verticals of each truss form the sides of a portal gateway,
providing much of the bridge's sense of occasion. The portal presumably
also serves to stabilise the verticals against lateral buckling.
It's quite remarkable that what is normally seen as heavy and
industrial, the riveted steel truss, can not only fit within a historic
environment so well, but also become such a romantic bridge.
I'm
not sure why it became associated with romance, but the bridge is now
home to a tradition where couples come to seal their relationship vows.
They prepare a padlock to symbolise their commitment, often inscribed
with their names or a suitable message, lock it to the side of the
bridge, and then throw the key into the river, indicating the
unbreakable nature of their commitment (I'm not sure whether Wrocław
divorce lawyers have to employ assistants armed with boltcutters).
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