Steintorbrücke

The Steintorbrücke is a bridge over the city moat in the Havelberg urban area in the Stendal district of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

The island town of Havelberg is bordered by the cathedral district, by the city moat, a former branch of the Havel, and to the west and south by the Havel River, which here forms a loop. Two gates with short walls on the sides secured the entrances to the island from the city. The Sandauer Tor to the southwest and the Steintor to the north. From 1359 to 1559, Havelberg was a member of the Hanseatic League and the city's trade took place mainly on the navigable Havel and the nearby Elbe, as well as on the old trade route that ran through the city's island, a very old trade route from Magdeburg to Rostock and further east. There is evidence that bridges over the waters were built as early as the Middle Ages. The Steintorbrücke was first mentioned in writing in 1692. It can be assumed that there was already a passage from the Havel to this important road link to Steintor. The first bridge mentioned on the moat at this location was a drawbridge. This type of construction was used for the passage of ships and also to secure the island-city against external enemies. At that time, wooden bridges had to be renewed on average every thirty years. In the 19th century, the drawbridge design was abandoned, as the city's moat silted up and was no longer usable for navigation. A first solid stone bridge with three pillars in the city's moat was built in 1912/13. The bridge was destroyed at the end of the war in 1945, but it was restored in 1948. In 2008/09, this bridge was replaced by a new building, the current Steintorbrücke.

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