The Hef

The Hef is the popular name for the Koningshaven Bridge, a railway lifting bridge that has been out of service for train traffic since September 24, 1993, over the Koningshaven in Rotterdam. The bridge was part of the Breda - Rotterdam railway line.

History[edit | edit source]

The Koningshaven separates the Noordereiland from the district Feijenoord. The bridge parts of the Koningshaven Bridge on both banks date back to 1878. The middle part was originally a drawbridge. However, this was a significant obstacle for shipping. In the narrow passage, several ships got stuck; in 1918, the German ship Kandelfels collided with the pillar. This last accident prompted the construction of a lifting bridge to replace the drawbridge.

The bridge was designed by engineer Pieter Joosting and was opened on October 31, 1927. This bridge was the first of its kind in Western Europe. Joris Ivens made an avant-garde film about The Hef titled The Bridge in 1928. Among other things, this film made Ivens internationally known. Arij de Boode and Pieter van Oudheusden wrote De Hef, biography of a railway bridge (1985, with a foreword by Joris Ivens).

On January 14, 1933, Lou Vlasblom jumped from the lifting bridge. Two weeks later, Jan Tabbernee jumped from a point six meters higher than Vlasblom's. Tabbernee landed awkwardly and did not survive the dive.

On May 14, 1940, during the bombing of Rotterdam, the bridge was severely damaged. To make train traffic possible again, it was one of the first structures to be repaired in the devastated city.

WSV Zelden Rust