Griethausen

Griethausen is a small place in Germany, belonging to the municipality of Kleve in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The town of Griethausen is located on an old arm of the Rhine, the Griethausen Altrhein, and has approximately 1300 inhabitants. It has an area of 152 hectares.

Fire disasters In the 17th century, the struggle for the neighboring fortress of Schenkenschanz also caused immense damage in Griethausen. On March 25, 1735, a fire broke out in one of the houses, which quickly spread and leveled the entire town within hours. Only the church and part of the rectory and the convent were spared. In 1798, the town had 72 houses again. On August 17, 1868, there was another major city fire, after which a decision was made to equip all connected houses with fire-resistant party walls. Nevertheless, a major fire again devastated the town on April 10, 1873.

Railway bridge Remarkable in the landscape towards the Rhine bank is the old railway bridge that spans the old arm of the Rhine (Altrhein). The steel bridge is one hundred meters long and is the oldest preserved bridge of this type in Germany. The bridge was part of a railway connection from Zevenaar via Elten, Welle, and Spyck to Kleve. The trains were ferried across the Rhine between Welle and Spyck. (See also: Railway line Zevenaar - Kleve). The total length of the bridge, including the section over land, is 565 meters. The bridge was built between 1863 and 1865, requiring approximately 505,170 kilograms of wrought iron and about 7,780 kilograms of cast iron. The former railway embankment between Griethausen and Kleve is currently used as a walking and cycling path. This railway embankment can be easily recognized from the air and via Google Earth by its light yellow surface.

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