Big celebration for the restoration of the Plauer Bridge – a monument shines!

Big celebration for the restoration of the Plauer Bridge – a monument shines!

The Plauer Bridge, a magnificent structure from 1904, celebrated its 120th anniversary in October 2025 with a festive assembly and award ceremony on the banks of the Born. The Independent Citizens' Association Plaue e. V. and local mayor Udo Geiseler organized the event to honor the restoration of the bridge and to thank the donors for their support. Over eleven restored parts of the delicate Art Nouveau railing were proudly presented, a first important step in the ongoing renovation.

The Plauer Bridge has a long history that dates back to the 13th century and is one of the last important steel truss bridges in Brandenburg. According to the head of the monument protection department, Katrin Witt, the costs for renovating a part of the railing vary between 6,000 and 10,000 euros. On average, the refurbishment of a railing segment costs around 8,000 euros, depending on the extent of the damage, and a total of 60 parts have to be restored in order to restore the bridge to its full splendor.

Restoration and costs

Mayor Steffen Scheller reported total costs of around three million euros for measures such as rust removal and rivet replacement as well as corrosion protection. In addition, an additional one million euros will be needed to renew the road and sidewalk, for which construction work is scheduled to begin next week. Another important aspect: Before the GRP planks can be laid, the corrosion protection is reinforced in around 20 places so that the bridge is well prepared for the coming decades.

The citizens' initiative “Alte Plauer Brücke” emphasizes the importance of the fundraising campaign, as without the financial support the renovation would hardly be possible. The Windeck family, one of the largest sponsors, plays an important role by training apprentices in old craft techniques that are essential for refurbishing the railings. Particularly exciting: historical railing attachments can be reused without any changes, which benefits both aesthetics and sustainability.

Future of the Plauer Bridge

The first four renovated railing segments were installed on May 27, 2024, and the entire bridge, which is 130 meters long and 10.70 meters wide, should be open to the public again by the first quarter of 2026 at the latest. However, patience is still required because the external decorative railings require additional time to be refurbished. Anyone who would like to support the project can find further information about the fundraising campaign on the information page for the Brandenburg district of Plaue an der Havel.

The Plauer Bridge not only remains an important monument, but also a part of living history that will blossom again through community commitment and craftsmanship. We are working together to restore this important structure, which crosses the Havel with three openings, each 42.40 meters wide. With the right sensitivity and support from the population, the bridge could soon become a popular meeting place for walkers and cyclists again.

For current information about the progress of the restoration, those interested can read the links City of Brandenburg, Plaue Havel and Denkmalschutz.