Waldschlösschen Bridge

In the dispute over the construction of the Waldschlösschen Bridge in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Dresden Elbe Valley, the city presented the World Heritage Committee with an alternative to the previously planned river crossing. If the bridge had been built as planned, the title would have been threatened with withdrawal, which would have been an unprecedented event in the history of the World Heritage Convention.

Werner Sobek’s Design First in Competition

In an invited competition, six architectural and engineering firms submitted alternative proposals. Two of these proposals were awarded first prize. Werner Sobek’s design was one of these two.

The river landscape of the Elbe, which is about 20 kilometres long, was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2004. In July 2006, it was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger because of the planned bridge construction. Germany was called upon to stop the construction project and to seek alternative solutions.

More on the topic of “bridges” in our podcast