Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden: Bridging the Past to the Present

FUNCTIONS, PURPOSE, ROLE + ENGINEERING & ARCHITECTURE

Date back in 1523 BC, Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden is a bridge between the city of
Rapperswil and the village of Hurden the upper Lake Zürich in Switzerland. The pedestrian
bridge across a passable dam enables people or individuals to cross over at the lake’s tightest
point between Rapperswil and Hurden, a to some degree dangerous, tortuous wooden
footbridge with inexactly laid planks helped them make their way across the lake.

Among the oldest established wood bridges is the Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden

trailed by a few recreations in any event until the late second century AD, when the Roman
Empire constructed a 6-meter-wide (20 ft) wooden extension. Somewhere in the range of 1358
and 1360, Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, assembled 'another' wooden extension over the lake that
was utilized to 1878 – estimating roughly 1,450 meters (4,760 ft) long and 4 meters (13 ft) wide.
On April 6, 2001, the remade wooden footbridge was opened, being the longest wooden
extension in Switzerland.
The least complex type of a bridge is stepping stones, so this may have been one of the
earliest types. Neolithic people additionally fabricated a type of footpath across marshes, of
which the Sweet Track and the Post Track, are examples from England that are around 6000
years old. Without a doubt ancient peoples would also have used log bridges; that is a timber
bridge that fall naturally or are intentionally felled or placed across streams. A portion of the
primary man-made scaffolds with significant span were probably intentionally felled trees.
Stone and wood have also been highly popular throughout time, especially during the
Napoleonic times, as they were during the time of Julius Cesar. Cast and forged iron weren’t
available for bridges until the end of the XVIII century, mainly because of its high prices.
The wooden bridge at this location has a long history and can even be associated with
prehistoric pile dwelling settlements The bridge also has a long tradition as a stage on the Way
of St. James and represents the connection between Rapperswil and Einsiedeln. The historic
pier is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Lakeside Settlements of the Alpine Region" and
a cultural asset of national importance.
New construction from 2001 The hiking trail leading over the lake dam, also popular as
a recreation area , was to be rebuilt based on the historical route of the Swabian Trail over the
old wooden bridge. In addition, a great view of the Alps and of the city Rappeerswil with the
Beautiful castle.