Germany: Famous WWII Remagen bridge towers up for sale | News | DW | 07.05.2018

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Germany: Famous WWII Remagen bridge towers up for sale

Buyers interested in WWII history and who aren't afraid of rolling up their sleeves are in luck. German authorities are selling part of the destroyed Ludendorff Bridge or "Bridge at Remagen" to the highest bidder.

  • The eastern entrance to the Ludendorff Bridge in Remagen, Germany. (picture-alliance/dpa/H.-J. Rech)

    The Ludendorff Bridge or Bridge at Remagen

    Bridge over the River Rhine

    Securing the Ludendorff Bridge, undamaged, was a crucial strategic victory for the Allies in 1945. It allowed thousands of troops and vehicles to cross the vast River Rhine, and thus turn their eyes towards Berlin.

  • Actors George Segal (r.) and Ben Gazzara in a still photo from the 1969 movie 'The Bridge at Remagen.' Wearing US military uniforms, they are firing from cover near the bridge. (picture-alliance/United Archives/IFTN)

    The Ludendorff Bridge or Bridge at Remagen

    Immortalized in film in 'The Bridge at Remagen'

    Color war movie 'The Bridge at Remagen' (1969) brought the story of the bridge from military lore into the mainstream. The movie's version of events is highly accelerated, putting a far greater emphasis on infantry battles than the weeks of artillery duels that preceded the bridge's capture in real life.

  • The Ludendorff Bridge in 1945, a day after it way captured. (1945) (picture-alliance/Mary Evans Picture Library/ Illustrated London News Ltd)

    The Ludendorff Bridge or Bridge at Remagen

    Crucial crossing, gateway to rest of Germany

    Thousands of Allied troops crossed the bridge immediately after its seizure. Allied area bombing had damaged some Rhine crossings to the north, while the German Wehrmacht destroyed others in controlled explosions to slow down its adversaries.

  • A soldier observes the bridge from an elevated position in an undated archive photo from 1945. (picture-alliance/dpa)

    The Ludendorff Bridge or Bridge at Remagen

    Strategic asset, but vulnerable

    The 9th Armored Division of the US First Army became the first Allied troops to cross the Rhine after its capture on March 7, 1945. With the Russian Red Army advancing from the east, the pincer was now set.

  • Deutschland 2. Weltkrieg Zerstörung Brücke von Remagen (public domain/Source: Franklin D. Roosevelt Library & Museum)

    The Ludendorff Bridge or Bridge at Remagen

    Collapsed, but only after providing a bridgehead

    After losing control of the bridge, German forces repeatedly tried to destroy it. They succeeded on March 17, 10 days after its capture. But not before some 25,000 troops and vehicles had established themselves on the eastern bank.

  • Veterans lay wreaths at a ceremony in Remagen on May 7, 2015. (picture-alliance/dpa/T. Frey)

    The Ludendorff Bridge or Bridge at Remagen

    Modern memorials

    This photo was taken on the 70th anniversary of the bridge's capture, May 7, 2015. The ceremony brought together veterans from around the world.

  • The towers in Remagen where the Ludendorff Bridge stood. The building is now a museum to peace. This photo was taken on May 7, 2015, the 70th anniversary of the bridge's capture. (picture-alliance/dpa/T. Frey)

    The Ludendorff Bridge or Bridge at Remagen

    Museum to peace on western bank

    The Ludendorff Bridge, initially constructed for logistics purposes in World War I, was never rebuilt after its 1945 destruction. The towers on its western bank at Remagen (pictured here) were converted into a museum. Across the Rhine, in Erpel, the towers were made into a performing arts space — and they're now up for sale.

    Author: Mark Hallam


  • The eastern entrance to the Ludendorff Bridge in Remagen, Germany. (picture-alliance/dpa/H.-J. Rech)

    The Ludendorff Bridge or Bridge at Remagen

    Bridge over the River Rhine

    Securing the Ludendorff Bridge, undamaged, was a crucial strategic victory for the Allies in 1945. It allowed thousands of troops and vehicles to cross the vast River Rhine, and thus turn their eyes towards Berlin.

  • Actors George Segal (r.) and Ben Gazzara in a still photo from the 1969 movie 'The Bridge at Remagen.' Wearing US military uniforms, they are firing from cover near the bridge. (picture-alliance/United Archives/IFTN)

    The Ludendorff Bridge or Bridge at Remagen

    Immortalized in film in 'The Bridge at Remagen'

    Color war movie 'The Bridge at Remagen' (1969) brought the story of the bridge from military lore into the mainstream. The movie's version of events is highly accelerated, putting a far greater emphasis on infantry battles than the weeks of artillery duels that preceded the bridge's capture in real life.

  • The Ludendorff Bridge in 1945, a day after it way captured. (1945) (picture-alliance/Mary Evans Picture Library/ Illustrated London News Ltd)

    The Ludendorff Bridge or Bridge at Remagen

    Crucial crossing, gateway to rest of Germany

    Thousands of Allied troops crossed the bridge immediately after its seizure. Allied area bombing had damaged some Rhine crossings to the north, while the German Wehrmacht destroyed others in controlled explosions to slow down its adversaries.

  • A soldier observes the bridge from an elevated position in an undated archive photo from 1945. (picture-alliance/dpa)

    The Ludendorff Bridge or Bridge at Remagen

    Strategic asset, but vulnerable

    The 9th Armored Division of the US First Army became the first Allied troops to cross the Rhine after its capture on March 7, 1945. With the Russian Red Army advancing from the east, the pincer was now set.

  • Deutschland 2. Weltkrieg Zerstörung Brücke von Remagen (public domain/Source: Franklin D. Roosevelt Library & Museum)

    The Ludendorff Bridge or Bridge at Remagen

    Collapsed, but only after providing a bridgehead

    After losing control of the bridge, German forces repeatedly tried to destroy it. They succeeded on March 17, 10 days after its capture. But not before some 25,000 troops and vehicles had established themselves on the eastern bank.

  • Veterans lay wreaths at a ceremony in Remagen on May 7, 2015. (picture-alliance/dpa/T. Frey)

    The Ludendorff Bridge or Bridge at Remagen

    Modern memorials

    This photo was taken on the 70th anniversary of the bridge's capture, May 7, 2015. The ceremony brought together veterans from around the world.

  • The towers in Remagen where the Ludendorff Bridge stood. The building is now a museum to peace. This photo was taken on May 7, 2015, the 70th anniversary of the bridge's capture. (picture-alliance/dpa/T. Frey)

    The Ludendorff Bridge or Bridge at Remagen

    Museum to peace on western bank

    The Ludendorff Bridge, initially constructed for logistics purposes in World War I, was never rebuilt after its 1945 destruction. The towers on its western bank at Remagen (pictured here) were converted into a museum. Across the Rhine, in Erpel, the towers were made into a performing arts space — and they're now up for sale.

    Author: Mark Hallam


Two towers on the eastern end of a World War II era bridge — immortalized by the 1969 US film "The Bridge at Remagen" — are up for sale, German authorities confirmed on Monday.

The Federal Railway Property Fund (BEV) is selling the ruins located on the side of where the bridge formerly stood across the Rhine from Remagen. 

"There are already several interested parties," BEV spokesman Jürgen Rothe told news agency dpa. The German newspaper Rhein Zeitung first reported on plans to sell the towers.

The listing did not set a price for the bridge towers, rather stating that they will go to the highest bidder.

Interested buyers have until May 18 to make their offers.

Read more: World War II: US forces’ capture of the Bridge of Remagen was a turning point

The bridge of Remagen (circa. 1945)

Some 50,000 Allied troops were able to cross the Rhine for the first time in March 1945 using the bridge

Owning a piece of history

A property listing on BEV's website described the towers as "the remains of a monumental bridge construction of national significance to war history."

The large, stone towers once formed part of the Ludendorff Bridge between the German towns of Remagen and Erpel. Allied forces came across the mostly intact bridge on the Remagen side in March 1945 despite efforts by Nazi German troops to destroy the bridge.

The bridge allowed Allied troops to cross the Rhine River for the first time, although the bridge finally collapsed days after they crossed. The capture of the bridge signified a turning point in the war.

Read more: Pre-summer heat explodes WWII-era munitions in German town

Bridge ruins of the Ludendorff Bridge in Remagen

Towers located on the western Remagen side currently house a museum about the bridge's history

Renovation required

Any prospective buyers should be warned, however, that the historical ruins are going to need some serious work.

"It is in serious need of renovations," the property listing stated.

Due to the danger posed by falling bits of the towers' facade that could land on pedestrians or motorists, "the duty to ensure public safety must be taken into account," the BEV listing added.

Read more: Swastika and Nazi inscription wiped from German church bell

Those hoping to turn the old bridge towers into a unique home or historic hotel are out of luck — the building cannot be used as housing, BEV said.

Despite the restrictions and renovation work facing the future owners, Rothe said the ruins may be of interest to historical societies or artists.

The towers on the Remagen side of where the Ludendorff Bridge formerly stood are currently being used as a museum.

  • Gloved hand holding bomb trigger (picture-alliance/dpa/S. Grundmann)

    Unexploded ordnance in Germany - a legacy of the Allied Forces

    What is unexploded ordnance?

    Unexploded ordnance (UXO or sometimes also abbreviated to UO), unexploded bombs (UXBs), or explosive remnants of war (ERW) are explosive weapons such as bombs, shells, grenades, land mines, naval mines and cluster munitions that did not explode when they were deployed. Unexploded ordnance still poses the risk of detonation, even decades after they were used or discarded.

  • Bombers over Dresden (picture-alliance/Everett Collection)

    Unexploded ordnance in Germany - a legacy of the Allied Forces

    Why does Germany have a bomb problem?

    Between 1940 and 1945, US and British forces dropped 2.7 million tons of bombs on Europe. Half of those bombs targeted Germany. Experts estimate that close to a quarter of a million bombs did not explode due to technical faults. Thousands of these bombs are still hidden underground, sometimes a few meters down and sometimes just below the surface.

  • Map of where bombs are still suspected in Germany (Reuters/H. Hanschke)

    Unexploded ordnance in Germany - a legacy of the Allied Forces

    How big is the issue?

    The industrial Ruhr area and the Lower Rhine region were heavily bombed, as were the cities of Dresden, Hamburg and Hanover. So this is where most of the unexploded ordnance is found. Bombs are usually unearthed during construction work or are discovered during the examination of historical aerial images. Experts say it could still take decades to clear all of the remaining unexploded ordnance.

  • Bomb disposal experts in Augsburg (picture-alliance/dpa/S. Puchner)

    Unexploded ordnance in Germany - a legacy of the Allied Forces

    What happens when an unexploded bomb is found?

    When confronted with the discovery of an UXO, UO or a UXB, bomb disposal experts have to decide whether to defuse it or to carry out a controlled explosion. Many have lost their lives on the job. German authorities are under pressure to remove unexploded ordnance from populated areas. Experts argue that the bombs are becoming more dangerous as time goes by due to material fatigue.

  • Police officers guard memorial site (picture-alliance/dpa/U. Zucchi)

    Unexploded ordnance in Germany - a legacy of the Allied Forces

    How many bomb disposal experts have died?

    Eleven bomb technicians have been killed in Germany since 2000, including three who died in a single explosion while trying to defuse a 1,000-pound bomb on the site of a popular flea market in Göttingen in 2010.

  • General view of Augsburg (Markus Siefer)

    Unexploded ordnance in Germany - a legacy of the Allied Forces

    Which was the biggest evacuation?

    A 1.8-ton bomb dropped by Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) was found in the city center of Augsburg on December 20, 2016. The find prompted a large-scale bomb disposal operation and consequently the evacuation of over 54,000 people on December 25. To date, this remains the biggest evacuation for the removal of World War II unexploded ordnance in Germany.

  • Bomb disposal vans in Hanover (Getty Images/A. Koerner)

    Unexploded ordnance in Germany - a legacy of the Allied Forces

    What’s the latest?

    Authorities conducted another big bomb disposal operation in May 2017, with 50,000 residents in the northwestern city of Hanover forced to evacuate their homes. Thirteen unexploded ordnances from the 1940s were removed. Hanover was a frequent target of Allied bombing in the latter years of the war. On October 9, 1943, some 261,000 bombs were dropped on the city.

    Author: Aasim Saleem


rs/kms (AFP, dpa)

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