Hörn Bridge
bridge in Kiel, Germany
The Hörn Bridge (German: Hörnbrücke) is a folding bridge in the city of Kiel in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The bridge spans the end of the Kiel Fjord (called Hörn) and was designed by Gerkan, Marg and Partners.
Design and construction
The Hörn Bridge is a three-segment bascule bridge with a main span of 25.5 metres (84 ft) that folds in the shape of the letter "N". The bridge was built in 1997 and cost DM 16 million.
Many Kielians were skeptical in regard to the design. There were repeated malfunctions of the mechanism upon startup, hence one of its nicknames, the "Klappt-Nix-Brücke" (Works-not Bridge). In order to ensure crossing for pedestrians and cyclists, a hydraulically operated retractable bridge was built directly adjacent as an interim solution and is still used during repair and maintenance of the folding bridge. The Hörn Bridge is now accepted as a technical masterpiece and has become a tourist attraction.
Location
The Hörn Bridge is 5 metres (16 ft) wide and connects the city centre on the west bank of the Hörn with the Gaarden quarter on the east bank. The pedestrian bridge is especially important for passengers connecting between the Norway Ferry Terminal (Norwegenkai) and the main railway station.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Hörn Bridge” as bridge in Kiel, Germany. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as bridge in Kiel, Germany. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Nov 4, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q165462. Authority coordinates are 54.315, 10.136. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1997.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Hörn Bridge”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Hörn Bridge primary sources, Hörn Bridge archive and Hörn research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Hörn Bridge” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.