Roman Bridge (Trier)

Roman Bridge Römerbrücke
Coordinates	49°45′07″N 6°37′35″E
Crosses	Moselle
Locale	Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Characteristics
Material	Stone
History
Construction end	2nd century AD
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Moselle Bridge
Part of	Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier
Criteria	Cultural: (i), (iii), (iv), (vi)
Reference	367-002
Inscription	1986 (10th Session)
Location

The Roman Bridge (German: Römerbrücke) is an ancient structure in Trier, Germany, over the Moselle. It is the oldest standing bridge in the country, and the oldest Roman bridge north of the Alps. The nine bridge pillars date from the 2nd century AD, replacing two older, wooden bridges that date at least as far back as 17 BC. In Roman times, tossing a coin off of the bridge into the Moselle was an offering of good luck. The upper part was renewed twice, in the early 12th and in the early 18th century, after suffering destruction in war. Along with other Roman and Early Gothic sites in Trier, the bridge was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986 because of its historical importance and architecture.

Historical views

• 
  Engraving by Merian (1646)
• 
  Emperor's Maneuver, parade of the 8th (Rhenish) Cuirassiers (1893)
• 
  Etching by Fritz Quant (c. 1910)
• 
  Postcard (1910)

Further reading

• O'Connor, Colin (1993), Roman Bridges, Cambridge University Press, p. 141 (T11), ISBN 0-521-39326-4

See also

• List of Roman bridges
• List of bridges in Germany

External links

Media related to Römerbrücke (Trier) at Wikimedia Commons

• Trier Roman Bridge at Structurae
• Traianus – Technical investigation of Roman public works
• Site of the Römerbrücke in Google Maps