Elizabeth and Liberty Bridges Budapest BW
by Joan Carroll
Title
Elizabeth and Liberty Bridges Budapest BW
Artist
Joan Carroll
Medium
Photograph - Digital Art
Description
It's night on Castle Hill in Budapest and all eyes are on the Parliament and the Chain Bridge. Deservedly so but as they say on the pitch ads...WAIT! THERE'S MORE! Look downriver a little more and you have the Elizabeth Bridge (lit in white) and the Liberty Bridge (lit in green). Farther in the background, not lit as well, is the Petofi Bridge. So there is lots to keep you glued to the spot for quite awhile! The original Elizabeth Bridge was named after Queen Elizabeth, the spouse of Francis Joseph I assassinated in Geneva in 1898. Unfortunately, along with many other bridges, it was blown up by German troops at the end of World War II, on 18 January 1945. The Elizabeth Bridge is the only Danube bridge in Budapest that would not be rebuilt after the devastations of World War II. Instead, a completely new bridge was built between 1960 and 1964, nearly two decades after the destruction of the original Elizabeth Bridge. This is the one seen today. Liberty Bridge is the shortest bridge of Budapest. It was built for the Millennium World Exhibition in 1896. During World War II, on 16 January 1945, this bridge was blown up by retreating German troops. After the end of the war, it would be the first bridge to be reconstructed. Its state was not irreparable, only its central parts had to be rebuilt. It was reopened for traffic on 20 August 1946, its new name being Liberty Bridge. The Petofi Bridge construction was started in 1933. Structure-wise, it is a deck truss bridge, lacking the usual grandiose ornament of Budapest bridges. At that time, Hungary was being quite pessimistic and fighting political and economic problems, so that the main aim was functionality rather than beauty. The inauguration of the bridge took place on 12 September 1937. The bridge existed only for a few years because, as the other bridges in Budapest, it was blown up by retreating German troops at the end of World War II on 14 January 1945. Following this, the Soviet Army established a provisional bridge on its ruins. Eventually, the bridge was rebuilt between 1950 and 1952.
FEATURED PHOTO, Landscape and Landmark Photography group, 3/23/15
FEATURED PHOTO, The World We See group, 3/22/15
FEATURED PHOTO, Black and White Photography group, 3/21/15
Uploaded
March 21st, 2015
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Viewed 2,021 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/18/2024 at 2:31 PM
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