Alte Harburger Elbbrücke, Steel arch bridge in Wilhelmsburg, Germany.
The Alte Harburger Elbbrücke is a 474-metre steel arch bridge over the Süderelbe between Harburg and Wilhelmsburg. Its portals are built of Portasandstein to a design by the Hanoverian architect Hubert Stier, who modelled them on city gates bearing the Wilhelmsburg and Harburg coats of arms. The bridge was built for pedestrians and carriages.
Construction took place between 1897 and 1899, making it the first road bridge to cross the southern Elbe in Hamburg. It marked a turning point in connecting these two districts by vehicle.
The portals display coats of arms representing Wilhelmsburg and Harburg, reflecting how this bridge served as an important connection between two districts. These emblems remain visible today as a reminder of the districts it links.
The bridge now serves only pedestrians and cyclists after major renovation from 1980 to 1995. Access is available at any time for direct passage between the two districts.
The tram tracks between Hamburg and Harburg ran over the bridge until the early 1970s; their course through the paving at the south portal stayed visible until the surface was renewed in 2025, when the rails disappeared.
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