In order for Bavaria to remain stable, Markus Söder announced in 2018 that bridges would be built. Bridges for a modern Bavaria, bridges for a humane Bavaria, bridges between town and country, bridges everywhere. During their coalition negotiations, the traffic light coalition in Berlin talked almost so often about building bridges over what separated people that you could hardly see the substantive boundaries for the trees – pardon me, bridges.
Now, of course, the language image is also conclusive. Or? At first glance, yes, at second glance, well, one has to realize that bridges do not always connect, bridges also separate. As in Bamberg. For ages they have been discussing the best solution to stop the young people partying, listening to music and drinking alcohol – in other words: completely normal young people – on the Untere Brücke.
In the future, the city council decided after a long back and forth, that the bridge should be used for gastronomic purposes on both sides. Brings a little more peace for the residents, resentment among the freedom-loving party people and more arguments. Not broken by the fence, but by the bridge, which is actually only supposed to lead and connect over the Regnitz and yet regularly splits.
In 1964, the Time a dispute about the building as a “bridge war in Bamberg”. Also the Southgerman newspaper reported and wrote about new building plans after the destruction in the Second World War about the “argument about building a bridge”. Somewhat euphemistically, considering some of the statements: “If you smash the face of this city, I want to destroy your name in the world,” an anonymous sender threatened the then Mayor Mathieu because he found the plans so abhorrent. “We hope that we don’t have to start work under police protection,” said the responsible builder afterwards. It is not known whether this was necessary.
On the other hand, there are written testimonies to the feared “impairment of the image of the old town”. These words come from 1966, mind you, but could easily be transferred to the here and now. So what to do about the never-ending strife? The traffic light parties and Markus Söder probably advised building bridges.