Jungfernbrücke

You are standing on the Jungfernbrücke, Berlin’s oldest surviving bridge, largely unchanged since its construction in 1798. This distinctive wooden-and-iron bascule bridge spans the Kupfergraben arm of the Spree, linking Friedrichsgracht with Unterwasserstraße. Originally, nine identical drawbridges stood here — this is the only one remaining. Around 1688 or 1689, under Elector Frederick III, a wooden footbridge was first erected. The name “Jungfernbrücke” appears in records by 1690, though numerous local legends try to explain it — from gossiping unmarried daughters of a Huguenot family to a tragic murder allegedly committed on the bridge.

In 1798, master builder Friedrich Becherer replaced the original with an iron-and-wood drawbridge. Until the 1930s, the central span could be raised for ships using chains and winches. During late-1930s renovations, the mechanism was permanently disabled, piers were extended, and a fixed steel surface replaced the movable parts. A wooden plank deck remained for pedestrians only.