December 2003 - Nr. 13
Bridge unites Germany and Poland
TWIG - A bridge re-connecting the German and Polish halves of the world-famous Bad Muskauer Park was christened last weekend after a four year reconstruction effort.
German Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs Christina Weiss spoke of the shared cultural heritage between Germany and Poland as well as the bridge’s meaning for a united Europe.
"Now we look into each other’s faces again and build bridges that in no way lead to an unknown future, but back to a shared cultural history," she said. With this bridge, said Weiss, comes the hope that the two countries’ understanding and interest for each other will continue to improve.
The park’s 600 acre garden was commissioned by Prince Pueckler between 1815 and 1845 and is characterized by its two symmetrical halves, which were united by the original bridge spanning the Neisse River — the natural border between Germany and Poland.
The 2 million Eur ($2.3 million) reconstruction of the bridge began in 1999, more than half a century after the German army destroyed it at the end of World War II. It rounds out a reconstruction effort that began with the rebuilding of the park’s castle (photo) in 1968.
The Bad Muskau Park garden — considered to be among the
largest and most beautiful in all of Germany — is a favorite tourist
destination and also features an orangery, a tropical plants house, and the
oldest and longest small track railway in operation in Germany.
Republished with permission from "The Week in Germany"
Links
Bad Muskau (German)
