Schwürbitz Main Bridge

Crossing the Main is of great economic and social importance for Schwürbitz. A bridge over the Main has been documented since 1851. After the Nordbahn Lichtenfels-Hof went into operation in 1847, it was important not to miss the connection to the big wide world and to provide good access to the rails. The most important link to the Hochstadt train station was the wooden footbridge over the Main in Schwürbitz.
In 1851, this wooden walkway, which had suffered greatly after several floods, was fixed. The tottering wooden frame was fastened with "Wiedseile" or "Wieden", these were ribbons twisted from suitable branches, which were indispensable for rafting. The five “experts” were paid nine kreuzers and board for their work.
In 1901 the wooden footbridge was replaced by an iron bridge. The costs for this amounted to 42,000 marks. To finance the community had to take out a loan, which was redeemed after inflation in 1923. During the Second World War, the Main Bridge fell victim to the Nazis' mania for destruction: On April 9, 1945, German soldiers blew up the structure to stop the advancing US soldiers.
In order to at least give the farmers access to their properties on the other side of the river, the municipality of Schwürbitz was forced to build an emergency bridge. In the following winter, severe flooding destroyed the "Notsteg." Under the chairmanship of the then mayor Ackermann, the municipal council decided in February 1946 to build a massive bridge again and commissioned the company Karl Eugen Fischer from Burgkunstadt to do it. It was ceremoniously handed over on July 28, 1946. The construction costs were around 50,000 marks. The clubs, the business world and the residents contributed to the financing with donations, so that the municipal treasury was not more heavily burdened. The deceased eyewitness Georg Krapp from Schwürbitz, who was the site manager at Maschinenfabrik Fischer at the time, had reported how the bridge parts were put together on the Main meadows and then pushed onto the bridge bearings with rollers.
Since then, the Main Bridge has been repeatedly repaired by the municipality of Schwürbitz and later by the municipality of Michelau in the event of damage and fitted with new wooden planks. The Main Bridge has not been safe for traffic or stable for several years. The municipality of Michelau is considering a renovation or a new building.

The Schwürbitzer Mainbrücke is located directly at the northernmost point of the Main.