Rut and Klaus Bahlsen Bridge (Snail Bridge)

The Rut and Klaus Bahlsen bridgeThe bridge over the Messeschnellweg for pedestrians and cyclists financed by the Rut and Klaus Bahlsen Foundation is a charming example of the patience and humor of the Hanoverians - and better known among locals as "Schneckenbrücke".From north to south, the busy Messeschnellweg as part of the A37 runs directly through Hanover's 640-hectare Eilenriede urban forest. So that pedestrians and cyclists can safely get to the other side there, the Hanoverian biscuit manufacturer Klaus Bahlsen donated a bridge to the city of Hannover in the late 1970s. The 500,000 DM for the construction were provided by the Rut-und-Klaus-Bahlsen Foundation, founded in 1972, which promotes projects in the fields of social affairs, culture, nature conservation, medicine and urban planning.It was not until December 1989 that Klaus Bahlsen officially inaugurated the bridge - it took 13 whole years to plan and build the plain bridge, which was only 49 meters long and crossed the four lanes of the inner-city expressway. As an amusing sign of his annoyance at the sluggishness of the city administration, Klaus Bahlsen had the bronze sculpture of a large snail installed at the foot of the eastern bridgehead. For the vernacular, the new forest bridge over the Messeschnellweg was therefore called "Schneckenbrücke" from the beginning, but since 2005 its official name is "Rut- und Klaus-Bahlsen-Brücke". An oval metal plate reminds of the patient donors and their foundation on the railing in the center of the bridge.hannover.de