The old Elbe bridge in Torgau, which once spanned the Elbe, has had a varied history that goes deep into the city's past. The first mention of a crossing over the Elbe in Torgau dates back to 1070. In the centuries that followed, the bridge was built, destroyed and rebuilt several times, often due to wars, floods or age-related decay.
Between 1439 and 1470, a wooden bridge stood in Torgau in the immediate vicinity of the castle. Just a few decades later, from 1491 to 1517, a new bridge with stone pillars and a wooden structure was built to span the river. But this bridge also had a limited lifespan, as it was destroyed in the Thirty Years' War in 1637.
The reconstruction took place in two phases, from 1661 to 1668 and 1684, with the bridge now becoming known as the House Bridge. Further destruction followed, for example in 1760 during the Seven Years' War, followed by another reconstruction from 1761 to 1762. The bridge was rebuilt between 1836 and 1840 with stone pillars, wooden support structure and cladding to cope with the increasing volume of traffic.
Further changes and repairs took place between 1878 and 1880 and in 1895, when iron half-timbered arches were installed. In 1933, an arch without river pillars was integrated, but the destruction on April 25, 1945 in the Second World War made a new beginning necessary. The reconstruction in 1946 with river pillars was not to be the last, because between 1991 and 1993 the old Elbe bridge was finally demolished and replaced by a new, modern construction.