The oldest transporter ferry in Germany crosses the river Oste between the community of Osten and the city of Hemmoor (district Basbeck) and is the most striking structure in the Elbe-Weser triangle. For more than 100 years, a 38 meter high portal made of steel framework has towered over the river with a length of 80 meters.
This engineering masterpiece was built in 1909 by MAN (Gustavsburg plant near Mainz). The construction of a new river crossing became necessary because the Harburg - Cuxhaven railway line was opened in 1881 and the promenade ferry, which was operated at the same place until the transporter ferry was built, no longer met the growing demands in passenger and freight traffic.
The transporter bridge was built so high that the many sailing ships with their high masts that were sailing the river at the time could safely pass under it.
As on the first day, the gondola is powered electrically. The motor, as well as the complete drive, which consists of four wheels running on rails with a circumference of 3.70 meters each, is located at the top of the car.
The transporter bridge has become the landmark of the whole region and the German Ferry Road and nobody can escape the fascination of this building. There are still eight ferries of this type around the world.
Monument protectors and a citizens' initiative, from which today's support company for the preservation of the Ost-Hemmoor Transporter Bridge emerged in 1975, have since prevented all plans to tear down the "Eiffel Tower of the North" and will continue to campaign for the preservation of the transporter bridge.