The Wiizemer Steg was extensively renovated. A remarkable German-Swiss joint project was realized more than 100 years ago.
In 1912, the young and active Schleitheim Tourist Association took the initiative and invited new negotiations. In 1914, the Basler brothers built a wooden structure out of wheat according to the plans of Schleitheim resident Heinrich Pletscher-Proyer. The concrete work was carried out by Heinrich Stamm, and the blacksmith Kornhaas from Stühlingen did the ironwork. Both communities shared the costs of 2,360 francs. Shortly before the First World War, the structure was opened to pedestrian traffic.
In 1916, the German border guards blocked the "Wiizemer Steg" with barbed wire, even though it was entirely within Schleitheim's territory. It remained closed until the end of the war in 1918, after which it could only be passed with valid papers. Soon the Wutach waves were gnawing away at the structure again.
Although the worst of the damage was repaired in 1927 and 1935, the days of the "Wiizemer Steg" were numbered. On December 21, 1938, it was demolished by building officials from the municipality of Schleitheim at the insistence of the Waldshut district office. Nazi Germany was interested in a completely sealed border. It would take 42 years before a connection was again established across the Wutach at this point. Relations between the two municipalities cooled during and after the Second World War. Until the 1960s, border crossings outside of customs offices were not permitted, and border controls were strictly enforced on both sides of the Wutach.
Source: SÜDKURIER