Historical timber bridges of the circumalpine region: a comprehensive approach

The Alpine region (especially Switzerland) has a rich and unique stock of Timber bridges from 1530 to 1880, unlike any other region in the world.

The project "Historic Timber Bridges of the Circum-Alpine Region: A Comprehensive Approach" is therefore based primarily on the in-situ documentation and analysis of these objects using cutting-edge methods of building archaeology. Although the preserved bridges already represent an impressive selection of different construction systems and types, the research result would be incomplete without the use of complementary sources: In addition to the surviving monuments - about 100 objects are relevant in this context - there is a wealth of archival material that allows the reconstruction of lost bridges, as well as the financing and organisation of bridge construction, maintenance and conservation. The analysis is complemented by a consideration of the outstanding, but hitherto little known, original construction models of some of the lost bridges. Finally, the history of timber bridge building in the Alpine region is placed in a pan-European context by evaluating the contemporary technical literature on bridge building and by analysing the echo of Swiss/Alpine bridge building in contemporary popular literature (e.g. travel guides) and pictorial sources.

Detailed knowledge of the constructional, scientific, economic and social context will be used to determine the significance of the preserved bridges for the overall development of bridge building and thus their value as historic monuments.

The project is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. 

Team

Prof. Dr. Stefan M. Holzer and Dr. Clemens Knobling MBA