The Löwenbrücke in Berlin’s Tiergarten is the city’s oldest suspension bridge and an important example of early cable-supported construction. Originally completed in 1838, the listed pedestrian bridge spans a branch of the Neuer See. Its defining elements are four historic cast-iron lion sculptures that guide the suspension cables through their interiors and transfer the tensile forces into the foundations.
The reconstruction follows the original architectural concept while meeting current structural and safety requirements. A stiff timber truss deck forms the bridge superstructure and distributes asymmetric pedestrian loads between the two pairs of suspension cables. The reconstructed bridge has a main span of 17.6 metres and a width of approximately two metres.
PFEIFER Structures manufactured and supplied four Galfan-coated open spiral strand cables with a diameter of 31.3 millimetres. The project-specific cable assemblies form the primary suspension system and support the timber bridge deck. Their compact design, corrosion protection and precisely manufactured connections integrate into the historic cable geometry while providing the required load-bearing capacity and durability.
The restored lions, the light-yellow timber structure and the slender cable system preserve the historic character of the bridge. Following the careful reconstruction, the Löwenbrücke reopened to pedestrians in July 2025.
