March 27, 2011

• …And Throw Away The Key!

  Many couples feel the need to immortalize their love.  Some carve their names into tree trunks.  Others buy a star for $30 online.  And in Germany, some of them hang a padlock on the Hohenzollern Bridge and throw away the key.

  The Hohenzollern Bridge was built in 1907 to connect the two Cologne train stations with one another.  The bridge was destroyed in WWII by the Germans in an attempt to protect the city from invading allies.  It was quickly rebuilt for use of pedestrians and trains, and is still the major bridge in the city today.  But outside of it’s long history, something else makes the bridge very special.

  Since 2008 (according to the Internet) – or much longer (according to the Germans) – the fence across the bridge has been adorned with padlocks.  They are heart shaped or painted or engraven with names.  They are large or small or copper or steel.  There are padlocks of all shapes and sizes to represent all of the couples of different ages and backgrounds who put them there in the first place.  The padlocks are locked in place together by couples, and the key is tossed into the river Rhein – binding the lovers together auf immer und ewig. 

  So next time you and your SO are traveling through Germany, take a quick stop in the beautiful city of Cologne.  Take a trip up to the top of the cathedral or try out a Koelsch beer at a brewery.  And at the end of the day, consider placing a lock for yourselves on the old Hohenzollern Bridge.

   

  

   

  M

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