Until recently, I didn’t even know it existed: the Europa Bridge, which leads from Bienenwerder in Brandenburg to Siekierki in Poland. My cousin from Bavaria had to come visit and suggest a trip. Since I spend a lot of time in Brandenburg in the summer, I was uncomfortable that I had never heard of this bridge connecting peoples, all the more so when I saw how magnificent it is. I want to canoe down the Oder soon, I thought to myself, euphoric about our discovery.
The Europabrücke Siekierki – Neurüdnitz has been finished on the Polish side since 2021. The German half opened at the end of June 2022. A nesting pair of owls caused a delay. Since this summer, cyclists, joggers and walkers can switch back and forth between Brandenburg and West Pomerania using the beautiful cycle paths on both sides.
In the middle of the bridge there is an observation tower, from which there is a wonderful view of the Oder meadows.
When we go to Poland for the first time, almost ceremonially, on this late afternoon at the beginning of August, quite a few people are on the move. You can hear soft conversations in German and Polish. A couple has made themselves comfortable on the permanently installed seating on the bridge with a bottle of sparkling wine.
The Oder is wide and calm at this point, the water covered with green lily pads. What does it have to look like when they bloom! The rich flora and fauna of the area is explained on numerous boards.
The former railway bridge over the Oder was closed for decades. Opened in 1892, it led from Godkow to Wriezen. In 1930 a new railway bridge was built and the existing part was converted into a road bridge. Both were blown up at the end of World War II, the route was rebuilt in the 1950s and used by the military during the Cold War.
Mighty old pillars made of yellow bricks stand defiantly in the water. I think to myself how nice that people in Europe still invest in reconciliation and connection even in turbulent times.
A few days later my cousin writes: Did you see that the Oder is contaminated? Dead fish everywhere. I feel blind again. We didn’t notice anything. Was everything still good when we were there? Or were the killer algae already invisibly at work? It’s time for a second visit.
