The new building, which is about 15 meters long, is a landmark of the town and opens every hour on the hour to allow ships traveling on the Müritz-Elde waterway to pass. About 20,000 boats or ships pass this narrowest point between Lake Plauer See and Müritz every year.
The landmark is also a hub on land: it connects Malchow's historic island with the mainland.
The moving story:
In order to provide another connection to the mainland in addition to the earthen causeway, a lift bridge was initially erected; this had to give way to a manual, wooden swing bridge in 1863.
Due to the increased traffic during the industrialization, this model was also replaced by a steel construction in December 1912.
After more than 30 years, this bridge was destroyed during World War II and was rebuilt only in 1948/49. During this time, traffic was carried by ferry.
A bridge, operated for the first time by an electric motor, continued to decay until 1980.
After ten years of closure due to severe damage, a functional swing bridge was reopened on December 12, 1990.
In September 2012, the complete renovation of the swing bridge and foundations has begun. After almost a year of construction, the project was completed in 2013.
In 2014, the new swing bridge received the public award as well as a commendation for the state building award 2014.
