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Photography by Julian Herbrig:
According to legend, these unique bridges were made with the help of the devil. But they all developed on their own in distinct European countries. In the majority of bridge narratives, there is a dose of enmity between the bridge builder and Satan. At first, the builder pursues a deal in which the Devil helps the bridge construction, and in return, the devil will claim the soul of the very first living being who happens to walk across the arch.
Rakotzbrücke Author: A.Landgraf
The end of these stories are also predictable, as the builder always looks for a way to trick the devil. He usually lures an animal, maybe a dog, to cross the bridge and to save the life of a human. But the Rakotzbrücke legend supposedly ends bit differently. Upon completion of the bridge, it is the builder himself who walks the bridge and sacrifices his own life to Satan.
Most of the Devil’s Bridges in Europe were erected in the medieval days, or to be more exact, in the period between 1000 and 1600 AD. However Rakotzbrücke appears to be a bit newer than that. This bridge was completed in 1860, after its construction had been commissioned by local town authorities. The marvelous piece blends fieldstone and basalt in certainly one of the finest examples of its kind. In order to compose the basalt columns, the bridge builders needed to ship the material from far away quarries.
Extract From Full Article:
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/03/16/devils-bridge/
According to legend, these unique bridges were made with the help of the devil. But they all developed on their own in distinct European countries. In the majority of bridge narratives, there is a dose of enmity between the bridge builder and Satan. At first, the builder pursues a deal in which the Devil helps the bridge construction, and in return, the devil will claim the soul of the very first living being who happens to walk across the arch.
Rakotzbrücke Author: A.Landgraf
The end of these stories are also predictable, as the builder always looks for a way to trick the devil. He usually lures an animal, maybe a dog, to cross the bridge and to save the life of a human. But the Rakotzbrücke legend supposedly ends bit differently. Upon completion of the bridge, it is the builder himself who walks the bridge and sacrifices his own life to Satan.
Most of the Devil’s Bridges in Europe were erected in the medieval days, or to be more exact, in the period between 1000 and 1600 AD. However Rakotzbrücke appears to be a bit newer than that. This bridge was completed in 1860, after its construction had been commissioned by local town authorities. The marvelous piece blends fieldstone and basalt in certainly one of the finest examples of its kind. In order to compose the basalt columns, the bridge builders needed to ship the material from far away quarries.
Extract From Full Article:
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/03/16/devils-bridge/