The bridge was the site of a massive airstrike that continued over a period of days everything from a strungout force of nearly 70 jet bombers. The town of remagen is situated on the western bank of the river rhine, roughly midway between cologne and koblenz. By march 7, they all had been, except one the ludendorff railroad bridge at the little resort town of remagen a few miles to the southeast of cologne. But youll also find plenty to keep you busy once youve unpacked and are all set to explore beyond your peace museum. It has sold more than 600,000 copies, becoming the basis for the american movie story filmed in czechoslovakia in 1968. In addition, a large number of books and articles in newspapers and magazines on the subject of the bridge have appeared. Originally built between 1916 and 1918, the bridge was constructed as a twotrack railway bridge, named after general luettendorf. Remagen is a town in germany in the state of rhinelandpalatinate, in the district of ahrweiler. The first day, sunday we walk in the rain to the peace museum. Eastern towers at remagen march 1945 nara the railway bridge was never rebuilt after the second world war but the main towers were not demolished either so today there is a lot to see on the remagen battlefield. Visit peace museum bridge at remagen in germany and tour many such museums at inspirock. The museum was opened on march 7th, 1980 on the 35th anniversary of the capture of the bridge at remagen. Visit peace museum bridge at remagen in remagen expedia.
It was a stunning strategic victory of world war iiand one of the most fantastic breaks for the allies. A list of more than 200 wars since 1945 have been added. In early 1945, american forces pressed towards the west bank of the rhine river during operation lumberjack. August 2014 ask derekb757 about peace museum bridge at remagen. Bridge at remagen was released in 1969, based on the 1957 book. What you can get up to near peace museum bridge at remagen simply relaxing and lounging at your chosen accommodation is an activity in itself when youre on holiday. The friedens museum peace museum was established in 1980 in the towers of the bridge at remagen, built from 19161918. Remagen rheinlandpfalz looking for reliable information or news facts about ww2. Oct 31, 2019 very interesting museum, which shows the full history of remagen, the second world war, and the efforts taken to contribute to peace and reconciliation. Peace museum bridge at remagen aktuelle 2020 lohnt es sich. Western bank towers of ludendorff bridge house the peace museum.
The events leading up to the capture of the ludendorff bridge at remagen in. When an advance detachment of the us 9th armored division reached the rhine at remagen on march 7th, 1945, the americans found the bridge undestroyed. The ludendorff bridge or bridge at remagen all media. The bridge over the rhine at the german city of remagen was built during the first world war. The bridge was named, ludendorff bridge after a famous german general and was completed in early 1918. The bridge at remagen was built during the first world war at the urging of the. Famous wwii remagen bridge towers up for sale news. Wolper produced an american motion picture, the bridge at remagen.
The bridge at remagen is the detailed narrative of this surprising but crucial military action, one that stunned the german army. The ludendorff bridge was in early march 1945 a critical remaining bridge across the river. The capture of the ludendorff bridge at remagen occurred on march 78, 1945, during the closing stages of world war ii 19391945. The film depicted the actual historical background, but was fictional in all other aspects. On march 7, 1945, a small group of american infantrymen, engineers, and tank crews secured the ludendorff bridge that crossed the rhine.
The film, which was directed by john guillermin, was shot on location in czechoslovakia. Peace museum bridge at remagen germany peace museums of. Since 1980, the surviving towers on the western bank of the rhine have housed a museum called peace museum bridge at remagen containing the bridge s history and themes of war and peace. Do you want to create your own battlefield tour to sights of wars from. One is reminded of the bridge s construction, its capture and the battles for the bridge involving german, american, belgian and british soldiers.
It was closed dud to refurbishing, we walked to a local hall that was doing a display of the bridge story, that was also closed. Warning the museum does not take credit cards and the nearest atm is approximately a half mile walk. With that out of the way, the peace museum is undoubtably the most famous attraction in remagen and a fitting tribute to all who fought for the bridge. If i had any complaint in reading this if you like military history, this is a great story of the iconic storming of the remagen bridge, the allies first opportunity to punch across the formidable barrier of the rhine. Expedia has more than 640,000 properties to browse but we make it easy with advanced search functionality. Hitlers insistence the ludendorff bridge be destroyed by any means resulted in the. Hotels near peace museum bridge at remagen in remagen. The battle of remagen was portrayed in 1969 in john guillermins movie bridge at remagen with george segal and robert vaughn. Capturing the bridge at remagen, 1945 eyewitness to history.
Being an ideal location for a crossing point, the bridge was constructed during the first world war to speed up the transfer of troops from east to west. Remagen has many beautiful and wellmaintained buildings. German history the ludendorff bridge or bridge at remagen seizing the ludendorff bridge intact was a crucial strategic victory for the allies in the latter stages of world war ii. The double track railway bridge, was used to facilitate the performance of supplies and troops to the frontlines. Ludendorff bridge project gutenberg selfpublishing. Remagen is a town in germany in the land rhinelandpalatinate, in the district of ahrweiler. The bridge at remagen is the on march 7, 1945, a small group of american infantrymen, engineers, and tank crews secured the ludendorff bridge that crossed the rhine.
In fact, the history making events surrounding the bridge have inspired poems, feature movies, books and several tv programs, all with good reason. The amazing story of march 7, 1945 by writer and u. As the allied armies approached, hitler ordered the destruction of all the bridges that spanned the rhine. The western towers are now are now the remagen peace museum, which has a lot of interesting photos and artefacts. Peace museum bridge at remagen 2020 all you need to. Today the towers on the west bank have been converted into a peace museum. As the place of intense fighting in the last stage of the war, remagen became a symbol. Occupies bridge built for war in 19161918 and conquered in war on march 7, 1945. The destiny bridge that connected remagen and erpel two bridge towers each remain on both remagen and erpel sides of the rhine river. Since 1980, the surviving towers on the western bank of the rhine have housed a museum called peace museum bridge at remagen containing the bridges history and themes of war and peace. The towers of the bridge at remagen official name is ludendorff railway bridge still stand, the peace museum is in the west tower. We went on a rail discovery hoilday staying at remagen in october 2019. The bridge at remagen is a 1969 deluxe color war film starring george segal, ben gazzara and robert vaughn in panavision.
More than 782,000 people have visited the peace museum since 1980. Visit peace museum bridge at remagen on your trip to remagen. It commemorates the rhine crossing during the allied advance into germany after d day. Capturing the bridge at remagen, 1945, eyewitness to history. The bridge should have been blown up before the advance across was made but for a number of reasons wasnt and a large number of troops and tanks. Remagen bridge peace museum in 1978, remagen mayor hans peter kurten formulated a plan to raise money to fund a museum. This is a short video and slide show of the bridge at remagen today. It is based on the nonfiction book the bridge at remagen. This is a very important piece of world war 2 history that is still around today and is a must visit for any world war 2 buff.
It is also the moving story of men who did not consider themselves heroes, but who performed magnificently under fire. This is a very important piece of world war 2 history that is still around today and. Peacemuseum bridge of remagen remagen rheinlandpfalz. The railroad, after crossing from the west, passed through a twelvehundredfoot tunnel in the erpeler ley, and continued along the east bank toward the ruhr. The ludendorff bridge or bridge at remagen museum to peace on western bank. Housed in the towers of the famous bridge, this museum displays plaques depicting the wars since then, along with old photos and newspapers, and artifacts like shrapnel from the rocket that hit near the bridge. The railroad, after crossing from the west, passed through a twelvehundredfoot tunnel in the erpeler ley, and continued along the. The bridge at remagen battle of remagen wwii battle.
The sign that c9th aib placed on the north tower of the bridge is permanently displayed at the george patton museum at fort knox, kentucky, above an m26 pershing tank like that used to capture the bridge. It is about a onehour drive from cologne, just south of bonn, the former west german capital. The main bridge was out of use for repairs at the time of its collapse. This museum was partly funded by selling rock from the two piers as paperweights, the two piers having been removed from the river in the summer of 1976 as. The bridge security company had been captured, and the commanding officer bolted down a tunnel on the east bank, deserting his post. The wermacht communique on the following day called it the shock of remagen. When the german government decided to remove the piers because they were a navigation hazard, he persuaded the government to allow him to cast pieces of the piers into resin, which he sold. It was a strategic victory of world war ii and one of the most fantastic breaks for the allies. One is reminded of the bridges construction, its capture and the battles for the bridge involving german, american, belgian and british soldiers. The bridge stirs memories for many people, especially the many americans on our rhine river cruise, and the number of history books, documentaries and even john guillermins film based on the battle of remagen have kept alive the interest in the events surrounding the bridge at remagen.
Watching the 1969 movie, bridge at remagen, before you visit would add to trip to the bridge. Peace museum bridge at remagen 2020 what to know before. Jan 15, 2015 this is a short video and slide show of the bridge at remagen today. The ludendorff bridge, initially constructed for logistics purposes in world war i, was never rebuilt after its 1945.
Looking for reliable information or news facts about ww2. Two bridge towers each remain on both remagen and erpel sides of the rhine river. There is a ferry across the rhine from remagen every 1015 minutes in the summer. Karl busch states that his father helped to build the bridge as a subcontractor with up to 60 workers. A large number of books and articles in newspapers and magazines on the battle for the bridge have been published. It was named after field marshall ludendorff, field marshall of the german army at the time and later an ardent supporter of hitler. Cross the rhine with dry feet was what they proudly. From our river boat we see the two remaining remagen bridge towers on the west bank.
Peace museum bridge at remagen 2020 all you need to know. Inside the surviving structure on the rhines west bank is the peace museum. Few places can stir the memories as the bridge at remagen, germany, midway between coblenz and cologne. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the dates you selected. The book the bridge at remagen was written by ken hechler in 1956. The bridge at remagen is the detailed narrative of. Do you want to create your own battlefield tour to sights of wars from the past. A story of world war ii from the worlds largest community of readers. More than 558,000 people have visited the peace museum since 1980. The peace museum bridge of remagen is open to visitors until the end. The seizing of the remagen bridge is a story of luckthe fortunes of waras much as initiative, daring and personal courage. At remagen was a doubletrack railroad bridge, a little over 1,000 feet long, built at the end of world war i and named ludendorff bridge after germanys wartime commander. In 1978, remagen mayor hans peter kurten formulated a plan to raise money to fund a museum.
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