University Bridges

Mosty Uniwersyteckie (University Bridges) are a pair of steel bridges spanning the Southern Oder and Northern Oder, right next to the University of Wrocław, after which they are named. Before 1945 they bore the German name Universitäts Brücke.

Layout of the bridges and crossing

The southern abutment of the southern bridge lies directly opposite the gate passage in the University building, linking Grodzka Street with Uniwersytecki Square and Kuźnicza Street. The northern abutment rests on the eastern tip of Kępa Mieszczańska, where the northern bridge begins, ending its run at the junction of Strażnicza, Cybulskiego and Drobnera streets. A double-track tram line runs down the middle of the two-way roadway on both bridges.

From a medieval crossing to a steel structure

The first mentions of a crossing at this spot date from the 13th century. In 1397 sources mention Pons Viadri, the Oder Bridge named after the nearby Oder Gate, with a somewhat different course than today's bridges. The wooden structure was repeatedly destroyed by floods, rebuilt and remodelled, and in later centuries was also called the "Middle" and "Long" bridge. The current steel bridges with truss spans, resting on stone piers, were built between 1867 and 1869 to a design by Alexander Kaumann.

Rebuilding, wartime damage and post-war reconstruction

Between 1933 and 1934 the 19th-century bridges were dismantled, and new structures, twice as wide, were erected on the same piers; a temporary wooden tram and pedestrian bridge was put up alongside during the works. During the siege of Festung Breslau in 1945 the bridges were seriously damaged; after repairs they were not reopened to traffic until 1947.

Repairs in later decades

In 1992 the structure underwent a general overhaul. The bridges were not damaged during the millennium flood of 1997. In 2016 the tram tracks running across them were repaired.

Practical information

• Location: Wrocław, Nadodrze district, over the Southern Oder (Oder) and Northern Oder, near the Botanical Garden of the University of Wrocław.
• Getting there: a tram line runs across the bridges, and from here it is close to the Market Square and the Tumski Bridge.
• What to expect: a pedestrian crossing over the Oder with a view of Ostrów Tumski (Cathedral Island) and Kępa Mieszczańska, and tram traffic running down the middle of the roadway.