Description:
The Kornhausbrϋcke (granary bridge), one of four connecting Hamburg city with the Freihafen (Freeport), was built in its present form in 1887.
This bridge had four red sandstone statues decorating it, of James Cook, Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus.
History:
The statue of Cook was carved by Andreas Herzig from Leipzig, Saxony, Germany, and was erected with the other three statues in 1903.
In 1944 the statues of Cook and Magellan were destroyed by a bomb attack, during an allied air blitz.
Inscription:
Plaque at the bridge:
KORNHAUSBRÜCKE
Im 17. Jh. wurde im Zuge der Brandstwiete
eine Brϋcke zur Brookinsel gebaut. Ihren
Namen bekam sie nach dem 1661-1871 sϋd-
östlich der Brϋcke gelegenen stӓdtischen
Kornspeicher. Ein massiver Neubau von
1872 fiel 1887 der Verbreiterung des Zoll-
kanals zum Opfer.
1887 entstand die heutige Brϋcke. Auf vier
Granitpfeilern ruhen die schmiedeeisernen
Trӓger. 1903 kamen vier Standbilder
berϋhmter Seefahrer hinzu: Kolumbus
und Vasco da Gama, Cook und Magellan
(beide nicht erhalten) – Hinweise auf den
Uberseehandel Hamburgs, der mit dem
Freihafenbezirk von 1888 gewӓhrleistet war.
(English translation) In the 17th century a bridge was built from the Brandstwiete to the Brook Island. The name was derived from a granary located southeast of the bridge from 1661-1871. The broadening of the Zollkanal (Customs canal) necessitated the construction of a new big bridge. In 1887 the present bridge was erected. The iron beams sit on pillars of granite. In 1903 four statues of famous seafarers were added: Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Cook and Magellan (both not remaining) – Indications of the Overseas trade of Hamburg which was facilitated by the inauguration of the Free Port since 1888.
GPS Coordinates: 53.551085, 9.993682
References:
Cook’s Log, page 24, vol. 31, no. 2 (2008)
Image gallery (click to enlarge)