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Across several levels, you will see how waterways are managed and how locks work, discover how bridges are built and, perhaps most importantly of all, why they remain standing.

Below and above

The Bridges and Hydraulic Engineering exhibition takes visitors on a fascinating journey through the engineering sciences of bridge building and hydraulic engineering and. It also includes a special exhibition space with changing exhibitions. Initially, the focus is on concrete, and you can see the very first structure made of reinforced concrete in Germany – the kennel made by the builder and concrete construction pioneer Conrad Freytag from 1884. A real highlight in the main exhibition area is the elegant, curved glass suspension bridge that stretches through the room and swings as you walk across it! Numerous original exhibits accompany a wide variety of lifelike models, detailed dioramas, informative media stations and hands-on exhibits that explore creativity in the field of civil engineering.

Highlights of the new exhibition

The bridge made of glass

This walk-on suspension bridge made of steel and glass swings through the exhibition with a span of 27 meters. The construction is not only full of technical ingenuity, it is also an expression of the power of design in civil engineering. The bridge itself also serves as a demonstration: you can feel it vibrate as you walk across it. This shows the scope that modern building materials open up.

Model of the Normandy Bridge under construction

On the French Atlantic coast between Le Havre and Honfleur, a huge structure spans the mouth of the Seine: In 1995, the Normandy Bridge was the largest cable-stayed bridge in the world. The model shows the construction work on the north pylon in spring 1993. The pylon and the cable anchorages at the top are finished. The concrete shell is being constructed with climbing formwork. At the same time, construction of the bridge deck begins below. The crane towers over the construction site at a height of more than 250 meters.

Programme in this exhibition

When will this event take place?

Discover which activities are taking place by checking our daily programme, which is published at around 9.20 each day. Our programme changes daily and includes guided tours, demonstrations, science shows and hands-on activities for individual visitors and small groups of up to five people. All programme events are held in German. They begin either directly where the activity is set to take place or at a guided-tour meeting point in the relevant exhibition.

Accompanying material and publications

Publication

Dirk Bühler

Brücken

Ein eindrucksvoller Überblick über den Brückenbau, die „Königsdisziplin“ des Ingenieurbaus

Explore the exhibition with children:

Such a big bridge. Made of glass! Accessible! It's best to go straight up and get an overview of the exhibition from above. Take a look to the right and you'll see the model of the Normandy Bridge under construction. It has spanned the mouth of the Seine between Le Havre and Honfleur since 1995. At the top of the bridge, you can watch the film to get an insight into the construction of the glass bridge.

Bunte Tour – Brücken und Wasserbau (PDF, 1 MB)

Fascinating miniature worlds

We concede

The endurance test

Part I of the general refurbishment of the Deutsches Museum is on the home straight. One of the first exhibitions to be reinstalled is Bridges and Hydraulic Engineering - and the glass bridge designed especially for the Deutsches Museum by Olympic roof engineer Jörg Schlaich is being put to the test.

You have specialist questions for our curator?

Do you have organizational questions?

Bridges and hydraulic engineering in the museum blog

Eröffnung der Sonderausstellung Felix Candela.

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