Moltkebrücke, an unassuming bridge located just a stone’s throw from Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof, played a key role in the final days of the Battle of Berlin.
The bridge is located only 600 metres from the Reichstag and, therefore, represented a key objective for the Red Army.
By capturing the bridge, and establishing a foothold in the central government district, the Soviets would be in the perfect position to make their final push onto the Reichstag itself.
The Moltkebrücke was defended by the battered remnants of Hitler’s elite Leibstandarte division, supported by a few hundred Berlin policemen, and these units had wired the bridge to blow if its capture was imminent.
On April the 28th, wave after wave of infantry from the Soviet 3rd Shock Army were thrown against the defenders. As the defence of the bridge faltered, the defenders attempted to blow the bridge, however, the demolition was only partially successful (likely due to faulty wiring or Soviet sabotage). This enabled the Red Army units to successfully cross the bridge by midnight and establish a bridgehead on the other side.
The final assault on the Reichstag could now begin.
Following the war, the Moltkebrücke was repaired and became operational again in 1947. But it wasn’t until 1986 that the bridge was fully renovated and restored.
During the battle one of the Griffin sculptures adorning the bridge was severely damaged. But rather than remove the sculpture completely, when the bridge was restored a decision was taken to simply move the half-destroyed sculpture and place it on the footpath below the newly renovated bridge.
There isn’t a plaque or inscription to explain the origins of this defaced and battered sculpture, so if you walked past you would have no idea what it is, or the history it represents.
(This is a repost from Instagram from April 11th, 2024)