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Origin and history

The bridge of 1538 of Gueberschwihr is an architectural work dating from the 2nd quarter of the 16th century, located in Place de la Mairie in the Alsatian village. This monument, inscribed in the Historical Monuments since 1934, is distinguished by its arch in the middle of the hanger and its integration into an ancient defensive system. It spans a ditch linked to the old fortified cemetery, while serving as an access to a horse drinking pot, reflecting its use both utility and strategic.

The bridge bears the coat of arms of the commune and the date MDXXXVIII (1538), engraved in Roman and Arab numerals. Built partly with stones from Hertenberg Castle, it symbolizes the reuse of local materials. In the vicinity, a stonestone pillar decorated with a cross once marked the ban on access to Jews, illustrating the social restrictions of the time. The adjacent waterworks, adjacent to the wall of the old town hall, also allowed to wash horses, emphasizing its central role in daily life.

The whole — bridge, watering and fortified remains — bears witness to the spatial and community organization of Geberschwihr in the 16th century. The ditch, now partially filled, recalled the sacred delimitation around the cemetery, while the stone structure embodied both a technical prowess and an identity marker for the village. Its inscription in 1934 preserved this emblematic heritage of the Upper Rhine.

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