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42-595: Aremberg ( German pronunciation: [ˈaːʁəmbɛʁk] ) is a municipality in the district of Ahrweiler , in Rhineland-Palatinate , Germany . Nearby are the ruins of Aremberg Castle , once a mighty fortress of the House of Arenberg , on the summit of the Aremberg . This Ahrweiler location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Ahrweiler (district) The region

84-717: A Wonderful Life , during the World War II montage, the narrator, Joseph, says of the character Marty Hatch, "Marty helped capture the Remagen Bridge." The bridge is featured in the 1996 DOS WWII strategy game Offensive . In the Allied campaign, it needs to be captured intact; in the Axis campaign, it needs to be destroyed to slow the Allied advance. The final three missions in the 2004 PS2 game Call of Duty: Finest Hour ("Road to Remagen", "Last Bridge Standing" and "Into

126-476: A central arch span of 156 metres (512 ft). It had dual tracks that could be covered with planks to allow vehicular traffic. The steel section was 325 metres (1,066 ft) long, and it had an overall length of 398 metres (1,306 ft). On the eastern bank the railway passed through Erpeler Ley, a steeply rising hill over 150 metres (490 ft) high. The tunnel was 383 metres (1,257 ft) long. The arch at its highest measured 28.5 metres (94 ft) above

168-531: A control panel inside the rail tunnel under Erpeler Ley, where engineers could safely detonate the charges. As a backup, engineers laid primer cord that could be manually ignited. They believed they could destroy the bridge when necessary with minimal preparation. On 14–15 October 1944, an American bomb had struck a chamber containing the demolition charges of the Mulheim Bridge in Cologne, destroying

210-403: A museum and the towers on the east bank are now a performing-arts space. A 2020 poll of local people found that 91% favoured rebuilding the bridge; without it there is no river crossing for 44 km (27 mi), and few ferries. In 2022 plans were initiated to build a suspension bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. Local communities indicated an interest to help fund the project and an engineer

252-721: A pedestrian catwalk on either side. Work on the bridge pillars and arches was done by leading construction companies Grün & Bilfinger with the steel bridge built by MAN-Werk Gustavsburg . It was one of three bridges built to improve railroad traffic between Germany and France during World War I; the others were the Hindenburg Bridge at Bingen am Rhein and the Urmitz Bridge on the Neuwied–Koblenz railway near Koblenz . The railway bridge had three spans, two on either side 85 metres (279 ft) long and

294-534: Is also characterised by orchards and vineyards. The lower Ahr River is one of the northernmost wine regions of Germany, known for its red wines from Pinot noir ( Spätburgunder ) and Portugieser . Ahrweiler is especially well known for its vineyards and wineries. Wine growing and trading has been going on in Ahrweiler for over 1,000 years. The town is the chief cultivator for the red wine known as "Ahrburgunder". Bachem, which lies one kilometre south of Ahrweiler,

336-625: Is also well known for its "Frühburgunder", a local name for Pinot Noir Précoce . Traditionally, in this small town more of this wine is produced than in any other place in the Ahr valley . On the first Sunday in September there is a traditional and annual wine festival in Ahrweiler, for which a "Wine Queen," or "Burgundia", is elected. Within the district are also the wine festival on the first Sunday in July at Bachem and another one in nearby Walporzheim on

378-576: The Ahr river rose, killing at least 135 people. In Jewish texts, the town was called Aroil'ra (ארוילרא). From the 13th century and on, there was a considerable Jewish community in Ahrweiler. In the 14th century, the Jews of the town traded in salt and wine. During that period, the Jewish community of the town suffered from the Black Death Jewish persecutions . In 1900, 65 Jews lived in

420-566: The Bridge at Remagen ) was a bridge across the river Rhine in Germany which was captured by United States Army forces in early March 1945 during the Battle of Remagen , in the closing weeks of World War II , when it was one of the few remaining bridges in the region and therefore a critical strategic point. Built during World War I to help deliver reinforcements and supplies to German troops on

462-572: The Thirty Years' War in the 17th century, the town was besieged, plundered and set on fire by the French. But the darkest day in Ahrweiler's history was on May 1, 1689, when the town was razed to the ground, and only ten houses were left standing among the ruins. The districts of Ahrweiler and Adenau were established in 1816, just after Prussia occupied the Rhineland. The district of Adenau

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504-485: The Western Front , it connected Remagen on the west bank and the village of Erpel on the east bank between two hills flanking the river. Midway through Operation Lumberjack , on 7 March 1945, the troops of the 1st U.S. Army approached Remagen and were surprised to find that the bridge was still standing. Its capture, two weeks before Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery 's planned Operation Plunder , enabled

546-548: The 17th and 18th centuries. The Rhine near Remagen is about 300 m (980 ft) wide. During Operation Lumberjack , on 7 March 1945, troops of the U.S. Army 's 9th Armored Division reached the bridge during the closing weeks of World War II and were surprised to see that the railroad bridge was still standing. It was one of very few bridges remaining across the Rhine, because the Germans had systematically destroyed all of

588-647: The German suffix, "weiler", is from the Latin term "villare", meaning "land attached to a Roman villa, farm". Portions of a Roman aqueduct have also been found nearby. Many towns were first mentioned in the 9th century, among them Sinzig and the eponymous village of Ahrweiler (since 1969 a part of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler ). The name of Ahrweiler was first noted in the Land Register of the Abbey of Prüm , which during

630-598: The Grafen von Hochstaden. These families were mainly responsible for the development of Ahrweiler, which then was, together with Bonn , Andernach and Nürburg , one of the capitals of the Archbishopric of Cologne . Defensive walls, ramparts and towers were built around the town, and these constructions remain mostly unimpaired. . In the early years of the Holy Roman Empire there was a county of Ahr, but it

672-556: The Heartland") are based around the battle of Remagen, the second-to-last mission specifically based around the bridge. The final mission in the 2017 video game Call of Duty: WWII involves the player in helping take the bridge. The Bridge at Remagen is a 1969 DeLuxe Color war film in Panavision starring George Segal , Ben Gazzara and Robert Vaughn . The film is a highly fictionalized version of actual events during

714-415: The Rhine. The bridge, while it stood, and newly established pontoon bridges , enabled the U.S. Army to secure a bridgehead of six divisions , about 125,000 troops, with accompanying tanks, artillery pieces, and trucks, across the Rhine. Capturing the bridge hastened the war's conclusion, and V-E Day came on May 8. After the war, the bridge was not rebuilt; the towers on the west bank were converted into

756-411: The U.S. Army to establish a bridgehead on the eastern side of the Rhine. After the U.S. forces captured the bridge, German forces tried to destroy it many times. It finally collapsed on 17 March 1945, 10 days after it was captured; 28 Army engineers were killed in the collapse while a further 63 were injured. Of those who died, 18 were actually missing, but presumably had drowned in the swift current of

798-518: The U.S. forces to envelop the German industrial area of the Ruhr . Six Allied divisions crossed the damaged bridge, then it was closed for repairs, and a pontoon bridge that had been built across the river was used. The Germans sent several bombing missions to destroy the Remagen bridge; it collapsed due to cumulative damage from the unsuccessful detonation and the bombs on 17 March 1945, 10 days after it

840-491: The bridge. German leader Adolf Hitler reacted by demanding that demolition charges on bridges could only be set when the enemy was within a specific distance, and only exploded by written order. He ordered those "responsible" for the destruction of the Mulheim Bridge court-martialed . This left officers responsible for destroying bridges, in the event that the enemy approached, nervous about both blowing it too soon and

882-405: The care of the protective Social Communities, who protected the interests of the inhabitants. These Social Communities (Hutengemeinschaften) continue to exist. They are: Hutengemeinschaft Adenbachhut Ahrweiler; Hutengemeinschaft "St. Barbara" Ahrhut Ahrweiler; Hutengemeinschaft "St. Katharina" Niederhut Ahrweiler; Hutengemeinschaft "St. Ursula" Oberhut Ahrweiler e.V.. During a disastrous period in

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924-485: The consequences if they failed. In keeping with Hitler's orders, by 7 March 1945, the charges on the Ludendorff Bridge had been removed and were stored nearby. In March 1945, about 5,100 people lived in Remagen. On the western shore, the Allied bombing campaign had destroyed more than half of Erpel's buildings, including all the buildings between Erpel's marketplace and the bridge, which had been built during

966-574: The first Sunday in August. By the way, Walporzheim also has the oldest wine house in the Ahr, named St. Peters, which dates from 1246. The Nürburgring , a famous Formula One circuit, is located in the district. The coat of arms was adopted in 1927. It displays: Free municipality 50°32′N 7°5′E  /  50.533°N 7.083°E  / 50.533; 7.083 Ludendorff Bridge The Ludendorff Bridge (sometimes referred to as

1008-507: The flat roof of the towers troops had a good view of the valley. To protect the bridge, both an engineering unit and a military police unit were assigned to the site. The designers built cavities into the concrete piers where demolition charges could be placed. During the Occupation of the Rhineland after World War I, the French filled these cavities with concrete. It was one of the four bridges that were guarded by Americans during

1050-408: The middle of 2018, the two eastern towers of the bridge were announced to be for sale. Three bids were submitted, but due to the poor condition of the building and expected costs of approximately €1.4 million for its restoration, the sale was expected to be difficult. Plans were announced to rebuild a pedestrian and cycle bridge on the site of the original railway bridge in 2022. In the film It's

1092-560: The ninth century, owned almost all of the property in the town. In 1180, the Holy Roman Emperor Barbarossa chose Sinzig as a place to meet the envoys of France and Flanders . Another significant place was the Abbey of Maria Laach on the Laacher See, a lake in the southeast of the district. From 1100 to 1246, the district was ruled by the Grafen (Counts) von Are (Ahr), and then by their relatives,

1134-578: The north of the Ahr are called the Ahr Hills ; they are lower than the mountains of the High Eifel in the south of the district. Walporzheim, one kilometre west of Ahrweiler, has some curious rock formations called the "Bunte Kuh" (Colorful Cow) and the "Kaiserstuhl" (Emperor's Chair). The forests of the Eifel are the result of reforestations in the 19th century. The most common tree is the fir, which

1176-478: The occupation. In 1938, after the Germans reacquired the Rhineland and control of the bridge, they attached 60 zinc-lined boxes at key structural points to the bridge girders, each capable of containing 3.66 kg (8.1 lb) of explosives. The system was designed to detonate all 60 charges at once. The engineers connected the charges in the piers and the zinc boxes by electrical cable protected by steel pipe to

1218-555: The order was not carried out due to opposition from German generals and the rapid Allied advance. Instead, U.S. forces advanced rapidly through Germany, and by 12 April the Ninth United States Army had crossed the Elbe . After the war, the railway crossing was not deemed important enough to justify rebuilding the bridge. Parts of the land used for the approaching railway lines are now used as an industrial estate on

1260-481: The others in advance of the Allies' attack. Although the bridge was wired with demolition charges, the weak civilian-grade "Donarite" explosives damaged the bridge but failed to bring it down, and Allied engineers risked their lives manually removing the remaining charges before the bridge was captured. The ability to quickly establish a bridgehead on the eastern side of the Rhine and to get forces into Germany allowed

1302-551: The town (1% of the total population), and 319 in 1933. Although much of the town resisted early National Socialism , and the town leaders had refused Adolf Hitler a chance to address the community in 1932 , they were not able to escape the reach of the Nazis entirely. Ahrweiler had a small Jewish community before the Nazis came to power, but they were all taken away and relocated, some to concentration camps, after 1933. No member of this community ever returned to Ahrweiler, and today,

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1344-452: The town's old synagogue that was desecrated during 1938 Kristallnacht , is used for art displays. The Rhine forms the eastern border of the district. The Ahr , a tributary of the Rhine, enters the district in the southeast and runs northeastwards to meet the Rhine within the borders of the district. Ahrweiler is located in the northernmost part of the Eifel mountains. The mountains to

1386-464: The water. Its main surface was normally about 15 metres (48 ft) above the Rhine. The 4,640-tonne (5,110-short-ton) structure cost about 2.1 million marks when it was built during World War I. Since the bridge was a major military construction project, both abutments of the bridge were flanked by stone towers with fortified foundations that could shelter up to a full battalion of men. The towers were designed with fighting loopholes for troops. From

1428-439: The western bank and a park on the eastern bank. Since 1980, the surviving towers on the western bank of the Rhine have housed a museum called "Peace Museum Bridge at Remagen" containing the bridge's history and 'themes of war and peace'. This museum was partly funded by selling rock from the two piers as paperweights, the two piers having been removed from the river in the summer of 1976 as they were an obstacle to navigation. In

1470-608: Was a key advocate for building this bridge during World War I , and it was named after him. It was designed by Karl Wiener to connect the Right Rhine Railway , the Left Rhine Railway and the Ahr Valley Railway ( Ahrtalbahn ) and carry troops and supplies to the Western Front . Constructed between 1916 and 1919, using Russian prisoners of war as labour, it carried two railway lines and

1512-534: Was annexed by the Bishop of Cologne in 1246. Afterwards Remagen became the most important town of the region. The parish church, St. Laurentius (St. Laurence) de:St. Laurentius (Ahrweiler) , was originally built in 1269. Since the Middle Ages, the town has been roughly divided by the four City Gates. In each division there was a commons, which originally belonged to the town's citizens. These were later put in

1554-413: Was captured. The collapse killed 28 and injured 93 U.S. Army Engineers. The unexpected availability of the first major crossing of the Rhine, Germany's last major natural barrier and line of defence, caused Allied high commander Dwight D. Eisenhower to alter his plans to end the war. Hitler's Nero Decree of 19 March ordered the destruction of any infrastructure that could aid the Allied advance, but

1596-571: Was commissioned to draw up plans. Remagen is located close to and south of the city of Bonn . The town of Remagen was founded by the Romans about 2,000 years earlier. It had been destroyed multiple times and rebuilt each time. Under the Schlieffen Plan , a bridge was planned to be built there in 1912, as well as bridges in Engers and Rüdesheim am Rhein . German General Erich Ludendorff

1638-514: Was conquered by the Romans under Julius Caesar about 50 BC. Some hundred years later the Roman fort of Rigomagus ( Gaulish for "king's field") was founded, later to become the city of Remagen . The Vinxtbach, a narrow brook and an affluent of the Rhine, was defined as the borderline between the Roman provinces of Germania superior and Germania inferior . There was originally a Roman villa here;

1680-521: Was merged with Ahrweiler in 1932. The Ahrweiler City Gate and many other historical buildings were partially destroyed at the end of World War II during the contested advances of the Allies. The battle of the Rhine bridge of Remagen, otherwise known as the Ludendorff Bridge , in 1945, is a well-known event in local history, also due to the U.S. movie The Bridge at Remagen (1969). The 2021 European floods heavily impacted Ahrweiler, where

1722-400: Was originally not native to the region. The Ahr river and its smaller affluents serve as a habitat for rare animals, that are adapted to alluvial forests. Examples are the oriole , the nightingale and the endangered black kite . Some fens in the area were drained in the 20th century. The Rodder Maar, a lake in the eastern part of the district, was drained in the 1950s, and a coniferous forest

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1764-399: Was planted on the former water body; in 1998 the lake was restored, and rare animals begin to arrive there again. The geology of the lake is uncertain. In its circular shape it appears similar to volcanic maars that are found in the nearby Daum region, but there is no evidence of volcanism, and so it is not a "maar". In 2013 evidence that it is meteoritic in origin was presented. Ahrweiler

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