Stone Bridge
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Transcript
The Stone Bridge was built in the twelfth century and became one of medieval Europe’s major engineering works. It gave Regensburg a reliable Danube crossing and strengthened the city’s role in long-distance trade.
Merchants traded toward Italy, Bohemia, Austria and eastern Europe. Wealth appears in the tall patrician houses and towers of the old town.
The bridge also became militarily strategic. Crusading armies crossed the Danube here, among many other movements.
Today the bridge’s romantic view hides its original economic importance. A dependable crossing reduces risk, and reduced risk attracts commerce.
Infrastructure may be the least glamorous explanation for urban wealth, which is why it is so often correct.