Shocking: more than 150-year-old historic wooden bridge of Transylvania’s Maroshévíz collapsed – VIDEO, PHOTOS
Do you remember the bridge in the Harry Potter series that led from Hogwarts Castle into the woods, and which Neville Longbottom destroyed during the final clash with exceptional magic? That was a covered bridge, and Transylvania has some similar bridges that are roofed and have sides to protect the people working on the nearby fields from weather extremes. Now, one of the oldest of such overpasses, the iconic bridge of Maroshévíz, collapsed.
Those who are fans of the Harry Potter series may check out the collapse of the Hogwarts Bridge here:
Unknown people saw off pieces of the Maroshévíz covered bridge structure
A similar bridge collapsed in Transylvania on Wednesday. The Urmánczy Bridge of Maroshévíz (Toplița) was built in 1869 by Dr. Nándor Urmánczy, a local landlord. The bridge was in the ownership of the local government, and an association dedicated to preserving the memory of Urmánczy warned the local council to do something since the bridge’s state had been deteriorating.
Károly Czirják, a local historian, said the collapse was the consequence of the local government’s inactivity and those who sawed off pieces from the wooden structure of the bridge in the past 20 years.
According to Krónika, a local Hungarian newspaper, CCTV cameras were placed to protect the bridge, but they were also destroyed. The local mayor, Sebastian Buzila, wrote that – due to the deteriorated state of the bridge – the overpass had been out of use before its collapse. Therefore, nobody was injured in the tragedy.
The mayor wants to rebuild the overpass
The mayor said that the bridge was a symbol for the community. Therefore, rebuilding it is their priority.
The bridge was built in 1869 by the Urmánczy family to make crossing the River Maros easier. It was roofed and had sides to protect people working in the nearby fields from storms, hail and other weather extremes.
In 2020, the bridge underwent a renovation. However, the unknown perpetrators returned and continued to saw off pieces from the wooden structure.
In Transylvania, there are multiple covered bridges. In the 19th century, they were frequent. Currently, there are only a few. In the region, there are two similar bridges: one in Gyergyószárhegy, the other in Hordó.
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