Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne City removes love locks
Cologne · For those who have already attached a lock of love on the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne, they might want to take a look and see if it is still there. Some locks were removed due to safety concerns.
Some of the many thousands of padlocks of love were removed from the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne for safety reasons. A spokesman for the city said the safety concerns did not have to do with weight. Rather, some of the padlocks were extending too far into the pedestrian and bike path.
A spokesperson for the German Rail said that they would tolerate people attaching their locks of love to the railings on the bridge, as long as they posed no danger to rail traffic. Altogether, the locks weigh an estimated 40 to 45 tons. In comparison, an ICE train weighs at least 400 tons.
For those who are not familiar with the bridge or the padlocks, they are normal combination or key locks that couples attach to the railings on the Hohenzollern Bridge, which crosses the Rhine in Cologne. Some have dubbed it the “Love Lock Bridge” because of the huge number of padlocks, with engraved initials of couples, who want to proclaim their love and affection by attaching a lock to the bridge. It is accessible by a sidewalk leading over the bridge.
(Orig. text: dpa, ck / Translation: ck)
