Bridge 43 history and information
The modern history of #bridge43 begins in 1873, when the council had a plan to lower the bridge: the bridge and the Leidsestraat was being prepared for the anticipated increasing traffic. This turned out to be insufficient so new plans were made in 1880; before and after the bridge there needed to be switches for the tram lines. The decision was delayed because the predecessor of this bridge #bridge68 over the Prinsengracht turned out to be difficult for traffic. In 1911 it was decided to widen the bridge permanently. The bridge architect Jo van der Mey of the Public Works Department had already designed a series of bridges including bridges over Herengracht #bridge29 and Prinsengracht #brug68 Implementation was delayed in 1913 as proposals were made to widen the Leidsestraat considerably because of the ever-increasing traffic. Then the First World War broke out there was a huge price increase of the necessary building materials. Hildo Krop had already designed a number of sculptures for the bridge. At the end of 1921, the municipality finally started replacing the bridge. The design had meanwhile been adapted by the “new bridge man” in Amsterdam, Piet Kramer and he changed Van der Mey’s design, hence the now familiar style of this bridge. In 2001 the bridge was declared a national monument.
Pictures from Amsterdam Archive
1 Winter view: Keizersgracht. Viewed in a westerly direction from bridge 43 between Leidsestraat and Leidsegracht. Meijer, A.H. februari 1954
2 Department store Metz & Co, Keizersgracht 455 corner of Leidsestraat with Bridge 43 in front, Han van Gool 1990
3 Seen from bridge 43 in the Leidsestraat, Frans Busselman February 8, 1981
4 Leidsestraat, bridge 43 over the Keizersgracht, designed by Piet Kramer in 1921, 1953 ca. t/m 1995 ca.
5 The Keizersgracht, seen from the Spiegelstraat to the bridge 43 in the Leidsestraat Collectie Atlas Dreesmann 1867 t/m 1875
6 Bridge 43 over the water of the Keizersgracht at the Leidsestraat Collectie Bureau Monumentenzorg: negatiefvellen 1953 ca. t/m 1995 ca.
7 Panorama of the Keizersgracht and the Leidsestraat, seen in a south-westerly direction towards the Leidseplein, Anonie