“This bridge was built by people who had coal mines and blast furnaces in which a battleship could have been melted. It is a magnificent structure,” wrote the American writer Bill Bryson on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which weighs almost 53,000 tons. Along with the Sydney Opera House, Uluru Rock and the Kangaroo, the bridge is one of Australia's greatest symbols. Although the striking construction is now 90 years old, its design is of timeless beauty. At the same time, it is a major transit artery and a landmark of Australia's largest and most populated city. A look back: on March 19, 1932, when it opened with bass drums and cymbals, the “Sydney Harbour Bridge” was a great event. Some 750,000 people came to the scene and stepped on the steel bridge for the first time. “The great work is done!” , said an enthusiastic commentator at the time. After seven years of construction, the bridge finally passed into the hands of the citizens, who did not hesitate to immediately seize this emblem. The images show a large crowd making their way to the bridge. Some 1,600 workers participated in the dangerous high-altitude work, 16 of them did not survive. “Every day, these men climbed the bridge, just as a soldier goes into battle, not knowing if they were going to come down alive,” said the head of the play Lawrence Ennis at the time. But it was the time of the Great Depression, any kind of work was in demand. “Coat Hanger” (the hanger) is what Sydneysiders affectionately call their icon. With an arch span of 503 meters, it is one of the longest arch bridges in the world. It connects the center of the metropolis with the northern suburbs. Since 1998, those who are not afraid of heights can even climb the arch (BridgeClimb) to a height of 134 meters, equipped with harnesses and other protective measures, and live an unforgettable experience. But the view is also spectacular from the ground. When tourists approach the harbour for the first time from Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens or take a ferry from Circular Quay, they are shocked: the Opera House's white roofs shine in the sun and behind them the Harbour Bridge rises majestically above the blue water. This double stroke of architectural genius is one of the most beautiful and coveted photographic motifs in the world. “The Opera House is a magnificent building, I won't deny it, but my heart belongs to the Harbour Bridge,” Bill Bryson wrote in his homage to Australia “Breakfast With Kangarros.” According to the author of several books on travel, the bridge is not so solemn, but very dominant. “You can see it from every angle of the city and you get into the picture like a guy who wants to be in every photograph,” he says. The actual construction work began in 1925, and in the following years six million rivets were adjusted by hand. In August 1930, the arch was finally closed. Including the ramps, the Harbour Bridge is 1,150 meters long and about 50 meters wide. On weekdays, almost 200,000 cars cross there, moving from one part of the city to another along the eight lanes destined for cars. In addition, there are two railway lines and paths for pedestrians and cyclists. In 2004, the structure even entered the Guinness Book of Records as the “widest arch bridge in the world”. Once a year, the eyes of the whole world turn to the bridge, specifically on New Year's Eve. When the New Year is welcomed in Australia, one of the most impressive fireworks shows in the world takes place on the Harbour Bridge. In early 2018, another symbol of Australia broke into the middle of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. A wallaby, which is similar to the kangaroo but smaller, jumped down the eight lanes in the direction of the city center one hour before dawn, shortly before rush hour. It took several police cars and riders to get the marsupial off the bridge. dpa