History of the structure

The railway bridge over the Odra river in the Stany village was erected in the years 1907-1908 close to the former ferry crossing. It was a part of the Wolsztyn - Nowa Sól - Żagań railway line. The facility was designed and made by Fabrik für Brückenbau und Eisenkonstruktionen Beuchelt & Co. Grünberg in Schlesien. The steel used to build the bridge was acquired from steelworks in Ruda Śląska. The bridge was fortified in the course of construction. Defensive complexes, of the so-called Blokhauz type, were erected on both sides Guardhouses in the form of Gothic Revival towers were linked to one another by an underground passage and had their own water intake. The railway bridge was partially damaged in February 1945 by the withdrawing German troops. The blown-up sections were reconstructed in 1955. The railway bridge functioned until the flood of 1997, when the structure was damaged.

Site description

The bridge is located at the Odra river, approx. 1 km to the north of the Stany village, on a plain, open area slightly overgrown with trees. Close to the defensive complex of the bridge there are reinforced concrete shelters forming a part of the “Oderstellung” defensive line. It is a single-track, span-type structure, made of riveted, steel trusses. The structure is formed by 19 spans resting on 2 abutments and 18 piers. The total length of the bridge amounts to approx. 644 m and the main span stretches along the length of over 100 m. The right-bank abutment is secondarily made of concrete, while the left-bank one is originally made of brick. The piers are main of brick, faced by clinker bricks with reinforced concrete capitals, partially of a secondary nature. A complex of guardhouses on the west bank of the river has survived. It includes two brick towers situated on a flood bank, on a nearly square-shaped floor plan. They have two storeys, are crowned with battlements and include rectangular embrasures terminating in a segmental arch on both storeys.  Only the underground part of the guardhouses has survived on the east abutment. At present, the bridge is unused and remains in poor technical condition.

Visitor access. The structure is accessible.

Author of the note: compiled by Marta Kłaczkowska, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Zielona Góra, 16-05-2017

Bibliography

• Record sheet, Zespół strażnic kolejowych. Stany/Bobrowniki, compiled by Motyl K., Haber R., 2003. Archive of the Regional Monument Protection Office in Zielona Góra.
• Andrzejewski T., Miejscowości powiatu nowosolskiego. Rys historyczny, Nowa Sól 2004, pp. 196-198;
• Motyl K., Ufortyfikowany most w Stanach [in:] Budownictwo obronne środkowego Nadodrza. Powiat nowosolski, Andrzejewski T. (ed.), Nowa Sól 2003, p. 121-126.