Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I watched a variety of movies about infectious diseases at the beginning of this year. From the recent "Busan Trip" and "Infectious Diseases" to the "Cassandra Bridge" in the 1980s. Without exception, they all ultimately embody the fearlessness and humanitarian spirit that humanity embodies in the face of viruses and disasters. As the first film of this kind of theme introduced into China, "Cassandra Bridge" can undoubtedly be called a classic among classics. Jennifer, played by Sophia Rowland in the film, has a strange but eerie appearance, which is particularly impressive.
The film tells the story of three international terrorists who break into the headquarters of the International Health Organization in Geneva and attempt to carry out a terrorist attack, but are blocked by security guards, accidentally breaking the glass bottle in the laboratory during the process, resulting in a fatal virus infection. One of the infected terrorists escaped capture and escaped onto an international train bound for Stockholm.
The infection rate of this virus is very fast, and the fatality rate is extremely high, and soon many passengers on the train are infected one after another. In order to control the situation, the International Police Department ordered the police of various countries along the route to strictly seal off the trains, close all windows, and no passengers can get off the train. Finally, in order to cover up the truth and eliminate the virus, the intention is to lead the train to the Cassandra Bridge, which has fallen into disrepair, causing the car to be destroyed and killed. A doctor on the train happened to find that high concentrations of oxygen could kill the virus, but the authorities did not believe it and still insisted on going their own way. In order to survive, the doctors united the passengers on the car to resist by force, and finally successfully divided the train into two sections when they traveled to the point where the train crashed and collapsed on the Cassandra Bridge, saving most of the passengers' lives.
It is widely rumored in Chinese circles in Germany that the Cassandra Bridge is real. Its real-life prototype is located in the mountain town of Wuppertal, Remscheid and Solingen in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which consists of three adjoining cities. Germany's tallest reinforced railway bridge, originally called the Müngstener Brücke, spans the Wupper Grand Canyon, connecting Remside and Solingen, shortening the 40 km detour to just 8 km.
Built in 1893, the Münster Bridge is 107 meters high, 465 meters long, with an intermediate span of 170 meters, the bridge cost 5,000 tons of steel and 950,000 rivets, and was completed and opened to traffic in three years. The bridge adopted the most advanced technology in the world at that time, no scaffolding was built, and the construction was carried out at the same time from the hills on both sides of the canyon, extending the curved steel frame in sections until the middle was completely closed. During World War II, most of Germany's bridge and railway infrastructure was completely destroyed, but the Münster Bridge was almost unscathed, a miracle comparable to the magic of the Blue Miracle Bridge in Dresden. There is no more amazing legend about the bridge than "The Secret of the Golden Rivet". Legend has it that of the 950,000 rivets on the bridge, between the position of the 934456 rivets, they were riveted into a rivet made of pure gold. Many people have been looking for it for a hundred years, but no one has been able to find it.
However, such a legendary bridge has also made jokes. When I was still studying at the University of Wuppertal, I had to go to Solingen by train. The train that was supposed to pass over the bridge stopped at the station in front of the bridge and needed to transfer to a temporary bus to the other end of the bridge and return to the train. Looking at such a confusing operation, ask the Germans around you, only to learn that in the maintenance of the Münster Bridge in 2010, the Federal Railway Administration only calculated the weight of the empty train, and ignored the weight of the train after it was loaded. So all passengers had to transfer to the bus to the other side of the canyon, and the train itself crossed the bridge without a load, and then let all passengers get on the bus and continue driving. It was not until 2013, when the German Federal Railways closed the bridge again and replaced all the rails, that normal operation was resumed. Such a thing happened in Germany, which has always been known for its rigor, and it really made the German people powerless to complain.
Below the Münster Bridge, the local government has built a free bridge park. Whether departing from Düsseldorf, the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, or cologne, the largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, the park of the Münster Bridge is a great day trip destination. Green mountains and waters are full of birds and flowers, and hiking is of course the best choice here. If you are tired of walking, you can find a window seat in the restaurant in Ohashi Park, come to a pot of coffee (Dröppelmina) unique to the mountain region, if you like sweets, order a mountain city special waffel (Waffel), and if you want to eat salty, come to a local potato flapjack (Pillekuchen). Enjoy a cup of coffee and a snack while looking out the window for an afternoon.
Dröppelmina
Waffel
Pillekuchen
Although in the Chinese circles in Germany, everyone tacitly accepts that the Münster Bridge is the prototype of the Cassandra Bridge. However, inadvertently comparing the shape of the bridge in the photo of cassandra bridge and Münster bridge in the movie, it was suddenly found that although the two bridges look very similar, the shape of the arc arch is somewhat different. So is the Münster Bridge the same bridge from the movie Cassandra Bridge? If not, where is the real prototype? With such a question, I carefully checked the relevant information.
It was then suddenly discovered that the prototype of the real Cassandra Bridge was the Garabit de viadukt on the Truyère River in central France. The Galabit Viaduct was designed by Gustav Eiffel, the chief designer of the Eiffel Tower, and was completed and opened to traffic in 1885 in five years. Therefore, the Galabit Viaduct is also known as the Eiffel Tower that crosses over.
After comparison, it was found that in fact, the Galabit Viaduct and the Münster Bridge have many striking similarities. Both were built in the late 19th century as steel railway bridges spanning the river and are very similar in appearance. If it weren't for the fact that the Galabit Viaduct was repainted in red in 1990, it would have been difficult to tell who was who on the two bridges at first glance. Even the surrounding landscape and natural scenery are different. And both also have legendary experiences and historical value, and are proud of the locals. It is no wonder that chinese circles in Germany mistakenly regard the Münster Bridge as the prototype of the Cassandra Bridge.
Cassandra Bridge is a fictional existence in classic film and television works, and it represents more of a story and a legend. Therefore, when people see a steel bridge with a very similar appearance and rich in legends, it is inevitable that they will take the initiative to draw the two equal in their hearts. However, the legend of the Münster Bridge itself is no less than that of any film and television work. Although the prototype of the Cassandra Bridge in film and television works is the Galabit Viaduct in central France, the Cassandra Bridge in people's hearts is a tribute to classics and legends preserved in the depths of their hearts.