First, a dispute had to be clarified: the "Fähraktiengesellschaft," the community of the so-called "Fährbeerbten" (ferrymen) who hold the „Fährrechte“ (rights of ferry shipping) in this section of the Rhine, feared great financial losses.

The German Empire, Prussia, and Rhine Province were also defeated, so the city had to bear the full costs, which the Council officially decided in 1894.

The citizens of Bonn wanted the town of Vilich to share costs with 10%, but the local council just offered the quite insufficient sum of 2,500 marks (0.1%).

Instead, Bonn wanted the most economical connection for their business center „Markt“ across the former Vierecksplatz, the area of today's Bertha-von-Suttner-Platz, and the Berliner Freiheit.

Gutehoffnungshuette from Oberhausen, R. Schneider from Berlin, and the architect Bruno Moehring won the 1st prize awarded with 8,000 marks.

At this time, with a main span of 188 meters, it was the largest and by its location in front of the picturesque Siebengebirge, the most beautiful bridge over the Rhine.

On March 8, 1945 at 8:20 PM, only two months before the end of World War II, the fleeing Wehrmacht destroyed the bridge, but the bombing didn't really stop the Allies.

According to another report in September 2005, the sidewalks were completely blocked for safety reasons and the city's Council decided on reconstruction and widening at the earliest possible moment.