The bridge is named after Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke the Elder (1800–1891), chief of staff of the Prussian Army for thirty years.

The bridge saw heavy fighting during the Battle of Berlin in April 1945 at the end of World War II.

German defenders, about 5000 members of the SS and Volksturm, barricaded the bridge at both ends and wired it for demolition.

The detonation charges damaged the bridge, with a section falling into the Spree, but enough stood for men and vehicles to cross.

Though damaged, the bridge was one of the few to survive the war and looks similar to the original construction, though it was repaired and strengthened to take the weight of modern traffic.