Remagen is a town in Germany in Rhineland-Palatinate, in the district of Ahrweiler. It is about a one hour drive from Cologne (Köln), just south of Bonn, the former West German capital. It is situated on the River Rhine. There is a ferry across the Rhine from Remagen every 10–15 minutes in the summer. Remagen has many beautiful and well-maintained buildings, churches, castles and monuments. It also has a sizeable pedestrian zone with plenty of shops.
Overlooking the west bank of the Rhine just north of the city centre is the Apollinariskirche. It has a great observation deck that is only open to parishioners on Sundays. Pedestrians reach the church via a dirt trail that passes a series of roadside monuments representing each of the fourteen Stations of the Cross. The church grounds contain an outdoor crypt and an abbey. Further down the river is one of the many castles along the River Rhine, perched even higher than the Apollinariskirche.
The Roman Empire built a border fort at Rigomagus (or Ricomagus), west of the Rhine. This was about 12 miles north of the site of the first bridge ever built across the Rhine (at Neuwied). This bridge fought the river current by being built on timbers which were driven into the bed at a slant. Caesar's troops spent nearly three weeks on the east side of the river, then crossed back over, destroying the bridge to prevent its use by German raiders. A second bridge was likewise destroyed by the builders once they were through with it.
Plot
In the last days of World War II, the Allied Army desperatly searched for a bridgehead across the impenetrable Rhein River, in order to launch a major assault into the center of Germany. "Bridge at Remagen" tells the true story of the battle for this last bridgehead, from both the German and American perspective.
Keywords: american-soldier, army, attempted-seduction, bare-breasts, based-on-true-story, battle, battlefield, bridge, cannon, child-murder
Thus ended the last great German stand in the West.
A dot on the map. A motion picture adventure as big as history.
The Germans forged one little bridge. Sixty-one days later they lost the war
Gen. Von Sturmer: Why? How could it happen? Another hundred meters and the Americans would have captured the Ober Kassel Bridge.::Gen. von Brock: It was the only escape route for our units in that sector.::Gen. Von Sturmer: Escape route? No. A highway for the American army into the heart of Germany! In any case, the Führer has determined you shall not take such a risk again.::Gen. von Brock: Not very likely: there's only one bridge left.::Gen. Von Sturmer: And already it is threatened by the American forces. One breakthrough, a few hours, and this too can be lost. General von Brock, you must prepare to destroy the Remagen bridge at the earliest possible moment.::Gen. von Brock: Destroy? We have 75,000 men who would be trapped on the other side of the Rhine.::Gen. Von Sturmer: And if the bridge falls to the enemy, are you prepared for the consequences?::Gen. von Brock: These men are all that's left of the 15th Army. Their only hope of salvation is that bridge!::Gen. Von Sturmer: The 15th Army will stand or die. The Fuhrer has ordered that not one foot of our sacred soil will be yielded to the enemy.::Gen. von Brock: Herr Feldmarschall, if orders won wars, we wouldn't now be fighting with our backs against the Rhine, we'd be dancing at the London Savoy!
Capt. Otto Baumann: Farce! Where are the bombers? Our reinforcements? This is the most important place in Germany, and what do we have to fight with? Old men, riff-raff, the sweepings from the road.::Major Paul Kreuger: And you, Baumann. Will you fight as hard as you talk?::Capt. Otto Baumann: You will find out when we attack.
General Shinner: We're not going to blow that bridge, Barnes, we're going to take it!::Major Barnes: Take it?::General Shinner: As long as it's still standing, we've got a chance. When we get out there, cut every wire and cable. Dent, alert HQ. Ask 'em to give us every available unit on the double.::Col. Dent: Yessir.::Major Barnes: Jesus, sir. I mean, I hate to think of our men in the middle of the bridge when they blow it.::General Shinner: It's a crapshoot, Major. Take that bridge and we shorten the war. We're risking a hundred men, but we may save 10,000 - even 50,000! It's your chance to make history, Major! What you've got to do is throw your men across. Now, Major!
Lt. Phil Hartman: Get the men up. We're moving out.::Sgt. Angelo: Those men are tired. They'll kill us.::Lt. Phil Hartman: They're so happy we didn't find any Germans here, they want us to keep going until we do.
Lt. Phil Hartman: How do you know Stadt Meckenheim isn't crawling with Germans? What if they unload on us?::Major Barnes: Then we'll know, won't we, Lieutenant?
Major Paul Kreuger: So, Captain Baumann, I trust that in the event of an emergency, at least the explosives are in place to blow up the bridge?::Capt. Otto Baumann: Not yet, Herr Major. It is reported that 600 kilos of high explosives are on the way. But perhaps, that TOO is only a rumor.
[Kreuger is offered a last cigarette before he is executed by firing squad. He and the Nazi Officer hear planes]::Major Paul Kreuger: Ours or theirs?::Nazi Officer: Enemy planes, sir.::Major Paul Kreuger: But who is the enemy?
Major Paul Kreuger: [to General von Brock over the phone asking for reinforcements] Herr General, your regrets will not save the bridge. The two panzer battalions might.
Major Paul Kreuger: I understand the Russians are at the Elbe.::Gen. von Brock: Yes.::Major Paul Kreuger: And here?::Gen. von Brock: Worse. Utter confusion. Every day I get orders to attack with divisions that no longer exist. Hitler still thinks he's winning the war.::Major Paul Kreuger: The Army helped bring Hitler into power. Are you saying we made a mistake?
Major Barnes: Look, uh, Hartman, I know it's been a hard blow. It's always a shock to lose a buddy, a man you worked with and fought with. I mean, we're all human. I guess what I'm trying to say is... I realize Captain Colt was your friend. He was my friend, too.::Lt. Phil Hartman: Bullshit. [Long pause]::Major Barnes: Would you, uh... care to rephrase that, Lieutenant?::Lt. Phil Hartman: You don't have any friends out here, Major. Neither do I. We can't afford them. Neither one of us.