Sternbrücke in Altona: Court rejects lawsuit against new building!

Sternbrücke in Altona: Court rejects lawsuit against new building!

The plans for the new construction of the Sternbrücke in Altona are moving into the next round after the Hamburg Higher Administrative Court dismissed a lawsuit. These were complaints from several initiatives, above all the environmental association Prellbock Altona, which had spoken out against the redesign. According to n-tv, the court has already confirmed a similar opinion in an urgent procedure in 2024.

In their submission, the plaintiffs cited procedural errors, specifically in connection with the environmental impact assessment. However, the court found these objections to be unfounded and denied the alleged defects. The arguments regarding monument protection were also not heard by the court. Interestingly, the environmental initiative criticized the project's harmful environmental consequences as well as the perceived lack of citizen participation.

The new building and its dimensions

Deutsche Bahn plans to replace the almost 100-year-old bridge with a modern, column-free arch construction that will be impressively 108 meters long and 21 meters high. A remarkable number of over 900 trains pass through the old bridge every day, including S-Bahn, regional and long-distance trains. This makes it clear what a central role the bridge plays in Altona's transport system.

But it's not just the technical details that are of interest. The initiatives also point out the potential impact on the cityscape and raise concerns about the possible oversizing of the project. However, these concerns were not sufficiently acknowledged by the court, which caused discontent among the initiators.

Environmental Impact Assessment and Cultural Heritage

With regard to environmental concerns and cultural heritage, it is important to cite the guidelines of the UVP-Gesellschaft. These emphasize the consideration of cultural heritage in environmental assessments and land-use planning. Even though the court rejected the objections to the environmental permit, the issue of citizen participation is still in the room.

It should be noted that such a project not only requires technical and practical considerations, but also must not neglect dialogue with the population and awareness of the cultural environment and urban development impacts.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the interests of citizens and environmental protection initiatives will continue to be of great importance in the future. It remains to be seen how the situation surrounding the Sternbrücke will develop further. However, the decision of the Higher Administrative Court puts a certain amount of pressure on everyone involved to master the balancing act between progress and maintaining existing values.