The miraculous bridge withstood whatever the Germans could throw against it during the closing days of World War 2 while Americans took advantage of it to send troops into the heartland of Germany. It was easy to imagine airplanes bombing overhead or German troops at the top of the steep cliffs on the other side of the river. The now quiet stretch of river seventy years ago helped to shorten World War 2. Visiting the site of the old bridge helped to deepen our sense of the history of the place which is the home of castles that date back to the Middle Ages and is also the site where the Romans first settled Germany 2000 years ago.