The “Old Bridge” at the German university city of Heidelberg was constructed in 1788,replacing a wooden bridge that had occupied the same site since 1284, and which was regularly destroyed by ice and floods.

Heidelberg Old Bridge from the castle

Heidelberg Old Bridge

On the south bank can be found the Bruckenaffe, or Bridge Monkey,made by sculptor Gernot Rumpf, based on a carved monkey from medeival times. The monkey carries a mirror, and the adjoining
inscripion roughly translates as:

Why are you looking at me?
Look in the mirror
and you will see more of the same

The monkey