Bertoldsbrunnen
Fountain and tram stop in Freiburg’s old-town pedestrian zone; see Freiburg (Literary) and the Freiburg travel note.
At a glance
| Source | Author | Role | In one line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 Years of Bus Transport in Freiburg: A History of Technology | VAG Freiburg | turning point | Starting point of Freiburg’s first motor-bus line, in 1925. |
| Accessibility - Public Transport Without Discrimination Is the Goal | VAG Freiburg | subject | The pedestrian zone where tram platforms could only be built 16 cm high. |
100 Years of Bus Transport in Freiburg: A History of Technology — VAG Freiburg (2026)
Source: Readwise highlight
On 27 September 1925, a motorised bus travelled for the first time from Freiburg’s Bertoldsbrunnen to Betzenhausen. It was the city’s first omnibus line.
- Role: turning point
- In the article: The centenary article opens with this first line, then goes back to its roots: an 1884 horse-drawn “Stellwagen” run by the landlord of the Kybfelsen inn to today’s Holzmarkt, and the city’s later horse-bus lines. It then follows the lines that came after the 1925 route.
- Why it matters: The fountain is the anchor date and place of the history being celebrated: Freiburg’s bus network starts here.
Accessibility: Public transport without discrimination is the goal — VAG Freiburg (2026)
Source: Accessibility - Public Transport Without Discrimination Is the Goal · Readwise highlight
And at the tram stops at Bertoldsbrunnen, VAG was only allowed to build the platforms 16 centimetres high during the renewal works in 2014 and 2017.
- Role: subject
- In the article: VAG’s standard platform height is 24 cm, but at Bertoldsbrunnen “No dangerous tripping hazards are to arise in the pedestrian zone”, so the platforms stayed at 16 cm. Passengers with reduced mobility therefore often need a ramp: newer trams have a folding ramp at one door, and drivers of older ones carry a portable ramp.
- Why it matters: It’s the article’s clearest case of a place’s character limiting accessibility: a central tram stop inside a pedestrian zone, whose needs compete with level boarding.