Der eiserne Dachstuhl der Walhalla - ein herausragendes Zeugnis des frühen Stahlbaus

The iron roof truss of the Valhalla - an outstanding testimonial of early steelworks.

High above the Danube River soars the Valhalla near Regensburg. At first glance a neo-classical peripteros, the Valhalla is on closer inspection an outstanding example of early steel construction, as revealed by the civil engineer. The complex iron roof truss is in both intricacy and detail one of the very rare, still preserved examples of a time when new material should have been established. The following paper examines the historical context of this prestigious building and presents a portrait of the engineer Johann Michael Mannhardt. Based upon on-site findings, the processes during manufacturing and assembling will then be reconstructed.