The upper part of the former village Cumbach on the little mountain is older than
the a little bit later settled district on the south bank of Saale-river.The Saale divided Cumbach from Rudolstadt and invert at all times. But nethertheless some connections between the inhabitants from all classes existed all times.
In the upper part of Cumbach the dukes of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt had exactly oposite their residence Heidecksburg castle an orangery, these houses are present used as a home for adged people.
In the down part the inhabitants used the "Bleichwiese" (a meadow) for washing, drying and bleaching of their clothes.
Boats and bridges leaded over the Saale river. The picturesque banks invited and invite for walking, not only Schiller wrote about it...
In the meantime a lot of excursion aims are attracting, for example Marienturm (Tower for Maria), Schillershöhe (Schiller Mountain) or the Bauernhäuser (Farmer Houses) in until now a very nice landscape. Visitors from near and far away are comming to Cumbach.
Cumbach is at the same time a living- and working district. The Saale-Railway-Line turns parallel to Saale river by Cumbach. From the town Rudolstadt now there are 3 bridges to Cumbach: The Elisabethbridge for feet-passengers with a tunnel and the (old) Townbridge, which was used by cars until end of oktobre 2004.
Only If the barriers of railway on the old Townbridge not had been closed, Cumbach was good to be within reach for the most people. But espacially these railway barriers often seemed to be invicible.
The last years before the opening of the new bridge the daily time of the really closing time was 19 hours. This was more than 80 percent of a day! But this is over now. Indeed all car-drivers have to take a longer way now over the new bridge:
Over 30 years it was discussed what will happend if in Cumbach is a havary or a doctor is needed
and the barriers are closed.
Now the new bridge turns not only over the Saale river but over the rails too.
The daily stop and go or sometimes only stopping, which not only at rush-hour and festival-times reached until Obercumbach and the centre of Rudolstadt, was a common use and it will stay at Rudolstadt side, because the Cumbach-trace from the (Federal street) B88 is lost now.
We will hope, that the reconstruction of the new traffic-situation doesn't take also over 30 years and tourists or even potentiale trade- or industry-investors don't will avoid Cumbach.
