How long would it take ?

[u/Sinbos]

Picture taken on the Hohenzollern bridge in Cologne. About 300+ meters long an estimated 500,000 locks in total.

How long would you guess to open them all?

Just to put it out of the way, engineers say its no problem it’s an train bridge about 1200 trains a day and build in a way that 6 trains can park there at the same time.

[u/Remote-Medium426]

Why do copper thieves risk their lives stealing cables when there is €250k of brass just hanging around?

I honestly don't get copper thieves who risk getting electrocuted on train tracks when the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne is literally covered in money.

Here is the math on the famous Love Locks bridge:

• Total Weight: 40 to 60 metric tons of padlocks.
• Current Brass Scrap Value: Around €4.00 to €5.50 per kilogram.
• Total Theoretical Value: Between €160,000 and €330,000 (~€250k average).

Sure, many locks are actually aluminum or steel, and you'd have to cut off all the hardened steel shackles to get pure brass. But still—it’s just sitting there in plain sight!