 Works began the next year and were completed in 1694.Five vaulted arches, richly decorated, spanned the Spree waters; bearing the equestrian statue of "Great Elector" Frederick William of Brandenburg by Andreas Schlüter, which was ceremonially unveiled in 1703.Refurbished under the auspices of Carl Friedrich Schinkel in 1817–19, the bridge remained in use for about 200 years.