•We emphasize the significance of two bridge guidelines in Germany.•We present a detailed review of almost all German high speed railway bridges.•We present the specific innovation highlights of railway bridge design in Germany.•The preference of bridge types has changed to the new innovations. Bridges are vital components of high-speed rail (HSR) lines for crossing obstacles such as valleys, rivers, and existing highways or railway lines. The main goal of this paper is to provide a review of the development of HSR bridges in Germany. A short summary of the history of high-speed rail lines is given first. Subsequently, the development of HSR bridges, along with emerging design issues and the two relevant German design guidelines, is reviewed. Further, bridge structure types on German HSR lines, such as simply supported bridges, continuous bridges, arch bridges, integral and semi-integral bridges, composite truss bridges and rigid-frame bridges are discussed. The article concludes with a short discussion about the current situation and future trend of HSR bridges.