Westend (Frankfurt am Main)
Encyclopedia
The Westend area of Frankfurt
contains the two districts of Westend-Nord and Westend-Süd. The Westend with its Wilhelminian style buildings is a beloved residential quarter. Many old villas serve as offices for law firms and companies of the financial community.
Along with the Bahnhofsviertel
, Nordend
and Ostend
, both Stadtteile are part of Frankfurt dense inner city districts. Together with Bockenheim
, the Westend is part of the Ortsbezirk Innenstadt II.
Like the other districts constructed in the Wilhelminian period the Westend has been within the town walls of Frankfurt since the building of the Frankfurter Landwehr. Largely consisting of fields and heathland, it was area made up of isolated farming estates. Streets in the area still carry the names of these estates which were called Hellerhof, Hynsperghof and Kettenhof.
In 1858 the first Frankfurter Zoo was laid out on the Bockenheimer Landstraße, which was later moved to the Ostend. The Westend was then became a residential quarter for the affluent, as in other towns and cities with a Westend. Many villas and grand residential houses sprouted, of which many still stand today. At the end of the nineteenth century nearly the whole southern part of the Westend was built-up. In the northern part was the newly laid Palmengarten, the Grüneburgweg with its emerging Grüneburgpark as well as the Irrenanstalt (the so-called Irrenschloß) founded by Heinrich Hoffmann on the Affenstein. Around the well contained development Mayor Franz Adickes had the Alleenring built at the beginning of the twentieth century, which at the same time bound all the new boroughs of the city together.
The northern borough was less densely built-up because of the generously laid borders of the Grüneburgpark. In 1930 Hans Pelzig erected the Verwaltungsgebäude of the I.G. Farben. Until the second world war nothing else changed much. In the Third Reich the borough was abolished and the Westend became part of Frankfurt-Nord. Police station nine in Lindenstraße 27 was the center of the Frankfurt Gestapo. The Westend was spared from carpet bombing during the airraids of the second world war. Initially, after the war almost the whole Westend-Nord (from Wolfgangstraße) was declared a restricted zone. The American military set up their headquarters in the I.G. Farben building. Surrounding boroughs were converted into housing estates for GIs. In 1948 barbed wire was removed from the restricted zones.
, land which the Nazi government had put into probation. Although the 1950 selling price was later improved, the return of a third of this area was demanded to be returned as part of the Rothschild inheritance. After this, approval of the construction of a multi-storey development on the Rothschild's returned land was received (they sold it to Schweizer Zürich-Versicherung and Berliner Handelsgesellschaft) and office towers were established directly opposite the Opernhaus.
The Zurich building built in 1960, and demolished again soon after was the first multi-storied building in Frankfurt Westend. The city transformed the remaining part of the area into the Rothschildpark, which is accessible to everyone.
The development soon encountered resistance by the population. The middle classes reacted with the creation of the first Bürgerinitiativen (Citizen's initiative), the Aktionsgemeinschaft Westend (AGW). The AGW put together a land register of monuments and buildings worthy of preservation and by 1970 obtained a modification ban for Westend. Henceforward, the city wanted to turn around the development plans for any newly introduced developments. 1972 saw the region of Hessen issue a regulation against dwelling misuse.
At the same time the Frankfurter Häuserkampf (house squatting) developed, which was mainly driven by students at the University situated in the Westend. Many houses were occupied, which received constant supplies to demonstrate on the streets with the police. Joschka Fischer was also involved in this. The high point of the Häuserkampf was between 1970 and 1974.
In 1972 an attack on the American headquarters in the I.G Farben building was carried out by the Rote Armee Fraktion, in which a soldier died.
In the 1970s yet another row of multi-storey buildings were built in Westend such as the AFE-Turm on the university grounds. The City-Hochhaus at Platz der Republik, in those days the highest skyscraper in Germany (and burned down in 1973 to the jubilation of several students) was however finished later.
Although in 1976 a construction plan was decreed that no more skyscrapers would be planned, exceptions were approved in the southern part of Westend along Mainzer Landstraße and the Alleenring. Today the southern part of Westend has grown together extensively with the Bankenviertel. On the edge of Westend the second highest skyscraper in Germany, the Messeturm, rose up to 257 metres.
Normally the people of Frankfurt say Westend is hemmed in by Reuterweg, the Bockenheimer Anlage at the Opernplatz, the Taunusanlage, Mainzer Landstraße up to Platz der Republik, Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage, Senckenberganlage, a small piece of Zeppelinallee, then from the southern boundary of the Palmengarten, Siesmayerstraße, Grüneburgweg up to its bend in the south east and Fürstenbergerstraße to the corner of Reuterweg.
The official urban districts of Frankfurt aren't covered completely by these borders. After that the whole Messe grounds, except in the west border area of Bockenheim and in the east of the district up to Eschersheimer Landstraße also belongs to Westend.
. The concentration of skyscrapers here is higher than anywhere else in Frankfurt. In the Westend above all else the fairway made up of the Bockenheimer Anlage, the Taunusanlage and Mainzer Landstraße is built-up with skyscrapers. From east to west along this stretch are the DZ-Bank at the Opernplatz (96m), the Deutsche-Bank towers (each at 155m), the Trianon (186m), the Frankfurter Büro Center (142m), the Westendtower (208m) and the City-Haus at Platz der Republik (143m).
There are more tall buildings at the Messe grounds: the world-renowned Messeturm (257m, the tallest skyscraper in Europe between 1991-1997), the Plaza-Büro-Center (159m, the tallest skyscraper in Germany bewtween 1976-1977) and the AFE-Turm of the university (116m).
The Westend was one of the first boroughs with a connection to the Tram network. In those days the main route lead through Bockenheimer Landstraße. Since the building of the C-route of the Frankfurt U-Bahn
the Westend still only had Messe line 16, which travels through the western edge and over the Alleenring. The Westend was also attached to the underground from its very beginning. The A-route traffic ran through a tunnel under Eschersheimer Landstraße. The Westned had another U-Bahn route since 1986 underneath Bockenheimer Landstraße. The C-route runs from the Alte Oper to Bockenheimer Warte. A third U-Bahn route was added in 2001. The D-route runs underneath the Alleenring and serves the eastern Messe grounds. A railway junction developed at Bockenheimer Warte. Through the stations at Taunusanlage
in the east and Messe in the west, the Westend is also linked into the Network of the Rhine-Main S-Bahn
.
) and several grammar schools:
Along the Senckenberganlage from Grorg-Voigt-Straße to Bockenheimer Warte lies the Campus Bockenheim of Johann Wolfgang Goethe University. The buildings still date from the start of the university or further back in time.
The construction of the Senckenberg Museum
is also impressive. It was erected for the Senckenberg natural sciences society from 1904 to 1907 from plans by Ludwig Neher. The museum was erected in the tradition of the baroque castles. The full, representative facade, which captivates through the building of wings for the Physical Association and the Senckenberg library in the form of open arcades, is worth seeing.
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The Messeturm
is the second tallest building in the European Union
. It is located on the western end of Westend-Süd at the fairground. Alongside is the Festhalle
, a civic center, with a freely supported dome construction of glass and steel between stone corner-towers. It belongs to the first building which were constructed on the fairground. Regular exhibitions and concerts take place here. On the forecourt of both buildings stands the Hammering Man
, a moving statue by American artist Jonathan Borofsky
.
the IG Farben Building
became the main location of the American armed forces in Europe. Since 2001 it serves as the new campus for the Goethe University. The surrounding Grüneburgpark lies in the curve of Miquelallee and is one of the biggest parks in Frankfurt.
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
contains the two districts of Westend-Nord and Westend-Süd. The Westend with its Wilhelminian style buildings is a beloved residential quarter. Many old villas serve as offices for law firms and companies of the financial community.
Along with the Bahnhofsviertel
Bahnhofsviertel (Frankfurt am Main)
The Bahnhofsviertel is a district or Stadtteil of Frankfurt am Main. It is part of the Ortsbezirk Innenstadt I. It was developed between 1891 and 1915 on the land of the established Westbahnhof.-Geography:...
, Nordend
Nordend (Frankfurt am Main)
The Nordend is a district of the German city of Frankfurt am Main. While it officially consists of the two administrative districts Nordend-Ost and Nordend-West, the "Nordend" is normally seen as one unit by the locals who live here...
and Ostend
Ostend (Frankfurt am Main)
Ostend is a borough of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is part of the Ortsbezirk Innenstadt IV, and is subdivided into 4 Stadtbezirke. It is home to several brothels located along the Main River. The most famous of these brothels, or "Puffs," is the Eros-Center with its ubiquitous "legs" entrance...
, both Stadtteile are part of Frankfurt dense inner city districts. Together with Bockenheim
Bockenheim (Frankfurt am Main)
Bockenheim is a district or Stadtteil of Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany. It is part of the Ortsbezirk Innenstadt II, and is subdivided into 7 Stadtbezirke. It is in the west-central part of the city and covers an area of 540.1 ha...
, the Westend is part of the Ortsbezirk Innenstadt II.
Western Boundaries
Classicism and the Wilhelminian period
At the beginning of the nineteenth century the old Frankfurt fortifications were razed. Soon numerous classic suburban villas with generous gardens sprang up along the Bockenheimer Landstraße, the arterial road in the neighbouring town of Bockenheim. Among them were the Gontardsche garden house and the Villa Leonhardi designed by the architect Nicolas Alexandre Salins de Montfort, as well as the Rothschildpalais of Friedrich Rumpf. Around the middle of the nineteenth century the area through the town was divided up and the streets and Squares were laid out. The narrow, built-up Frankfurter Neustadt was bursting at the seams and so people were continuously moving to the outer western town. Paris became an archetype for street construction, therefore wide boulevards as well as Squares with radial streets leading outwards began to appear.The northern borough was less densely built-up because of the generously laid borders of the Grüneburgpark. In 1930 Hans Pelzig erected the Verwaltungsgebäude of the I.G. Farben. Until the second world war nothing else changed much. In the Third Reich the borough was abolished and the Westend became part of Frankfurt-Nord. Police station nine in Lindenstraße 27 was the center of the Frankfurt Gestapo. The Westend was spared from carpet bombing during the airraids of the second world war. Initially, after the war almost the whole Westend-Nord (from Wolfgangstraße) was declared a restricted zone. The American military set up their headquarters in the I.G. Farben building. Surrounding boroughs were converted into housing estates for GIs. In 1948 barbed wire was removed from the restricted zones.
Skyscrapers and street riots
In the 1950s the Westend was still a clean reseidential area for around 40,000 people. The houses had only four floors as a general rule.The first skyscraper
In 1938 Frankfurt came upon the chance to purchase a 58 hectare area between Bockenheimer Landstraße, Unterlindau, Staufenstraße and Reuterweg at a very reasonable price, which had previously belonged to the well-established Jewish Rothschild familyRothschild family
The Rothschild family , known as The House of Rothschild, or more simply as the Rothschilds, is a Jewish-German family that established European banking and finance houses starting in the late 18th century...
, land which the Nazi government had put into probation. Although the 1950 selling price was later improved, the return of a third of this area was demanded to be returned as part of the Rothschild inheritance. After this, approval of the construction of a multi-storey development on the Rothschild's returned land was received (they sold it to Schweizer Zürich-Versicherung and Berliner Handelsgesellschaft) and office towers were established directly opposite the Opernhaus.
The Zurich building built in 1960, and demolished again soon after was the first multi-storied building in Frankfurt Westend. The city transformed the remaining part of the area into the Rothschildpark, which is accessible to everyone.
The abolition of housing space
After the abolishment of control of living space in 1960, Hans Kampffmeyer, the head of the social democratic planning department developed the concept of decentralising the inner city. The adjacent boroughs were to become an extension of the Westend. The so-called Fünf-Fingerplan of 1967 designated that through the Westend five leading axles - Mainzer Landstraße, Bockenheimer Landstraße, Reuterweg, Grüneburgweg and Eschersheimer Landstraße - should be developed under an intensive construction plan. From thicame a wave of property speculation, numerous nineteenth century building were demolished in the following years, their long established tenants driven out by rough methods. Several hundred houses stood empty in the Westend of 1970, often in completely shabby condition.The development soon encountered resistance by the population. The middle classes reacted with the creation of the first Bürgerinitiativen (Citizen's initiative), the Aktionsgemeinschaft Westend (AGW). The AGW put together a land register of monuments and buildings worthy of preservation and by 1970 obtained a modification ban for Westend. Henceforward, the city wanted to turn around the development plans for any newly introduced developments. 1972 saw the region of Hessen issue a regulation against dwelling misuse.
At the same time the Frankfurter Häuserkampf (house squatting) developed, which was mainly driven by students at the University situated in the Westend. Many houses were occupied, which received constant supplies to demonstrate on the streets with the police. Joschka Fischer was also involved in this. The high point of the Häuserkampf was between 1970 and 1974.
In 1972 an attack on the American headquarters in the I.G Farben building was carried out by the Rote Armee Fraktion, in which a soldier died.
In the 1970s yet another row of multi-storey buildings were built in Westend such as the AFE-Turm on the university grounds. The City-Hochhaus at Platz der Republik, in those days the highest skyscraper in Germany (and burned down in 1973 to the jubilation of several students) was however finished later.
Although in 1976 a construction plan was decreed that no more skyscrapers would be planned, exceptions were approved in the southern part of Westend along Mainzer Landstraße and the Alleenring. Today the southern part of Westend has grown together extensively with the Bankenviertel. On the edge of Westend the second highest skyscraper in Germany, the Messeturm, rose up to 257 metres.
Situation and demarkation
Westend lies at the northwestern border of the inner city and north of Bahnhofsviertel and Gallus. Its longest border separated it from Bockenheim to the west. To the north the Westend meets the borough of Dornbusch, and to the east of is Nordend. The northern border of Westend is identical to that of the former Frankfurter Landwehr, which protected the territory of the free city of Frankfurt for centuries.Normally the people of Frankfurt say Westend is hemmed in by Reuterweg, the Bockenheimer Anlage at the Opernplatz, the Taunusanlage, Mainzer Landstraße up to Platz der Republik, Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage, Senckenberganlage, a small piece of Zeppelinallee, then from the southern boundary of the Palmengarten, Siesmayerstraße, Grüneburgweg up to its bend in the south east and Fürstenbergerstraße to the corner of Reuterweg.
The official urban districts of Frankfurt aren't covered completely by these borders. After that the whole Messe grounds, except in the west border area of Bockenheim and in the east of the district up to Eschersheimer Landstraße also belongs to Westend.
Skyscrapers in Westend-Süd
The western part of the Innenstadt, the eastern part of the Bahnhofsviertel and the southern part of the Westend form the financial district called BankenviertelBankenviertel (Frankfurt am Main)
The Bankenviertel is an area in the city centre of Frankfurt, Germany.It is not an official city district but it is a commonly used designation to describe the not exactly defined area where most of Germanys major banks have their headquarters and where many foreign banks have their representation...
. The concentration of skyscrapers here is higher than anywhere else in Frankfurt. In the Westend above all else the fairway made up of the Bockenheimer Anlage, the Taunusanlage and Mainzer Landstraße is built-up with skyscrapers. From east to west along this stretch are the DZ-Bank at the Opernplatz (96m), the Deutsche-Bank towers (each at 155m), the Trianon (186m), the Frankfurter Büro Center (142m), the Westendtower (208m) and the City-Haus at Platz der Republik (143m).
There are more tall buildings at the Messe grounds: the world-renowned Messeturm (257m, the tallest skyscraper in Europe between 1991-1997), the Plaza-Büro-Center (159m, the tallest skyscraper in Germany bewtween 1976-1977) and the AFE-Turm of the university (116m).
Traffic
As a predominantly residential area the Westend mainly has narrow roads, which are calm in relation to traffic. But for a few exceptions all the roads are one way streets, which change directions at cross roads. Therefore the Westend is much loved by driving schools. The exceptions are streets which lead out of the Westend borough into other parts of the city. Initially these streets are Eschersheimer Landstraße, the Anlagenring and the Alleenring, which carry a majority of the rush-hour and Messe traffic. Other important traffic-bearing streets are Bockheimer Landstraße as the main street to the Messe lying in an east-west direction, and the fairway made up of Reuterweg, Bremer Straße and Hansaallee as an arterial road in the North and Grüneburgweg as another east-west connection. Apart from that Grüneburgweg is also the Westend-Nord Westend-Süd border.Frankfurt U-Bahn
The Frankfurt U-Bahn, together with the Frankfurt S-Bahn and the Frankfurt Straßenbahn, is the backbone of the public transport system of Frankfurt, Germany. Its name derives from the German term for underground, Untergrundbahn. The U-Bahn opened in 1968 and now consists of 87 stations on nine...
the Westend still only had Messe line 16, which travels through the western edge and over the Alleenring. The Westend was also attached to the underground from its very beginning. The A-route traffic ran through a tunnel under Eschersheimer Landstraße. The Westned had another U-Bahn route since 1986 underneath Bockenheimer Landstraße. The C-route runs from the Alte Oper to Bockenheimer Warte. A third U-Bahn route was added in 2001. The D-route runs underneath the Alleenring and serves the eastern Messe grounds. A railway junction developed at Bockenheimer Warte. Through the stations at Taunusanlage
Taunusanlage station
Taunusanlage station is an underground S-Bahn station in central Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is in the Westend district, close to Taunusanlage Park. The name Taunusanlage refers to a section of the now demolished city walls, named in the 19th century after the nearby Taunusbahnhof of the Taunus...
in the east and Messe in the west, the Westend is also linked into the Network of the Rhine-Main S-Bahn
Rhine-Main S-Bahn
The Rhine-Main S-Bahn system is an integrated rapid transit and commuter transport system for the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region, which includes the cities Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden, Mainz, Offenbach am Main, Hanau and Darmstadt...
.
Public services
Despite the high population density and the good traffic infrastructure the Westend has no hospitals, fire departments or police stations. All emergency services are however located close by in Nordend. In contrast the Westend has many superior educational facilities available. Near to the university the Westend has the Frankfurter Musikhochschule and the Sigmund-Freud-Insitut. Numerous schools can be found in the Westend of which several of primary schools (Elsa Brandström-Schule, Engelbert Humperdinck-Schule und Holzhausenschule), the I.E. Lichtigfeld_schule of the Jewish community, a private school (Anna-Schmidt-SchuleAnna-Schmidt-Schule
The ' is a private school in the districts Westend and Nieder-Erlenbach of Frankfurt am Main, Germany.-History:The eponym is Anna Schmidt . Since 1979 the school is an UNESCO project school and furthermore a full-time school. The school has approximate 95 teachers, 20 educators and 1,280 students...
) and several grammar schools:
- Bettinaschule is a grammar school with an emphasis on modern languages. It was founded in 1898 under the name Viktoriaschule as a higher girls school and renamed after Bettina von Arnim in 1947.
- The Goethe grammar school was separated in 1897 as a Realgymnasium (an old special type of grammar school which no longer exists) from the urban high school created in 1520.
- The classical Lessing grammar school likewise developed in 1897. It continues the humanistic tradition of the old Frankfurt grammar schools. The school building has been situated in Hansaallee in the Westend since 1902.
Campus Bockenheim of Goethe University and Senckenberg Museum
The construction of the Senckenberg Museum
Senckenberg Museum
The Naturmuseum Senckenberg in Frankfurt is the second largest museum of natural history in Germany. It is particularly popular with children, who enjoy the extensive collection of dinosaur skeletons: Senckenberg boasts the largest exhibition of large dinosaurs in Europe. One particular treasure is...
is also impressive. It was erected for the Senckenberg natural sciences society from 1904 to 1907 from plans by Ludwig Neher. The museum was erected in the tradition of the baroque castles. The full, representative facade, which captivates through the building of wings for the Physical Association and the Senckenberg library in the form of open arcades, is worth seeing.
Amerikahaus
The building, (known as "Haus der Völkerfreundschaft" to the locals) inaugurated in 1958 on the corner of Reuterweg and Staufenstraße was supposed to bring the American culture in the form of books, films and music, closer to the people of Frankfurt.Messeturm, Festhalle and Hammering Man
Messeturm
The Messeturm is a skyscraper in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Its name translates as "Fair Tower" in German. It is the second tallest building in Frankfurt, the second tallest building in Germany. The Messeturm's ground floor area is just . The Messeturm is directly located in the Frankfurt Trade...
is the second tallest building in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. It is located on the western end of Westend-Süd at the fairground. Alongside is the Festhalle
Festhalle Frankfurt
The Festhalle Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany in Frankfurt is a representative Built in 1907 and 1908 multi-purpose hall at the Frankfurt Exhibition Centre. The interior of about 40 metres high dome provides an area of 5646 square metres up to 4880 seats...
, a civic center, with a freely supported dome construction of glass and steel between stone corner-towers. It belongs to the first building which were constructed on the fairground. Regular exhibitions and concerts take place here. On the forecourt of both buildings stands the Hammering Man
Hammering Man
Hammering Man is a series of monumental kinetic sculptures designed by Jonathan Borofsky which have been installed in various cities around the world.-Frankfurt:...
, a moving statue by American artist Jonathan Borofsky
Jonathan Borofsky
Jonathan Borofsky is an American sculptor and printmaker who lives and works in Maine.Borofsky was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University in 1964, after which he continued his studies at France's Ecole de Fontainebleau and received his...
.
Campus Westend of Goethe University at IG Farben Building and Grüneburgpark
The established corporate headquarters of IG Farben were erected at Grüneburgpark in Westend-Nord in 1928. After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the IG Farben Building
IG Farben Building
The IG Farben Building or the Poelzig Building was built from 1928 to 1930 as the corporate headquarters of the IG Farben conglomerate in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is also known as the Poelzig Ensemble or Poelzig Complex, and previously as the IG Farben Complex, and the General Creighton W....
became the main location of the American armed forces in Europe. Since 2001 it serves as the new campus for the Goethe University. The surrounding Grüneburgpark lies in the curve of Miquelallee and is one of the biggest parks in Frankfurt.