Frankfurt's New Old Town

Neo-Baroque and half-timbered romanticism in a city that thinks big, is growing upwards, and already seems to have the century-to-come in view? Hardly had the plans to recreate the bombed-out old city between the cathedral and the city hall of the Römer been drafted when the criticism began.

 

And yet, today native Frankfurters cannot curb their enthusiasm. Around the Hühnermarkt, by now one of the most attractive squares in the city, a new world has grown, which with its pubs, stores, and even a barber shop has not only become a magnet for tourism. It is as if, next to a new heart, Frankfurt's centre city has also received a new soul.

 

This lushly illustrated volume recounts the exciting history of the Römerberg, gives a summary of the various debates surrounding its reconstruction, and takes the reader along on a tour of one of the most beautiful and important buildings in the new district.

Foreword
And Then There Was Nothing Left – The Nighttime Bombings of March
Where Everything Began – Kaiserpfalz Franconofurt’s Holy Walls
From Classical to Postmodern – Reinventing the Römerberg
The Historical Museum’s Mona Lisa – The Treuner Brothers’ Model of the Old City
A Fountain Flowing with Wine – The Coronation Was Intoxicating
Frowns Instead of Rubberneckers – A Narrow Alley Becomes the Krönungsweg
A Krönungswurst with Mustard – A Stop at Tagesbar Anno
When Things Get Too Cramped, Head to the Skies – The Rote Haus Floats over the Square
All You Need is a Little Imagination – Töpferei Bauer Sells an Old Town Made out of Clay
Sales Downstairs, Society Upstairs – The Zum Rebstock and Goldenes Lämmchen Courtyards
Greetings from the Past – A Treasure Hunt with Decoration and Spolia
Life without Sun – Daily Life in the Old Town Wasn’t Always Fun
Wealth’s Not a Crime – The Goldene Waage Shows What Splendour and Glory Really Mean
Made for Night Watchmen – Out and About Very Late
Straight out of a Children’s Book – The Hühnermarkt Is like a Treasure Hunt
The Beard’s Gotta Go – Off for a Shave by Dennis Alt
No, That’s Not Mao Zedong – Dialect Poet and Rebel Friedrich Stoltze
Precious Objects in a New Paradise – A Jeweller Finds His Treasure Chest
Afterword
Bibliography
Picture credits