3. Day 3 - Around Frankfurt: Old Buildings

The next morning begins the full day in Frankfurt am Main (on the Main river — pronounced “mine”) designed to recoup from the trip and to try to adjust our internal clocks.  And what better way than to play tourist.  

Frankfurt architecture is an interesting collection of very old-looking buildings and quite modern buildings.  Let’s start by looking at some of the old-looking buildings.

Römer

This three-part building is the oldest section of the town hall or Römer of Frankfurt.  It was originally constructed in the 15th-18th centuries.  It is on a large square with some restaurants directly opposite.  The building in the center is known as Zum Römer and means “at the Roman.”  The name refers to the Roman settlements that predated the founding of Frankfurt.    Now, before you get too impressed with how well these structures have aged, you need to know that during the Second World War the entire central (i.e., old) section of Frankfurt was heavily damaged and what you see here is the renovated and partially reconstructed building.  Exactly how much was destroyed, and therefore how much reconstruction was needed, was exaggerated in the immediate post-war era to ensure more resources for reconstruction.  This exhibit, now in the Frankfurt City Museum, was designed to show how utterly devastated the city was.  

Exaggerated Destruction

The reality, as shown in this photo which is on display at the exterior of the city museum, is somewhat less than the near totality although it is still significant.

Actual Destruction

The explanation in the city museum is that these documents show “the struggle between historical reconstruction and modernization after 1945.  The model was obviously used as a ‘supporting argument’ in an urban development competition held in 1946.  The degree of destruction was depicted as more severe that it actually was in an effort to gain support for an absolute new beginning."

The town hall has been expanded several times and in the late 19th century a wing was built across the street.  This covered stone bridge was built to connect that wing to the main building.  It was called in German Seufzerbrücke which translates to the Bridge of Sighs and was apparently so named because the new wing was where Frankfurt citizens went to pay their taxes.  The only connection to the same-named bridge in Venice seems to be the name, and the irony of comparing paying taxes to being imprisoned in the Doge’s prison was lost.  Of course the Venetian bridge was only named that long after it ceased to be used for that function.

Bridge of Sighs

I know nothing about this building just opposite from the city museum but I sure love the mashup of architectural styles (and periods).  

Mashup of Architecture

Next on the tour -- lunch, of course.

Link to full resolution photos

A note of thanks: My good friend Jasmin Patel Levander spotted a couple of typos in the first posting.  She graciously offered to copy edit my posts, rather than just complaining about typos.  Good friends are a blessing.  Good friends who provide copy editing services are even better.