Consider Eschersheim for a moment. It’s more than just a district; it’s a story etched in time.
Eschersheim quietly resides in the north of Frankfurt. Its history stretches back a millennium to around the year 1000.
Imagine Eschersheim as a rural village. It transformed around 1900 into a wealthy residential area. This led to its incorporation into Frankfurt in 1910. Before that it was just outside of Frankfurt.
Walter Gropius left his mark in the 1920s and 30s. He designed the new settlement “Am Lindenbaum” near the water tower.
One of Eschersheim’s landmarks whispers tales of resilience. It is an ancient lime tree. This tree was planted shortly after 1648. It marked the end of the Thirty Years’ War.
Around the year 1000 Eschersheim belonged to the Amt Bornheimerberg.
Around 1000 the Kloster Seligenstadt was the landowner in Eschersheim.
The Elisabethenstra\u00dfe, a crucial link between Wiesbaden and Friedberg, once ran through Eschersheim in Roman times. It included a river crossing over the Nidda.
Eschersheim’s name has an interesting origin. It possibly comes from a Franconian abbot’s estate. The owner’s name was Ensco. This evolved into “Enciresheim”. Historical forms of the name include Enscriresheim, Eischersheim and Eschersheim.
In the mid-16th century the Reformation first asserted itself in the County of Hanau-M\u00fcnzenberg in its Lutheran form.
During the Thirty Years’ War, the imperial city of Frankfurt had the Nidda ford buried. This was to stop enemy troops from marching in.
The Emmauskirche was built between 1752 and 1754. It was consecrated on February 10, 1754. The church was donated by the sovereign. The villagers helped to build it.
In the autumn of 1792, the French occupied the entire Frankfurt area. This also included Eschersheim.
Eschersheim avoided industrialization for the most part. This favored the influx of workers from Frankfurt in the second half of the 19th century. Land prices were quite favorable here. A major economic factor for the village was the brick factory.
The Eschersheimer Landstra\u00dfe was developed. This was for the transport of bricks to Frankfurt and the surrounding area.
In 1888, the first section from Eschenheimer Tor to the first houses in the village was opened.
In 1901, a first waterworks was built. The water tower on Lindenbaum Street was built for this purpose.
The number of residents increased rapidly. At the beginning of the 20th century, the now suburban village of Frankfurt had 2,400 inhabitants. At that time, Eschersheim was jokingly called The Charlottenburg of Frankfurt. It was like the Berlin district of Charlottenburg. It had sophisticated standards and was free of industry.
On April 1, 1910, the then small rural community of Eschersheim was incorporated into the city of Frankfurt with twelve other villages in the Frankfurt district.
In the years before the First World War, more villas were built in the south.
During the Nazi era in Germany, associations were banned in Eschersheim. Despite its proximity to the Heddernheim armaments factories, Eschersheim was largely spared from bombing raids during the Second World War.
The streetcar lines 23, 24 and 25 served Eschersheim at that time.
The district is divided into two halves by the Stadtbahn line. This runs above ground to Heddernheim. This planning is controversial.
In 2000, Eschersheim celebrated the thousandth anniversary. This was of its first mention with a series of celebrations.
Today, Eschersheim offers a blend of tranquility and urban connections. The Eschersheimer Landstra\u00dfe is still a vital thoroughfare. It carries U-Bahn lines U1, U2, U3, U8 and U9.
Eschersheim is a testament to Frankfurt’s diverse history. It is a place where village charm meets city life.