Ever wonder where the name Preungesheim comes from? It is derived from Bruning, the founder of the village. Preungesheim is a district of Frankfurt am Main. Since April 1, 1910, it has been part of Frankfurt. Let’s dive into the story of this place.
Preungesheim sits 140 meters above sea level. It is about 3.5 km northeast of the Hauptwache. The heart of Preungesheim lies at the intersection of Gießener- and Homburger Landstraße.
In the north, the A 661 borders the continuous housing development. To the west lies the Frankfurter Berg district. A large industrial area stretches north of Homburger Landstraße. South of it, you will find buildings of the Federal Police. Modern housing evolved from the old village center with its church, heading toward Frankfurt’s city center. Today, settlements make up most of the buildings. The Walter-Kolb-Siedlung borders Bornheim in the south. The Karl-Kirchner-Siedlung is centrally located. A third settlement, Frankfurter Bogen, was built from 2005. It was designed for about 5,000 residents. It stretches in a wide arc along the A 661.
Eckenheim lies to the west of Preungesheim. Frankfurter Berg is to the northwest. Berkersheim sits to the north. Seckbach is to the east. Bornheim lies to the south.
Archaeological finds from the Stone Age were extracted during construction. This occurred at the new sports park in Preungesheim Nord / Frankfurter Bogen. These finds delayed the construction work.
The oldest mention of Bruningesheim is from 772. It is found in a donation document of the Lorscher Codex. Preungesheim belonged to the Bornheimerberg court in the High Middle Ages.
Remains of Bachberg Castle are in the north of Preungesheim. They are near the street Hinterm Bachberg. This former lowland castle belonged to the local nobility. They were known as the Lords of Preungesheim. This line died out in the 14th century.
A church has been documented in the village since 1215. Initially, the Reich held the church patronage. It was given as a fief to the Lords of Falkenstein. In 1275, they exchanged it with the German Order for the chapel in Rödelheim. Berkersheim and Eckenheim belonged to the parish of Preungesheim.
King Ludwig IV pawned Bornheimerberg to Ulrich II of Hanau in 1320. This included Preungesheim. In 1336, the Emperor allowed Frankfurt to redeem Bornheimerberg from Hanau. King Karl IV renewed the pledge for Hanau in 1351. In 1434, Emperor Sigismund granted Bornheimerberg to Count Reinhard II of Hanau. In 1458, the division of the County of Hanau placed Bornheimerberg under the County of Hanau-Münzenberg.
Frankfurt felt “encircled” by Hanau territory. Frankfurt finally reached a compromise in 1481. Hanau gave up all claims to Bornheim, Hausen, and Oberrad for Frankfurt. Hanau exclusively received the Amt Bornheimerberg. Preungesheim thus became part of Hanau.
The Kreuzkirche is the parish church of the former village. It features a Romanesque choir tower. It also has late Gothic tracery windows. The building dates back to the 13th century. It underwent several renovations.
The Preungesheim district museum opened in 2015. It is located in the baroque rectory. It offers an overview of Preungesheim’s history. The museum covers the Middle Ages to the post-World War II era.
Preungesheim is known for its penitentiaries. The first prison was built between 1882 and 1887. During the Nazi era, many political opponents were executed here. A memorial site commemorates these victims.
The Karl-Kirchner-Siedlung was built from 1960 to 1963. It is named after Karl Kirchner. He was a Frankfurt social democrat.