Affentorhäuser

Hidden in plain sight, the Affentorhäuser whisper tales of Frankfurt’s past. These twin structures, standing sentinel at the Affentorplatz, weren’t always so peaceful. They replaced the Affentor, the southernmost gate of medieval Sachsenhausen. Imagine Frankfurt in 1390. The city expands, Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian approves, and Sachsenhausen gets its own protective wall. The Affentor becomes a vital artery. It channels the lifeblood of trade and travel to and from the south. This bustling gateway divides Sachsenhausen into Oberhausen and Unterhausen, two distinct neighborhoods with their own unique stories. The Affentor witnessed Frankfurt’s turbulent history. During the siege of 1552, in the midst of the Fürstenkrieg, Sachsenhausen suffered heavy damage. The Affentor bore the scars of conflict. Another gate, the Oppenheimer Tor, was closed entirely after the siege, a silent testament to the violence. Time marched on, and the old city fortifications became obsolete. Military advancements rendered them useless. In 1809, the Affentor met its end, demolished to make way for the modern city. From the rubble rose the Affentorhäuser. Johann Friedrich Christian Hess designed these neoclassical buildings in 1810 and 1811. They served as customs and guard houses, a new type of gateway for a changing city. The road passed between them, a physical reminder of the Affentor’s legacy. Even after the city gates lost their function in 1837 due to Frankfurt’s rapid expansion, the Affentorhäuser remained. While other neoclassical city gates were torn down in 1864, these twins endured. Today, the Affentorhäuser stand as protected historical monuments. Until 1995 they served as civic buildings. They then passed through various owners, including the Katharinen- und Weißfrauenstift. Finally, in 2001, the Frankfurter Caritasverband acquired them. They carefully renovated the buildings, investing €200,000 to preserve this piece of Frankfurt’s heritage. The Affentorhäuser stand before you not just as buildings, but as storytellers. They whisper of sieges and growth, of changing times and enduring spirit. They connect us to the heart of Frankfurt’s past, a past that continues to shape the city we see today.