Here in Frankfurt am Main stands Zeilsheim a district with a unique story. Zeilsheim was first founded as the independent town Ciolfesheim in 794. Fast forward to today. It is the westernmost district of Frankfurt.
Did you know Zeilsheim offers clear views of the Taunus mountains? The surrounding fields make it possible. It is somewhat rural in character.
Zeilsheim’s main street is the Landesstraße 3018. It connects Kelkheim to Hofheim am Taunus. Some people call it Pfaffenwiese or Hofheimer Straße. Public transport heavily uses this street. Buses connect Zeilsheim to various locations. These include Bockenheim, Griesheim, Niederrad, Schwalbach am Taunus and Hofheim.
Hoechst AG initiated a settlement in Zeilsheim. This provided worker housing near its factories. Neu-Zeilsheim was the main street of this settlement. Almost all intersecting streets are alphabetically ordered. A church erected in 1912 stands in the center today. The Käthe-Kollwitz School built in 1902 is on the western borders.
Taunusblick and Märchensiedlung are two settlements in Zeilsheim. Taunusblick got its name from the mountain view. Märchensiedlung is south of the main road. Its name comes from facades with images from the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tales.
In 1917, Zeilsheim was incorporated into the city of Höchst. Then in 1928, it joined Frankfurt proper with Höchst.
After World War II, Zeilsheim became known for its Displaced Persons camp. The Allies created it. From 1945 to 1948, about 4,000 Holocaust survivors found temporary shelter. They awaited permission to travel to America or Israel. David Ben-Gurion and Eleanor Roosevelt visited the camp in 1946. A monument behind the city hall commemorates this community.
There is a small museum in Zeilsheim. It features alternating exhibitions on the district’s history.
Zeilsheim is divided into three districts. These are North, South, and West. The SV Zeilsheim plays in the Hessenliga. This is the fifth tier of German football.
The “Zeilsheimer Kolonie” is under monument protection. It was built in the early 20th century for the Farbwerke Höchst. It is a successful example of worker housing construction. The brick houses feature hipped roofs and lush gardens. They were privatized in the 1990s. Residents feel privileged to live here.
In the late 1930s, the Steinrutsch settlement was added. After the war, more settlements followed. These included Friedenau, Taunusblick, and the Märchen settlement. The latter has facade paintings from the Brothers Grimm fairy tales.