Unterliederbach

Journey with me to Unterliederbach, a Frankfurt district steeped in history. Unterliederbach wasn’t always part of Frankfurt. It began as a small village nestled along the Liederbach River, mentioned as early as 800 AD as “Liderbach.” Its name evolved over centuries, from “Nidernliderbach” in 1406 to the current “Unterliederbach” in 1818. Unterliederbach boasts a rich past. Traces of human settlement date back to the Neolithic period, around 3000 BC. Archaeologists unearthed urns, bone tools, and pottery shards during construction in 1950. These finds whisper tales of ancient inhabitants. Imagine Unterliederbach during the Roman Empire, south of the Limes. The Roman road, Elisabethenstrasse, now the A 66, traversed the area. Remnants of Roman estates, discovered between present-day streets and the Heimchenweg, further illustrate the Roman influence on Unterliederbach. The village grew significantly after the establishment of the Teerfarbenfabrik Meister, Lucius & Co. (later Farbwerke Hoechst) in nearby Höchst in 1863. This factory’s growth spurred housing development, like the Arbeiterheim, known as “Heimchen,” and the Engelsruhe settlement. Unterliederbach itself became an industrial hub, with a prominent leather factory between Wasgau, Soonwald, and Pfälzer Strasse. This factory, employing 400 people, was one of the largest in the German Reich at the time. Unterliederbach continued to evolve with the arrival of the Taunus Railway in 1840 and the appointment of its first full-time mayor in 1905. A new school, planned for 16 classes, opened in 1907 with a staggering 745 students. A modern water supply system was finally completed in 1911, replacing the previous reliance on public wells. In 1917, Unterliederbach, along with Sindlingen and Zeilsheim, became part of Höchst, which in turn joined Frankfurt in 1928. The legacy of this merger is still visible in Unterliederbach’s unique character. Even the infamous Auto-Engel, an early form of autobahn rest stop, once stood at the intersection of Sodener Chaussee and Elisabethenstrasse. Today, Unterliederbach remains a fascinating blend of old and new. From its ancient origins to its industrial past and its eventual integration into Frankfurt, Unterliederbach’s story is etched into its streets, buildings, and the very flow of the Liederbach River.