“A ship’s hull in the heart of Frankfurt” That’s what some say about Villa Hoffmann’s unique design. This stunning neoclassical villa stands majestically on Bockenheimer Landstrasse. Its history is far richer than its elegant facade suggests.
Built between 1910 and 1912 by architect Alfred Engelhard Villa Hoffmann was commissioned by retired Lieutenant Commander Anton Hoffmann. He and his wife Ines moved in 1912. They lived there until 1918. The half-cylindrical bay window on the ground floor is said to resemble a ship’s hull. A fascinating detail that many overlook.
In 1918 Dr phil Albert Sondheimer a businessman and partner in Beer Sondheimer & Co acquired Villa Hoffmann. He was a bibliophile with a vast collection of Hebrew German and international books. He and his family lived in the villa until 1932 when they emigrated to The Hague taking 40 book crates with them. The family was Jewish. They faced persecution under the Nazi regime. In 1939 they escaped to New York just before the German occupation of The Netherlands.
After the Second World War the Sondheimer daughters were given back the villa in 1950. They chose not to return to Germany and sold Villa Hoffmann in 1952. Today a commemorative plaque honors Albert Sondheimer and his forced emigration. It’s a poignant reminder of a family’s dramatic escape from the horrors of the Holocaust.
From 1939 onwards the Society Reichsarboretum e V rented the villa. They used it as a scientific institute for dendrology. This involved a collection of books pictures and exhibits related to trees and woodlands. In 1944 an Allied air raid severely damaged Villa Hoffmann. A bomb in the garden destroyed the ground floor collections.
The US occupation forces seized the house in 1945 and used it as offices until 1953. The Schuh-Ring shopping cooperative then acquired it. Later it was rented to the advertising agency J Walter Thompson.
In 1991 the City of Frankfurt rented Villa Hoffmann. They housed the Literaturhaus Frankfurt there until 2006. After the Literaturhaus left various attempts at cultural use failed. Then in 2012 the KfW Foundation purchased the house. They invested five to six million euros in its restoration. After extensive renovation work completed in 2018 it is now the Foundation’s headquarters. Villa Hoffmann now stands as a testament to its rich past a symbol of resilience and a vital hub for culture and dialogue.