Wörthspitze

Could a place named “Wörthspitze” have once been an island? Here at the Wörthspitze, at the confluence of the Nidda and Main rivers, that was indeed the case. This park, a tranquil green space in Frankfurt’s Nied district, holds a history as dynamic as the rivers that shape it. Wörthspitze derives from “Werde” or “Werder,” meaning a river island or riverside location. For centuries, Wörthspitze served as farmland, pasture, and meadow. Imagine the farmers navigating their boats across the Nidda, as there was no bridge to Höchst’s higher banks. This area even functioned as a harbor for Höchst’s fishermen until 1908. The Wörthspitze wasn’t always easily accessible. Before 1913, reaching it required a detour across the Nieder Bridge. Then, a footbridge, affectionately nicknamed “Gaasebrickelsche” (Little Goat Bridge), was built near the Amtsgasse. It earned its name from the goats herded across it to graze on the Wörthspitze. This charming bridge is sometimes called the “Bridge of Sighs” due to its Venetian-style arches. Wörthspitze has also witnessed Frankfurt’s changing times. After World War I, it served as a parade ground for French occupation troops. Then, in the 1930s, it was transformed into the park we enjoy today, complete with paths, cycle routes, and rows of Lombardy poplars. A darker chapter unfolded during the Nazi era with the dedication of a “Thingplatz” and a war memorial. Thankfully, the memorial was removed in 1965. Today, only a walled bastion remains as a quiet observation point. The Wörthspitze also boasts some unusual residents: a hotelship named “Peter Schlott” anchored in the Nidda since 1961, and two houseboats with a precarious existence, lacking official permits yet stubbornly clinging to their riverside spot. In more recent times, Wörthspitze has become the starting point of Frankfurt’s Green Belt, a ribbon of green encircling the city. It’s even rumored that the Green Belt’s mascot, a whimsical creature dreamed up by local artist Robert Gernhardt, was first spotted here. In his honor, three ash trees, the “Gernhardt-Eschen”, were planted on the Wörthspitze. So, as you stroll along the Main or the Nidda, remember the many lives of the Wörthspitze. From island to farmland, parade ground to park, this unassuming green space holds centuries of Frankfurt’s stories.