Historical Names Shape the Identity of the New Neighborhood in Western Frankfurt.
The development of FRANKFURT WESTSIDE has reached another important milestone: With the publication in the Official Gazette of the City of Frankfurt, all street names for the approximately 70-hectare development area have been finalized. The previously unnamed service roads will now have official names and will thus have their own postal addresses.
“Street names are much more than just landmarks. They give a place its identity and tell its story. With the first streets, FRANKFURT WESTSIDE gains another defining element on its journey from a former industrial site to a new neighborhood for production, innovation, and creativity,” says Antonia Kramer, Project Head of Development WESTSIDE – Commercial at BEOS AG.
The streets are being named as part of the district’s phased development and are a prerequisite for their future public use. The streets are currently still under construction and are not yet open to the public. As FRANKFURT WESTSIDE develops, spaces for industry, commerce, leisure, and new ways of working will be created by 2040. The street names now established are already laying the foundation for future orientation and address creation within the district.
The new street names are intentionally linked to the history of Griesheim and its former industrial site. They honor figures who shaped the neighborhood, its industry, architecture, and social life—as well as people whose fates are inextricably tied to this place. Among others, the streets honor Ludwig Baist, the first plant manager of the Griesheim Chemical Plant; Philipp Belschner, the plant’s architect; Clara Trier, a Griesheim philanthropist; and architect Heiner Hamburger. With Emma Niedermann—who, along with her family, fell victim to the Nazi regime—and the Ukrainian-Soviet forced laborer Aleksandra Temnikova, two street names simultaneously serve as a reminder of the responsibility to keep the site’s history visible in all its depth. These are complemented by historical names such as Alte Werksstraße, Alte Gleisstraße, and Alte Seilbahnstraße, which continue to reflect the site’s industrial past to this day.
The street names were selected in close collaboration between BEOS AG and Griesheim historian Sascha Mahl. The selection process took into account historical names, local conditions, significant events, and notable figures associated with Griesheim and the former industrial site. The chosen street names help bring the town’s history to life and preserve its identity for the future development of the neighborhood.