„Das richtige Maß zwischen dem Notwendigen , dem Erreichbaren und dem Wünschenswerten“. Der Wiederaufbau in Frankfurt am Main zwischen 1945 und 1955

Abstract

“Adequate balance between the necessary, the attainable and the desirable”. The reconstruction in Frankfurt am Main in the years 1945–1955

In March 1944 Frankfurt am Main was destroyed by British bombing raids. In August 1945 Kurt Blaum, town mayor of Frankfurt in the years 1945–1946, created the Town Council, which immediately started the reconstruction of the city. The town became the owner of plots covered in debris, and created a partnership, the aim of which was to get rid of and recycle the debris. At the same time Mayor Kurt Blaum worked on new regulations, which were eventually included in the conclusion of the Reconstruction Act in Hesse in 1948.

In practice, during the term of office of Mayor Walter Kolbe, the priority was given to projects of the reconstruction of public utility buildings and only slightly damaged private houses situated mainly in the suburbs. It was not until later that the proper planning of the reconstruction started, which was connected with the restructuring of construction offices in 1947. At the same time a tender for the reorganization of traffic routes was invited. The Old Town was not included in it. It was not until a year later that that part of agglomeration became part of the concept. The debate over its form led to significant controversies among advocates of tradition and supporters of modern urban solutions. Traditionalists insisted on the reconstruction of the Old Town’s most streets and houses, monuments and other buildings preserving their prewar character. On the other hand, supporters of modern concepts planned to construct widely spaced dwelling houses – not taking into account the earlier spatial planning of the city. Eventually, a compromise was reached by rejecting the idea of the tightly spaced Old Town and simplifying the old spatial planning.