While nowadays people use rapped rhymes, self-made YouTube videos or text messages to express their feelings, in former times the high art of poetry was chosen. A declaration of love was always particularly effective when presented in elegantly constructed verse. Of course, such a declaration of love did not necessarily have to be addressed to a person. Many poets have also expressed their love for a city or a country in verse. Hans W. Wolff follows this in his book "Frankforder Gebabbel" in a charmingly humorous way. Of course, he does not leave it at a single ode to Frankfurt. Rather, he finds the right rhyme for all aspects of life in the Main metropolis, packs the endearing characteristics of the Frankfurt people into well-observed verses and then also puts the reader's knowledge of their hometown to the test - and that, of course, also in verse.
Whether about the "Sexy Mainhattan", a typical "Frankforder Wocheend", the "rüsdische Rentner im Schdadtpack" or about passionate "Fiddnessgeeschner", Wolff travels on his enjoyable verses across Frankfurt and reveals a very accurate power of observation. As a reader, one recognizes many things that one has observed in oneself or in other Frankfurt residents, which of course significantly increases the entertainment value of this collection.
It gets interesting when Wolff tests his readers' knowledge about Frankfurt in ten rhymed questions. One does not have to be an old-established Frankfurter to be able to answer these amusingly posed questions. Even for all "Eingeplackten" it is easy to understand from the illustrations alone which places are being searched for here. But what makes this part of the book so successful is the charming way in which well-known and popular places are described here, which are not only humorous, but also convey a little bit of city history along the way.
With "Frankforder Gebabbel" Hans W. Wolff shows similar to "Herzhaft Hessisch" or "Bald kimmt`s Christkindsche!" again his love for the dialect and for Frankfurt and all of Hesse. In playing with language, he shows a wonderful self-irony that reveals many a quirk of the Frankfurters without exposing them. His book is not cynical or condescending, but simply infused with very charming humor. It may sound a little gruff at times, but at its core it is very heartfelt - just like us Frankfurters! Recommendable!
An article by Frankfurt-Tipp
