Frankfurt street names tell

Haven't you often wondered where streets like the "Eiserne Hand" got their strange names? Or whether "Affentorplatz" is a testament to the fact that Sachsenhausen also used to have a zoo - or even free-range monkeys? And why is the Freßgass still called Kalbächer Gasse in the city maps? Who were the good people to whom a whole quarter is dedicated? And who actually rattles through the Klappergass? Streets named after famous personalities or prominent, obvious topographical features are usually relatively easy to identify. But with names like "Katzenpforte", "Nonnenpfad" or "Am Bier" one quickly gets puzzled when trying to interpret them.

Katharina J. Cichosch now tries with her book "Frankfurter Straßennamen erzählen" to uncover at least some of the mysteries surrounding street names in Frankfurt. In a very sympathetic and sometimes amusing way, the author tries to decipher the stories that the street names tell us. And in doing so, it also becomes clear that clear historical explanations do not always reveal themselves, even after intensive research and word analysis. Too many factors are involved in the naming of a street, so sometimes you just have to settle for widespread conjecture.

It's also interesting to learn who is responsible for which street gets which name and why a change, as in the case of Freßgass, is not easily made. It is fun to read the many surprising anecdotes hidden behind many a name and it is sometimes very surprising how much town history is sometimes very well hidden in the street names. Numerous photos and a pleasant writing style also ensure that reading this book offers an extremely high entertainment value.

"Frankfurter Straßennamen erzählen" is an entertaining walk through Frankfurt and its history. Even if not all the secrets of the street names are revealed here, the book still reveals enough interesting, amusing and surprising things to have earned a "absolut empfehlenswert"

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp