Where Frankfurt's citizens celebrate - The Gesellschaftshaus in the Palmengarten

For ten years the Gesellschaftshaus in the Palmengarten was closed to visitors. But since the autumn of 2012, the tradition-rich house has once again opened its doors to the general public and, after an extensive refurbishment, is finally resplendent in all its historic glory. The renovation and reopening proved to be an excellent opportunity for Sabine Börchers to get to the bottom of the architectural and socio-cultural history of the Gesellschaftshaus, much of which has simply been forgotten over the decades. With the help of eyewitness accounts and extensive research at the Institute for City History, the Palmengarten Archive and the Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, the book "Wo Frankfurts Bürger feiern" (Where Frankfurt's Citizens Celebrate") was created, which is far more than just a historical portrait of a building. Rather, it has also become a book about the eventful history of the Palmengarten and the entire city of Frankfurt, with many interesting details and numerous illustrations from almost 150 years.

The individual stages in the history of the Gesellschaftshaus, from its first conception to the original building, which was largely destroyed by a major fire in1878, to the reconstruction, various additions and alterations, its functional transformation, the confiscation by the Americans during the occupation, and the prominent visitors who have made the Gesellschaftshaus famous far beyond the city's borders. Also the necessary renovation, which failed again and again because of the necessary money and finally the closure, which put the house into a Sleeping Beauty slumber for years, from which it has only now awakened again, are presented in the book.

In doing so, Sabine Börchers manages very well to present this foray through history in such an exciting way and compressed to the essentials that it never seems dry or boring. At the same time, however, there is no feeling that the author ticks off the events too superficially or in a hurry. The interesting, entertainingly written text and numerous accompanying illustrations make it clear that a great deal of research went into the creation of the book.

It is really exciting to learn how the Palmengarten and the Gesellschaftshaus changed from a place for the higher classes to a place for all Frankfurters, that in times of great famine the areas were used less for exotic plants but for growing vegetables, what quarrels there were in the awarding of contracts for the construction or the rebuilding of the Gesellschaftshaus or how the area was used by the Gis during the American occupation. A beautifully designed and engagingly written book, where city history is reflected in the turbulent history of a single house. Absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp