In 2025, Frankfurt is commemorating one of the most important chapters in the city's history: the "New Frankfurt". One hundred years ago, the legendary urban renewal programme began under Lord Mayor Ludwig Landmann and City Planning Councillor Ernst May, which profoundly modernised the Main metropolis and made it internationally famous. On Wednesday, 23 April, the city presented the extensive anniversary programme at the Museum Angewandte Kunst.
Mayor Mike Josef (SPD) paid tribute to the historic achievement: "The 'New Frankfurt' made our city fit for the future in economically difficult times. Landmann's decisions still have an impact today." He recalled important buildings such as the Waldstadion, the Grossmarkthalle and the new housing estates that shaped Frankfurt into a modern metropolis. In view of current challenges such as housing shortages, school construction and infrastructure development, the pioneering work of that time is a role model, said Josef.
Head of Planning and Housing, Prof. Marcus Gwechenberger (SPD), emphasised the importance of the international appeal: "Frankfurt became a European metropolis of progress back then. Without the 'New Frankfurt', the city would not be what it is today." In particular, the integrated planning approach, which combined specialist disciplines and social needs, had a lasting impact on urban development.
Ina Hartwig (SPD), Head of the Department of Culture and Science, also referred to the social impact of the reforms. The "New Frankfurt" not only revolutionised architecture and design, but also provided social impetus - for example by promoting the emancipation of women through the famous "Frankfurt Kitchen". According to Hartwig, modernist design was an expression of a comprehensive new departure, which was abruptly interrupted by National Socialist rule.
A year of celebration for the city and its citizens
The anniversary year was launched in October 2024 with a ceremony to mark Landmann's inauguration and is now entering its final phase. Highlights include numerous exhibitions, lectures, city tours and festivals. The Museum Angewandte Kunst, the Deutsches Architekturmuseum and the Historisches Museum Frankfurt are dedicating large-scale special exhibitions to modern design. The exhibition "What was the New Frankfurt?" will kick off on 9 May at the Museum Angewandte Kunst.
The planned lantern festivals, which will take place twice a year between 2025 and 2030 in various Ernst May estates, are set to be particularly atmospheric. The first festival is scheduled for 2 July on Paulsplatz. The festivals are intended to revive the spirit of the new era and promote neighbourliness.
Sport will also be involved: To mark the 100th anniversary of the Waldstadion and Stadionbad, Eintracht Frankfurt Stadion GmbH is organising a major sports festival in Deutsche Bank Park on 17 May 2025 - with free admission, hands-on stations and a stage programme.
Heritage and future
The "New Frankfurt" was built from 1925 as a response to housing shortages, social hardship and the need for modernisation. Standardisation, cost-effective construction and functional design were at the heart of the initiative. Alongside Berlin, Frankfurt became the most important centre of architectural modernism in the Weimar Republic. The anniversary programme also forms the cultural bridge to the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026 - another chapter in the long tradition of design and innovation on the Main.
