GERMANY: The New Old Frankfurt

The name Neue Alstadt in Frankfurt, (translated to The New Old Town), is a bit of a confusing name. 

How can something new be old? Or something old be new?

Well, the medieval old town of Frankfurt was one of the best-preserved old towns in Central Europe. 

But, in March of 1944, it was almost completely destroyed in a WWII bombing raid.

In 2012, after decades of rubble, the city started the recreation of the historical old town. It was completed in 2018.

The new old town now combines historical architecture with modern design to blend with the remaining historic buildings.

Because Frankfurt's Altstadt (Old Town)  was so well preserved, it contained buildings of many different centuries and styles that included Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical architecture. 

The renovation of the entire old town was reconstructed exactly as its original medieval plans, bringing Frankfurt’s history back to life.

The reconstruction project consists of 35 buildings, including 15 faithful replicas of the original structures and 20 new buildings with current-day architectural quality and craftsmanship.

Now, the New Old Town Frankfurt features a mix of (new) apartments, shops, cafes, restaurants, and museums that look like they are old historical buildings.

The Old Town was/is centered around Marienplatz (Mary's Square), which has been the city's main square since the 12th century. 

The construction of the Old Town Hall took place in the late 1400s. Originally, the building was Gothic architecture, but over the centuries it underwent several remodelling phases, ultimately adopting a Neo-Gothic style in the late 1800’s. 

The New Town Hall was constructed during the 19th century when the city was experiencing significant growth and prosperity.

Some original house parts which had been preserved were used in the reconstruction. 

It was fun looking for them.

The city is not only an important airport hub and gateway to Europe, but, it is also a huge banking centre. So there are a lot of new and modern office buildings for business.

Frankfurt is an interesting combination of the "old" and the "new".