In the 1920s, an unprecedented program of architectural and cultural ­renewal was established in the German city of Frankfurt am Main. This scheme became inscribed in cultural history under the name “The New Frankfurt.” Under the city’s lord mayor, Ludwig Landmann, and the head of the municipal planning and building control office, Ernst May, modernity as a way of life took shape there: As part of the housing and urban development initiative decided in 1925, more than 10,000 new residential units were planned. The Building Ministry’s architects, recruited from home and abroad, created pioneering work in many areas. Examples include the typification of family-oriented flats, plans for affordable apartments for those on low incomes, the first standard kitchen, the industrial prefabrication of building shells, the construction of schools designed around children’s needs, and integrated urban and green planning.

In this book, four essays delve into the cultural background of the scheme and provide illuminating insights into the context of the work of its many actors. Richly illustrated short texts highlight the most important topics, settlements, and buildings, and provide an overview of the New Frankfurt phenomenon. Each featured object includes the address and information on public transport links, inviting readers on a tour of the New Frankfurt.