Neues Frankfurt: Siedlung Bornheimer Hang

The village of Bornheim was located just within the Landwehr (a defensive territorial earthwork comprising of a dyke and a ditch) of the free city of Frankfurt. As such it fell under the jurisdiction of the city administration. Frankfurt expanded within this circle dyke from the late 18th century, but especially during the 19th century. By 1900 the urban quarter of Nordend-Ost had encroached on the village covering most of the formerly open countryside beyond the historic central city. The village itself is located at the top of the so-called Bornheimer Hang (a river cliff).

The Siedlung Bornheimer Hang (Bornheim Cliff Estate) was planned on the edge of existing housing on the edge of Bormheim. This site near the Ostpark (planted 1906) and the Riederwald (a riparian wood) was chosen for the availability of recreational space and nature and the proximity to the existing city and the Osthafen (East Harbour - built 1908). Planning started in 1924. Three housing estates were planned: Siedlung Bornheimer Hang, Rothenbuschsiedlung and Siedlung Riederwald. Of these three two were built, the central housing estate (the Rothenbusch Estate) never progressed beyond the planning stage. As a result the amenities in both of the outer estates that were realised are concentrated on the edge making them seem lopsided. The Church of the Holy Cross (Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche) was built on the edge of the estate next to  the public park on the slope. The central square still has a shopping parade in the original buildings. A primary school was also part of the original plan. Likewise a community hall, but this facility was never realised.

The total plan for the new housing area between Bornheim and the East Harbour of Frankfurt. The Rothenbuschsiedlung has a very distinctive fan-shaped street plan. This central section was never realised due to the New Frankfurt Initiative being abandoned for political reasons in the 1930s.THe Siedlung Bornheimer Hang was built on the west side (in red at the top of the image) and the Siedlung Riederwald was realised in the southeast (in orange).

Unlike other housing estates that were built as part of the New Frankfurt Initiative, the Siedlung Bornheimer Hang was built alongside another development so Ernst May included blocks with pitched roofs on that side of the estate to provide a better and more continuous transition. The use of pre-cast concrete element sped up the building time considerably, so that in 4 years  1234 were completed and only one year later the total of 1540 dwellings were occupied by tenants. As a Großsiedlung this housing estate is mostly made up of apartment blocks with central staircases. The apartments have optimised floor plans with standardised fittings (e.g. a Frankfurt Kitchen). The dwellings are rather small at 55 to 65 m2 and were commissioned by the Aktiengesellschaft für Kleine Wohnungen (Public Company for Small Dwellings).

The present estate is phase 1 of the planned estate. The northernmost section of phase 2 that would have connected to the Rothenbuschsiedlung was never built [2]. Instead some apartment blocks, a ice-skating centre and a sports hall were built here by the city, as the ground was already owned by them. The Siedlung Bornheimer Hang is located between the former village of Bornheim (Bh) and the river cliff (H). The central square was renamed Ernst-May Platz (E) by the city in the 1990s. It connects to a shopping parade (p) along the central spine of the estate. At the other end it is now terminated by a church (C) on the edge of the Hang that is used as a park. Two schools (s) and a youth centre (y) are part of the estate. Short terraces of family houses (f) are located within one of the large blocks.

Notably the dwellings lack balconies. Some of the apartment blocks have rooftop gardens. All blocks are arranged around semi-public gardens, much like a Gartenhof, but here in an open arrangement. In the largest a number of family houses were positioned on either side of a residential street that cuts through the middle of the space within the middle-rise blocks around it. Residents were given the option to rent a small patch in one of the allotment complexes on the slope of the Bornheimer Hang. These allotment gardens are part of a park that was created on the slope by Max Bromme and Ulrich Wolf.

The estate has been renovated and has listed status as a monument of municipal housing provision of the 1920s.