Postmoderne Saalgasse

Saalgasse is one of the oldest streets in Frankfurt's Old Town, running parallel to the banks of the Main from the Weckmarkt at the Imperial Cathedral of St. Bartholomew to the Römerberg. Archaeological finds suggest that the course of the street follows the historic north bank of the Main, where a small suburb of merchants and craftsmen developed in the Middle Ages. Over the centuries the lane went by various names, before the name Saalgasse came to be used for the entire stretch from the end of the 17th century. Until its destruction in the air raids of World War II, it was an important thoroughfare in the old city center, lined with notable buildings such as the Staufer-era Saalhof and the hospital church of the Hospital of the Holy Spirit.

After reconstruction in the 1950s, Saalgasse was laid out as an access road to a new residential area. Its appearance today is shaped above all by the buildings on the north side, which were erected between 1981 and 1984. These are four-story, gable-fronted townhouses designed in the Postmodern style. Although they were designed by different architects and are distinguished by colorful, playful facades, their continuous row construction and uniform lot sizes follow the proportions of the historic Old Town. These rows of houses are connected by a staircase to the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, whose monumental exhibition hall lies directly to the north of the lane.

For visitors, Saalgasse offers an impressive contrast between historic fabric and modern architecture. You can admire the postmodern townhouses, which stand out for their colorful design, and climb the staircase to the Schirn Kunsthalle. Today the lane is also a pedestrian zone at its western end at the Römerberg, where it ends between the Old St. Nicholas Church and the Historical Museum. In this way it links the historic Old Town with the city's cultural institutions and invites you to take a stroll through Frankfurt's history.