Konstablerwache
Encyclopedia
Konstablerwache is a central square in the centre of Frankfurt am Main and part of its pedestrian zone. It lies to the east of Hauptwache
with both squares linked by the Zeil
, the central shopping area of the city.
was established in 1544 for the defence of Frankfurt; this long represented the eastern end of the Zeil. In 1822 the building, which had been upgraded into a military guard house, was converted into a police station. The name Konstablerwache, (literally: "constable watch-house") comes from the period when the building was used as an armoury; the term constable
was then used in Frankfurt for a military rank in the artillery. In 1833, it was at the centre of an attempted revolution
when revolutionary students attacked and attempted to loot it and the main watch-house (Hauptwache).
Later the two watch-houses proved too small for a growing city, and a new police headquarters was built at Hohenzollernplatz (now Platz der Republik). In contrast to Hauptwache, Konstablerwache was demolished in 1886 and replaced by commercial buildings. The Bienenkorbhaus office building was built on the site in 1953 and 1954, the architect was Johannes Krahn
.
Until 1881 the present square was a significant but narrow road junction at the end of the broad street of the Zeil, with Allerheiligenstraße connecting towards the southeast to Allerheiligentor, Fahrgasse continuing to the east and Große Friedberger Straße as the main north-south link in the old town
, leading to Alte Brücke (old bridge) in the south and Friedberger Tor in the north. In that year, the New Zeil was built as a wide commercial street leading from Konstablerwache to the east towards Friedberger Anlage (the eastern section of the old city wall). Between the New Zeil and Allerheiligenstraße there was a small square, which was far smaller than the modern square. At the beginning of the 20th century Konstablerwache became a major transport hub, both for cars and trams.
The situation changed dramatically after the Second World War. With many of the building on the Zeil destroyed in air raids, it decided not to rebuild some of them in order to build a larger square. At the same time Kurt-Schumacher-Straße was built, replacing Fahrgasse as the main north-south route in the eastern part of the city, and giving Konstablerwache its current eastern boundary. When the square was converted into a pedestrian zone, the level of the square was raised by just under 80 centimetres in order to create room for the underground U-Bahn/S-Bahn station
.
tunnel between Hauptwache and Konstablerwache, a new line was built in the parallel Stephanstraße, taking over part of the traffic. This line had been closed in the 1960s, but was put back into operation until 1986 as the terminus of line 12 connecting to Nordend
. In 1999, tram tracks were opened in Kurt-Schumacher-Straße, creating a through route for line 12 from Fechenheim
to Schwanheim
.
Konstablerwache station
is a major junction of Frankfurt's U-Bahn
and S-Bahn networks.
Hauptwache (Frankfurt am Main)
The Hauptwache is a central point of Frankfurt am Main and is one of the most famous plazas in the city. The original name Schillerplatz was superseded in the early 1900s.- The Hauptwache building :...
with both squares linked by the Zeil
Zeil
The Zeil is a street in the city centre of Frankfurt, Germany. The name, which dates back to the 14th century, is derived from the German word Zeile 'row' and originally referred to a row of houses on the eastern end of the north side; the name was not extended to the entire street until...
, the central shopping area of the city.
History
At the corner of the current Konstablerwache square near the street of Fahrgasse, an armouryArmory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
was established in 1544 for the defence of Frankfurt; this long represented the eastern end of the Zeil. In 1822 the building, which had been upgraded into a military guard house, was converted into a police station. The name Konstablerwache, (literally: "constable watch-house") comes from the period when the building was used as an armoury; the term constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
was then used in Frankfurt for a military rank in the artillery. In 1833, it was at the centre of an attempted revolution
Frankfurter Wachensturm
The Frankfurter Wachensturm on April 3rd 1833 was a failed attempt to start a revolution in Germany.-Events:...
when revolutionary students attacked and attempted to loot it and the main watch-house (Hauptwache).
Later the two watch-houses proved too small for a growing city, and a new police headquarters was built at Hohenzollernplatz (now Platz der Republik). In contrast to Hauptwache, Konstablerwache was demolished in 1886 and replaced by commercial buildings. The Bienenkorbhaus office building was built on the site in 1953 and 1954, the architect was Johannes Krahn
Johannes Krahn
Johannes Krahn was a German architect and academic.- Professional career :Johannes Krahn studied architecture from 1923 to 1927 at the Technische Lehranstalten Offenbach. He continued his studies 1927 to 1928 at the Kölner Werkschulen as Meisterschüler of Dominikus Böhm, who interested him in...
.
Until 1881 the present square was a significant but narrow road junction at the end of the broad street of the Zeil, with Allerheiligenstraße connecting towards the southeast to Allerheiligentor, Fahrgasse continuing to the east and Große Friedberger Straße as the main north-south link in the old town
Altstadt (Frankfurt am Main)
Altstadt or old city is a district or Stadtteil of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, located on the northern Main bank. It is part of the Ortsbezirk Innenstadt I. It is surrounded by the Stadtteil of Innenstadt...
, leading to Alte Brücke (old bridge) in the south and Friedberger Tor in the north. In that year, the New Zeil was built as a wide commercial street leading from Konstablerwache to the east towards Friedberger Anlage (the eastern section of the old city wall). Between the New Zeil and Allerheiligenstraße there was a small square, which was far smaller than the modern square. At the beginning of the 20th century Konstablerwache became a major transport hub, both for cars and trams.
The situation changed dramatically after the Second World War. With many of the building on the Zeil destroyed in air raids, it decided not to rebuild some of them in order to build a larger square. At the same time Kurt-Schumacher-Straße was built, replacing Fahrgasse as the main north-south route in the eastern part of the city, and giving Konstablerwache its current eastern boundary. When the square was converted into a pedestrian zone, the level of the square was raised by just under 80 centimetres in order to create room for the underground U-Bahn/S-Bahn station
Frankfurt (Main) Konstablerwache station
Konstablerwache station is a major station in Frankfurt am Main with 191,000 passengers per day. It is situated at the eastern end of central Frankfurt’s main shopping street, the Zeil in the Konstablerwache plaza—named after the "constable watch-house" that was once located here. The Hauptwache ...
.
Public transport
The former tram junction lost its significance when the main tram lines were closed in the inner city in the 70s. The Zeil was initially served by trams even after its conversion into a pedestrian zone; the track was closed during the construction of the S-BahnRhine-Main S-Bahn
The Rhine-Main S-Bahn system is an integrated rapid transit and commuter transport system for the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region, which includes the cities Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden, Mainz, Offenbach am Main, Hanau and Darmstadt...
tunnel between Hauptwache and Konstablerwache, a new line was built in the parallel Stephanstraße, taking over part of the traffic. This line had been closed in the 1960s, but was put back into operation until 1986 as the terminus of line 12 connecting to Nordend
Nordend (Frankfurt am Main)
The Nordend is a district of the German city of Frankfurt am Main. While it officially consists of the two administrative districts Nordend-Ost and Nordend-West, the "Nordend" is normally seen as one unit by the locals who live here...
. In 1999, tram tracks were opened in Kurt-Schumacher-Straße, creating a through route for line 12 from Fechenheim
Fechenheim
Fechenheim is a district of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is part of the Ortsbezirk Ost, and is subdivided into the Stadtbezirke Fechenheim-Nord and Fechenheim-Süd....
to Schwanheim
Schwanheim (Frankfurt am Main)
Schwanheim is a district or Stadtteil of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is part of the Ortsbezirk West, and is subdivided into the Stadtbezirke Schwanheim, Goldstein-Ost and Goldstein-West....
.
Konstablerwache station
Frankfurt (Main) Konstablerwache station
Konstablerwache station is a major station in Frankfurt am Main with 191,000 passengers per day. It is situated at the eastern end of central Frankfurt’s main shopping street, the Zeil in the Konstablerwache plaza—named after the "constable watch-house" that was once located here. The Hauptwache ...
is a major junction of Frankfurt's U-Bahn
Frankfurt U-Bahn
The Frankfurt U-Bahn, together with the Frankfurt S-Bahn and the Frankfurt Straßenbahn, is the backbone of the public transport system of Frankfurt, Germany. Its name derives from the German term for underground, Untergrundbahn. The U-Bahn opened in 1968 and now consists of 87 stations on nine...
and S-Bahn networks.