100 Years of New Frankfurt

This groundbreaking transformation of the city and of society was characterized by new, functionally specific buildings, including housing developments featuring the famous “Frankfurt Kitchen”; by investments in urban infrastructure; by modern media such as radio and photography; and by a social approach to art and design.

The key figures of New Frankfurt were Jewish and secular: Mayor Ludwig Landmann, City Planning Commissioner Ernst May, City Treasurer Bruno Asch, and Max Michel, who was Head of Cultural Affairs. Many of the cultural and media figures involved—such as architect Fritz Nathan, artist Erna Pinner, photographers Ilse Bing and Jeanne Mandello, and radio pioneer Hans Flesch—also came from Jewish families, although their origins did not play a particularly important role in how they defined themselves. Is there a connection between the Jewish tradition of cultivating community spirit and the social, urban, and cultural modernization project known as “New Frankfurt”? From now through the spring of 2026, the Jewish Museum Frankfurt explores this question in various pop-up presentations. The museum’s New Frankfurt trail begins at Bertha-Pappenheim-Platz and leads visitors from the forecourt through the public library, the temporary exhibition “In the Face of Death,” and the permanent exhibition in the Rothschild Palais. The following items are marked with this logo:

Additional information about the exhibitions and events marking the anniversary can be found here.