Höchst (Frankfurt am Main)

Höchst
Höchst
Quarter of Frankfurt am Main
	Coat of arms
	Location of Höchst (red) and the West Ortsbezirk (light red) within Frankfurt am Main
	Höchst Höchst
	Coordinates: 50°05′56″N 08°32′48″E / 50.09889°N 8.54667°E
Country	Germany
State	Hesse
Admin. region	Darmstadt
District	Urban district
City	Frankfurt am Main
Area
• Total	4.709 km2 (1.818 sq mi)
Population (2020-12-31)
• Total	16,103
• Density	3,400/km2 (8,900/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	65929
Dialling codes	069
Vehicle registration	F
Website	www.frankfurt.de

Höchst (German pronunciation: [ˈhøːçst])^[2] is a neighbourhood and market town in the Ortsbezirk of Frankfurt-West in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Höchst is situated 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west of Frankfurt city centre, on the north bank of the Main at the confluence with the River Nidda. Its old town is famous for around 400 timber framed houses.^[3]^[4]

At the 1st of July in 1917, Sindlingen, Unterliederbach and Zeilsheim were incorprated to Höchst am Main.^[5] In 1928 Höchst became incorporated into Frankfurt am Main, along with Sindlingen, Unterliederbach and Zeilsheim.^[6] The well-preserved old city with its 400 half-timbered houses^[7] has been under the Denkmalschutz protection law since 1972.^[8] An important cultural event is the folklore festival, the Höchster Schloßfest, that brings many visitors to Höchst. It begins in the middle of June and last four weeks. It includes a festival in the old city, fireworks, and a jazz festival in the castle.^[9]

History

Middle Ages

Höchst was first recorded as Hostat (meaning high site or high place).^[10] On 11 February 1355, Höchst received its town privileges by emperor Charles IV. In a charter dated 12 January 1356, Charles IV gave additional privileges to Höchst including the right to hold markets every Tuesday.^[11]

On 22 June 1622, during the Thirty Years' War, the Battle of Höchst saw a Catholic League and Spanish Empire armies defeat a Protestant force.^[12] A second Battle of Höchst occurred on 11 October 1795 when Habsburg soldiers clashed with Republican French troops.

The fires

In 1586, the first major fire in Höchst occurred. The fire destroyed 56 houses, 25 barns, the town hall, the bath house and the Mainz Gate, which was half the town at the time.^[13]

20th century

Höchst am Main became part of Frankfurt am Main in 1928.^[14] Until 1987, Höchst was the administrative seat of an independent Landkreis.^[15] Höchst is now the center of the Frankfurt-West Ortsbezirk (administrative district) with 135,000 residents.^[16]

Economy

The name Höchst became known throughout the world for the chemical and pharmaceutical corporation Hoechst AG which was established in 1863.^{[citation needed]} The Hoechst AG was headquartered in Höchst until in 1999, when the company was merged with the French Rhône-Poulenc S.A. and became Aventis^[17] which, after another merger, became Sanofi-Aventis. Major research and production activities of the company continue to be conducted in Höchst. The site of the Hoechst works is now operated as the Höchst Industrial Park (Industriepark Höchst). It includes a notable expressionist building designed by Peter Behrens, the Technical Administration Building (Technische Verwaltungsgebäude).

timber framed houses of the old town
Main river bank in Höchst, called "Batterie"
Bolongarostraße in Höchst
October 2008: Market in Höchst
Porcelain manufacturer in the Dalberghouse
Höchster Schloss
Saint Justin's Church, Frankfurt-Höchst
Bolongaropalast

Notable people

Joseph Aschbach (1801-1882), historian well known for his studies on the Visigoths.^[18]
Tristan Brübach (1984–1998), murder victim.^[19]
Carl Chun (1852–1914), German marine biologist, born in Höchst.^[20]
Hans Fischer (1881–1945), recipient of 1930 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.^[21]

References

^ "Frankfurt Statsitik Aktuell 07/2021" (in German). Frankfurt am Main City. July 2021. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
^ "Höchst". Duden (in German). Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
^ "Rundgang durch Höchst: Das sind die Schandflecke in der Altstadt". 3 November 2018.
^ "Höchst, Frankfurt, Germany". Google Maps. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
^ Rudolf Schäfer, "Chronik von Höchst am Main", Verlag Waldemar Kramer Frankfurt am Main, 1986, page 214
^ https://www.stadtgeschichte-ffm.de/de/stadtgeschichte/stadtchronik/1928
^ Semrau, Sebastian (14 October 2017). "Rundgang durch Höchst: Das sind die Schandflecke in der Altstadt". Frankfurter Neue Presse (in German). Retrieved 6 June 2023.
^ "Höchst Old Town". Frankfurt am Main. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
^ "Höchster Schlossfest". Frankfurt am Main (in German). Retrieved 5 June 2023.
^ Everett-Heath, John (2020). "Höchst". The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780191905636.001.0001. ISBN 9780191905636.
^ Metternich, Wolfgang (19 June 2006). "... es fuffzischsde!!! Höchster Schloßfest 2006" (PDF). www.ihr-nachbar.de (in German). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
^ Pfenninger, Markus (22 April 2022). 1622 - The Battle of Höchst: A story from the 30 Years' War. Tredition. ISBN 9783347590830.
^ "Chronik". www.ff-hoechst.de (in German). Retrieved 6 June 2023.
^ "Höchst". aviewoncities.com. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
^ "Main-Taunus-Kreis (Höchst a. M.)". Hesse (in German). Retrieved 8 June 2023.
^ "Frankfurt am Main". citypopulation.de. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
^ "Hoechst & Rhone-Poulenc Merge To Create Aventis". www.thepharmaletter.com. 1 December 1998. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
^ Karl Schrauf (1902), "Aschbach, Joseph", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 46, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 59–68
^ Jones, Harrison (16 June 2020). "Madeleine suspect linked to murder and rape of boy, 13, whose body was mutilated". METRO.co.uk. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
^ Robert Mertens (1876), "Chun, Carl", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 3, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 252–253
^ "Hans Fischer". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 5 June 2023.