The Zeil () is a street in the city centre of
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
, 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 later.
[''Archiv für Frankfurts Geschichte und Kunst'' 5, dritte Folge (1896), p. 350.]
Since the end of the 19th century it has been one of the most famous and busiest shopping streets in Germany. Before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
it was also known for its grand buildings, but most of them were destroyed and not rebuilt. The western part of the Zeil is a
pedestrian zone between two large plazas,
Hauptwache in the west and
Konstablerwache in the east. These two plazas serve as major intersections for underground trains, trams and buses. The eastern part of the Zeil, called "New Zeil", connects Konstablerwache with the Friedberger Anlage.
The Zeil underwent a major renovation from spring 2008 until summer 2009. The pedestrian zone was extended to the west as far as the Börsenstraße. This brought drastic changes for motorists because the route via Hauptwache, which is an important north-south connection for individual traffic, was closed.
Gallery
File:Frankfurt_Am_Main-Zeil-Palais_Quartier-Ansicht_vom_Maintower.jpg, View from Main Tower
Main Tower is a 56-storey, skyscraper in the Innenstadt (Frankfurt am Main), Innenstadt district of Frankfurt, Germany. It is named after the nearby Main (river), Main river. The building is when its antenna tower, antenna spire is included.
...
towards Palais Quartier
The Palais Quartier (), formerly known as the FrankfurtHochVier, is a mixed-use tower block, building complex in the Innenstadt (Frankfurt am Main), Innenstadt district of Frankfurt, Germany. Built between 2004 and 2011, the complex consists of tw ...
File:Zeil-2010-ffm-092.jpg, Aerial view of Zeil at night
File:Myzeil-knippershelbig-03.jpg, MyZeil shopping arcade
File:Frankfurt Galeria Kaufhof.20131019.jpg, Galeria Kaufhof
File:Medienfassade_der_Zeilgalerie_bei_Tag.jpg, Zeilgalerie arcade (1992–2016)
File:Frankfurt Am Main-Zeil-Johan Conrad Unsinger-Fassade des Palais Barckhaus-1711.jpg, Emperor Charles' residence ''Palais Barckhaus'' at Zeil, where he resided in exile (1711)
File:Frankfurt Am Main-Max Junghaendel-FFMANDN-15-Zeil.jpg, Zeil in 1898
File:Frankfurt Am Main-Zeil-Grand Bazar-Palais Rothschild-Schmoller-um 1910.jpg, Grand Bazar (1903–1905), Palais Rothschild (1793–1797) and Schmoller (1900), photo 1910
References
External links
Streets in Frankfurt
Shopping districts and streets in Germany
Tourist attractions in Frankfurt
Pedestrian streets in Germany
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