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Project Details

Buildings, institutions and places of spa and bathing tradition in Bad Homburg

Since 2013, Bad Homburg has been involved in a work group aiming at preparing an application by certain spa towns for classification as a world heritage site under the motto “Great Spas of Europe“. This makes it necessary to substantiate the city’s historical and cultural heritage, also in terms of town planning and architecture, from the beginning of the golden age of spa to the outbreak of World War I. This is the purpose for which the database-supported internet application “Spa Places" has been created in cooperation between Hessisches Institut für Landesgeschichte (HIL) (Hessian Institute for Regional History) in Marburg and the Municipal Archives of Bad Homburg.

The basic idea was to determine the locations of buildings, institutions and other sites of spa and bathing tradition in the topography of the city and to make the sites researchable by providing additional information – historical images and plans, modern views, relevant literature and others. This entailed certain methodical, presentational and factual challenges. For example: While from the mid-1800s to the outbreak of World War I Bad Homburg undoubtedly was one of the major fashion spas of Europe’s high society, it is set apart, for example, from Bad Kissingen by the fact that it had already been a residential town before, and from Baden-Baden, for example, due to its being part of a highly urbanized region through its vicinity to Frankfurt. Both factors have shaped the town’s urban functions, the composition of its population and the topography of its settlement structure. The upswing of the Rhine-Main area after World War II in particular contributed to a significant extension of the built area and to changes in the course of which buildings and places from the golden age of the spa town disappeared or were altered. It is at this point where the systematic collection and listing begins, as buildings are included that are no longer there and where – in the case of still existing buildings – alterations and new parts were included by image documentation. Hence, the application does not only provide the user with information on the historic spa heritage of modern-day Bad Homburg, but on the historical development process in particular.

Included in the list are spa buildings, institutions and places that are directly connected to the spa operations in medical and social terms, e.g. Kurhaus (spa house), springs, clinics etc., but also the casino, hotels and spa villas.

On the other hand, the application also includes places and buildings that are indirectly connected to the spa operations and which supported them in terms of infrastructure or were dependent upon it, e.g. gas works, train station, steam laundry businesses or photo studios, and more.

Not listed are taverns in the old town, workshops and shops of artisans and trade that would also be commonly found in other towns.

The more than 150 places and descriptions do not claim to be exhaustive but represent an adequate cross-section. “Spa places“ is therefore an open database which can be supplemented and extended at any time.