Abstract
The aim of this article is to investigate the expansion of Frankfurt am Main from the 1870s to the 1920s, with particular reference to the annexation of Hoechst am Main in 1928. At the end of the nineteenth century it was the adjacent suburban communities which desired annexation with Frankfurt rather than the other way around, since they hoped to take advantage of Frankfurt's superior administrative services. After the turn of the century, however, annexation of smaller communities became an important prerequisite of urban planning and the attitude of Frankfurt grew more positive. This was because it needed land for public facilities, and wanted to regulate both industrial and residential development. After World War I the state (Prussia) took the leadership in the process of annexation. While the Prussian government supported the expansion of Frankfurt, it also wished to create a balance between the financial power of the city and that of surrounding areas (Landkreis). For this reason, the state established a new district (Main-Taunus-Kreis). However, the influence of Frankfurt reached beyond the borders of Prussia, and the city planned to construct economic regions (Rhein-Main-Gebiet) in cooperation with neighboring cities which belonged to other states.
