Boundary stone

The perpetual border and the dried-up water - the boundary stone

Unnoticed by passers-by, the small, weed-covered depression hides a special historical feature. Embedded in a small bridge is an inconspicuous cuboid sandstone that visually marks the only border between Offenbach and Frankfurt that has remained unchanged since Franconian times. In the meantime, this historical trace has changed from the historical state border in the general consciousness to today's public transport tariff border. As a result, the boundary stone with the coat of arms of the Principality of Isenburg, consisting of a crown and shield, on the Offenbach side and the crowned lion for the Frankfurt area, which probably dates back to the post-Napoleonic period, is hardly recognizable in terms of motif. Even though the small stream there no longer fills with water very often, it is the 'little brother' of the Dreieichweiher and is fed by the same watercourse. However, it is no longer possible to trace where it ends in the Main. It is thus an example of the numerous small watercourses that are no longer visible or have completely disappeared, but which once ran through the entire city of Offenbach. Here, too, it becomes clear how much Offenbach's flora has changed completely in the course of industrialization and the associated spatial expansion.