Construction of the new abattoir quarter began 20 years ago

The site is 4.8 hectares in size, stretching between Buchhügelallee and Spessartring, between Dornbuschstraße and Erlenbachstraße. One of the most modern abattoirs in the German Reich was opened there in 1904. Local politicians and butchers jointly supervised the planning and construction work, which took several years, under the direction of Dessau architect Alfred Röpert. The plant comprised 14 buildings, including its own steam boiler house for the energy supply. The ice factory was able to produce 17 tons of block ice per day. A separate water tower secured the water supply.

The new Offenbach abattoir had to cope with an enormous turnover: by 1903, the number of annual slaughterings in Offenbach had risen to over 33,000. The new facility offered the highest standards of hygiene. Local historian Christina Uslular-Thiele knows that in 1906, a plant for the production of infant milk was also set up in the abattoir complex, which processed raw milk into ready-to-drink porridge and organized its delivery. The decisive advance was a closed cold chain. This made it possible to significantly reduce infant mortality, especially during the summer months.

At the end of the 1980s, the end was in sight: New EU hygiene regulations would have required enormous investments. In addition, large private slaughterhouses emerged and competed with local butchers. And so the Offenbach abattoir ceased operations on December 31, 1990.

However, in 1989, the city had already wisely started looking for concepts for the future use of the site. Large parts of the historic building fabric were to be preserved and incorporated into the plans for a mix of residential and commercial, cultural and social uses. However, according to Marion Rüber-Steins, department coordinator for urban development at Offenbach's Office for Urban Planning, Transport and Construction Management, there were only a few architectural firms in Germany at the time that were involved in the conversion of industrial facilities in line with the requirements of listed buildings. And so the choice fell on the Parisian office "Reichen et Robert", which had a high profile in this discipline. Their conversion study formed the basis of the investor competition in 1992/93: in it, they showed which usable areas could be generated in the listed ensemble and to what extent the area should be densified into an urban sub-center with additional uses. The competition at the beginning of the 1990s, which was based on the specifications of Reichen et Robert, was held for working groups of investors interested in buying the site and their planners, thus preparing the sale of the municipal site in 1993.

To this day, the former industrial city of Offenbach faces the major challenge of revitalizing abandoned factory sites in order to designate attractive areas for modern companies and create liveable residential areas, especially for young families. The dynamics of structural change can currently be seen in various places in the city: most clearly at the port, but also in the plans for the former MAN Roland site on Christian-Pleß-Straße.

High-quality living space, a family-friendly infrastructure with nearby daycare centers and schools, good transport links and shopping facilities for daily needs, an environment where you can relax and feel at home - the residential area at the old slaughterhouse has all of this. The historic building fabric also provides a special flair.

In the entrance area, the gatehouse with its striking bull's head has been preserved. Historic buildings flank the access road to a small parking lot, which is only available to residents and is secured with a barrier. The quarter, which today comprises around 300 condominiums of various sizes and provides a home for around 600 people, is almost completely car-free. Underground parking spaces were created at the start of the new development.

Yellow clinker bricks and red Main sandstone characterize the historic building fabric. The former boiler house is now home to the popular cocktail bar Lounge. Right next door, in the former cold store with its almost sacred pointed arch windows, you can now dine at "Paul's". The first-class restaurant is part of the four-star Achat Plaza Hotel, which uses large parts of the former abattoir complex and has 155 rooms and four conference rooms there.
15 meters wide, 100 meters long and eleven meters high is the connecting hall, which once linked the abattoirs and cold store and is spanned by a flat vaulted glass roof. Mighty rams' heads adorn the pillars at the entrance to the hall, which can accommodate around 300 people and is occasionally used for fashion shows or music events. A few young fashion labels and a recording studio have rented space here. The entrance area of the site is named after the priest and former Catholic dean of Offenbach, Father Ernst Griesheimer, who founded parishes and social institutions in Offenbach and was temporarily interned by the National Socialists.

The water tower still stands as a landmark above the main building. It once had a spire with a lantern, which was destroyed in the Second World War and not completely rebuilt later. The 40-metre high, free-standing chimney made of yellow clinker bricks with red brick ornaments is visible from afar.
Like a passageway, the Schlachthofhalle connects Ernst-Griesheimer-Platz with Siegmund-Merzbach-Platz, named after the Jewish banker who founded the Merzbach banking house in 1832, which was so important for Offenbach's economic history.
While the planners of the new abattoir envisioned Ernst-Griesheimer-Platz as a lively meeting place in the middle of the new quarter, Siegmund-Merzbach-Platz to the south was intended more as an oasis of calm for the residents. Only around 2000 meters separate it from Offenbach's lively pedestrian zone. But there is no sign of the hustle and bustle of the big city here near the Buchhügel recreational area. The inner area of the residential quarter has been carefully landscaped and the once piped Hainbach stream has been exposed. The formal design of its surrounds emphasizes the urban character of the new development. In contrast to this, there is the former cowhouse on Siegmund-Merzbach-Platz. An architect's office has taken up residence there.

On the western edge of the quarter, a path commemorates Valentin-Unkelbach, an Offenbach social democrat and trade unionist who was convicted and imprisoned by the National Socialists. Valentin-Unkelbach-Weg 1 - 5 is now the address of the retirement home in the old abattoir. It offers barrier-free living space with care and service.
The mixture of young and old, residential and commercial has been successful at the old slaughterhouse. Doctors and freelancers have settled there alongside a number of young creative professionals. Supplies are provided by the neighboring supermarket. On Erlenbachstrasse, the independent religious community runs a daycare center with 75 places for three to six-year-olds.
To the south, the building complex of the DRK district association shields the residential area from the noise of the Spessartring. Only airplanes disturb the peace and quiet of the residents of the abattoir site, which today lies within the daytime protection zone.
All the properties there have now been sold. Most recently, the Bien-Ries company built the Saloe residential complex. The six-storey building is shaped like an L and comprises 2- to 5-room condominiums, either as penthouses or maisonettes, with balconies or terraces. A building of the same type is planned right next door on the last available plot of land in the quarter. Once completed, the former abattoir site will have over 400 apartments for more than 800 people.