The sign at the entrance is clear: "Unauthorized stay not permitted under Port Security Ordinance - Port Authority".

The Osthafen is not a place for strolling.

It's even dangerous here.

Work is done here, normally.

Heavy loads drive in and out, cranes move containers or other objects weighing tons through the air.

Daniel Meuren

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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This weekend, however, everything was different.

No one paid any attention to the prohibition sign.

The areas on Lindleystraße were lined with snack bars, sales stands and half a dozen stages and so-called club areas, where bands played their songs or DJs set the beat in a beach atmosphere.

For this purpose, the giant cranes had been brought to rest by the operators in such a way that, at least in the twilight, they reminded of primeval dinosaurs or oversized giraffes.

For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, the Osthafen Festival invited Frankfurters to explore the port, which otherwise does not play a major role in public perception.

Just a small part of the port

"We want to focus a little on the port and remember its importance for the city," says Bianca Winkel from HFM Managementgesellschaft für Hafen und Markt.

"Building materials such as sand still come almost exclusively this way to Frankfurt." In fact, there is so much traffic there on weekdays that Frankfurt is one of the largest German inland ports.

Only a small part has been closed for the festival, in which there is anyway public traffic in everyday life.

Some of the buildings bordering on the residential development in the direction of Hanauer Landstraße have been used by tenants who are friendly to the residents, such as studio owners, for years.

They sell their works of art or “upcycled bags” made from recycled materials, while a few meters away a historic locomotive pulls three wagons to the Iron Footbridge and back and the boats leave for harbor tours.

Everyone can tackle this in their own way: Children can control their territory from the "crow's nest" of the pirate ship in the Riederwald adventure playground, but of course without being allowed to board one of the cargo ships.

And adventurous water lovers can jet across the Main with a really brisk wave rider at the festival, while the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration offers a leisurely tour on which the seats don't even shake.

“We want to give people access to an area where you can't just walk in and out because of the dangers.

They should be able to see what Frankfurt looks like from the water,” says Winkel.

In fact, a piece of urban architecture opens up that appears desolate and desolate from the countryside.

The charming allusion to the construction of the buildings directly on the harbor basin can only be seen from the boat: the box shape of the floors is reminiscent of stacked containers.

Youngsters for the fire brigade

The main attraction, especially for children, is the fireboat.

The boat, which is now stationed in Niederrad, has been doing its duty on the Main for 52 years, as chief fire chief Stefan Körner, one of the skippers, explains.

It is used on average once a month, but almost exclusively when a boat is in need.

"A fire, on the other hand, only occurs once a year and usually ends with minor injuries," says Körner.

There used to be major fires in the port, but the safety precautions are now much better.

"The fact that our fire-fighting boat still exists, just in case," he says.

At the harbor festival there is time to demonstrate the water delivery skills several times a day.

The fire brigade then lets water spray out of all pipes.

Körner hopes to inspire young people to join the fire brigade with such campaigns.

“We urgently need people,” he says.

For example, also for the lifeboat, which the fire brigade also looks after.

This one has to go to the river much more often.

Occasionally also when someone falls from the quay wall into the harbor basin.

This danger exists when the harbor area is used for parties without authorization.

"We can only warn against this because the port is really a dangerous area," says Bianca Winkel.

From Monday, the prohibition sign will be fully justified again, until the next Osthafen Festival, which will probably be two years from now.