METAL & SOCIETY

In Frankfurt, Merton Strasse, the Mertonviertel district, a vocational college, a translation prize, and a university institute all commemorate the life of a citizen of Frankfurt with Jewish roots, a man to whom the city owes so much. So who was Wilhelm Merton, who was born in 1848 into a Jewish family in Frankfurt?

Wilhelm Merton’s biography, his life’s work, and his legacy in the field of social welfare are multifaceted and to a certain extent unique. Today, however, his entrepreneurial activities and his commitment to social reform in Frankfurt am Main, the German Reich, and indeed the world over are as good as forgotten. The museum therefore decided to dedicate an exhibition to the work of this outstanding businessman.