Paternoster elevators face restricted access and maintenance hurdles across Hesse

Working installations in Frankfurt

The German state of Hesse retains several operational paternoster elevators across public and educational institutions, though very few remain open to general public riders. In Frankfurt, the IG-Farben-Haus at Goethe University's Westend campus holds eight paternoster lifts in total, with four currently running in active service. Modernized in the year 2000, these four operational lifts are situated in the university's library area and can be used freely by students, faculty, and visiting members of the public. Paternosters operate via a chain of open doorless cabins moving continuously in a slow vertical loop, which requires riders to step in and out while the lift is moving. Elsewhere in Frankfurt, the Higher Regional Court operates a single paternoster elevator situated in an internal stairwell. That unit returned to regular operation during the week preceding 23 August 2026 after a temporary shutdown for mechanical repairs, but its use is limited strictly to court employees and officials.

Access rules in Wiesbaden and Kassel

In Wiesbaden, the headquarters of the Federal Statistical Office contains two vintage paternoster elevators. Both Wiesbaden lifts are currently out of service while certified specialist contractors conduct required technical maintenance and component repairs. Once returned to operational status, the two elevators remain restricted to employees of the Federal Statistical Office, with public use prohibited. Further north, the city of Kassel preserves another working unit inside its City Hall 2 administrative building. Built in 1957, the Kassel paternoster is equipped with 22 separate passenger cabins, operates across a vertical lift height of 38.30 meters, and utilizes a slide guide mechanism. Although the 1957 installation remains fully functional, the municipality no longer permits daily passenger service due to occupational safety rules and building fire protection standards. Instead, the city puts the paternoster into motion only during special municipal events under the direct control of an instructed operator.

Maintenance hurdles and vanishing parts

The advanced age of the surviving elevators makes long-term preservation and technical upkeep a demanding task for building operators across Hesse. Because the systems were manufactured decades ago and have become exceedingly uncommon, standard replacement parts are no longer held in stock by suppliers and must be specially fabricated or sourced.

Due to their rarity and year of construction, spare parts are no longer kept in stock, but must be procured at great expense.

In addition to component scarcity, facility operators face an absence of standardized technical regulations and certified vocational training programs for vintage loop lifts.

For historic paternosters there are no longer any standards, no standard repairs and no specialists specifically trained for them.

While the original mechanical systems continue to function reliably, routine maintenance depends heavily on in-house technicians who have independently studied and adapted to the machinery. When complex repairs or extensive mechanical overhauls arise, public institutions must seek out the few remaining specialized engineering companies capable of servicing vintage lift technology.