Only about 100 years ago, during the time of the Empire, Mayen underwent a transformation from a predominantly rural location on the eastern edge of the Eifel to a commercially shaped city. This process was accompanied by a lasting change in the cityscape. Heinz Schüller and Karl-Heinz Weingart, both working at the Mayen archive and members of the Historical and Antiquities Association, are profound experts of their region. For this illustrated book, they selected around 200 of the most beautiful photographs from the renowned Mayen photographer Rudolf Böhm, who meticulously documented the city's transformation starting in 1890. The images illustrate the transition from a tranquil, medieval town to a rapidly growing city, characterized by economic upswing and the expanding basalt lava industry. The authors not only showcase the urban development changes but also the social aspects of this evolution.