The term "deserted sites" is used in research to refer to settlements (towns, villages), farmland (agricultural deserted sites) and industrial sites (industrial deserted sites) that were completely or partially abandoned. There were many different reasons for the formation of deserts: infertile soils could contribute to this, as could population decline or displacement, caused for example by wars, epidemics or waves of emigration. Although the phenomenon of desertification has existed since man first settled down, it is usually linked to specific periods in the respective landscapes. Written sources rarely report on the abandonment of a settlement site. This is why, in addition to archaeology, historical geography is primarily concerned with researching deserted settlements, as the former names have often been preserved in field names.

There were also a number of village-like settlements in the Wiesbaden city area in the Middle Ages, which were abandoned at different times. There were three in the city center: southwest of Dürerplatz, roughly in the area of St. Elisabeth's Church, was the hamlet of Uffhoben, which was mentioned several times in documents between the 14th and 16th centuries and existed at least until 1531. The settlement of Seeroben, which was abandoned before 1367, was located nearby, roughly on the street of the same name. A settlement called Seschlingen probably existed near Weidenbornstraße in the 14th/15th century.

There is evidence of an even greater number of deserted settlements in the suburbs, namely seven: The current name Aukamm goes back to a village from Frankish times, which was abandoned in the 14th century at the latest and was called Auwenkeym. In the Bierstadt district there was a hamlet called Kirchrode, which was founded after the year 1000 and later became extinct. Another settlement called Eigenhausen was located in the district of Igstadt. For etymological reasons, it was founded in the same period as Niedernhausen. A manor called Meilingen or Mellingen stood near Auringen until after 1494, but at the latest until the middle of the 16th century. The street "Am Wellinger" in Auringen refers to this settlement. The geographical location of Arnold(i)srod near Sonnenberg, which dates back to before 1221, has not been conclusively clarified. Near Erbenheim there was still a settlement called Obererbenheim in the 14th century.

The best-known deserted settlement is probably the former village of Kostloff, not far from Medenbach, which had around 120 inhabitants around 1530 and was therefore larger than Medenbach. Disputes with the neighboring village over jurisdiction and the mayor's office are recorded in the sources, as are village fortifications (Pforte and Falltor) and adjacent vineyards. At the beginning of the 17th century, however, Medenbach gradually established itself as a settlement, and Kostloff was completely abandoned during the Thirty Years' War. In 2003, the Medenbach Heritage and History Society had an archaeological and geophysical survey carried out, which provided further information about the location and nature of Kostloff. In addition to the name of the district, a street in Medenbach also commemorates the deserted site.