Frankfurt
Situated at the Main river, it is the largest city in the German state of Hessen. It has a population of approximately 650,000.
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2 History 3 Twinning 4 Miscellany 5 External links |
Finance, transport (it is the transport hub of Germany), and exhibitions are the three pillar industries of Frankfurt. Frankfurt has been Germany's financial capital for centuries. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is Germany's largest, the site of 85% of Germany's turnover in stocks, and one of the world's biggest.
Frankfurt is also the home of the European Central Bank and the German Bundesbank. Many large trade fairs also call Frankfurt home, notably Messe Frankfurt.
During WWII, Frankfurt was heavily bombed, though the city quickly recovered.
Frankfurt is often called "Bankfurt" or "Mainhatten". It is the only European city that has a significant number of high-rise skyscrapers. In fact, the city contains the tallest skyscraper in Europe, along with 8 of the tallest 10. In Germany, only Frankfurt and Duesseldorf have high-rise skyscapers.
After WWII, there was some debate over whether Frankfurt should be the capital of West Germany. In the end, Konrad Adenauer (the first post-war Chancellor) preferred the tiny city of Bonn, for the most part because it was his hometown, but also for another reason; at the time, the Germans feared that making Frankfurt the capital of West Germany would give the Americans too much influence over the German government, as Frankfurt was in the American-controlled sector of the Allied Occupation Zones.
Frankfurt is sometimes referred to as the jewel in the crown of a united Europe. It has financial skills, central location, infrastructure and an airport - Europe's second busiest after London Heathrow.
Frankfurt has a number of institutions, among them its university, Johann-Wolfgang von Goethe UniversitÃÂät, as well as a number of museums, most of them lined up along the Main river on the Museumsufer (museum shore) and a large botanical garden, the Palmengarten. The best known museums are the StÃÂädelsches Kunstinstitut und StÃÂädtische Galerie, or short StÃÂädel, and the Naturmuseum Senckenberg. The Museum fÃÂür moderne Kunst (Museum of Modern Art) and Schirn Kunsthalle (Schirn Art Galery) are also notable.
In the area of the RÃÂömer roman settlements were established, probably in the first century, with some artefacts remaining. Also, the city district Bonames has a name probably dating back to Roman times, Bonames is thought to be derived from bona me(n)sa.
The name of Frankfurt on the Main river is derived from the Franconofurt of the Germanic tribe of the Franks; Furt (cf. English ford) denotes a low point passage across a stream or river. Alemanni and Franks lived there and by 794 Charlemagne presided over an imperial assembly and church synod, at which Franconofurd (-furt -vurd) is first mentioned. However, since frank is also an old German word for frei (meaning "free"), Frankfurt was a "free ford," an opportunity to cross the river Main without paying bridgetoll.
In the Holy Roman Empire, Frankfurt was one of the most important cities. Since 855 the German kings/emperors were elected in Frankfurt, Lothar II. being the first one, and then crowned in Aachen. Since 1562 the kings/emperors were also crowned in Frankfurt, Maximilian II. being the first one. This tradition ended in 1792, when Franz II. was elected. He was crowned, on purpose, on July 14th, anniversary of the storm on the Bastille. The elections and coronations took place in the cathedral St. BartholomÃÂäus, known as the Kaiserdom (en: Emperors Cathedral), or in its predecessors.
(Old paragraph: In the Holy Roman Empire, Frankfurt was one of the most important cities. Over several centuries, German kings and emperors were crowned here, initially after having been elected in Aachen. )
The Frankfurter Messe (en: Frankfurt trade fair) was first mentioned in 1150. In 1240, Emperor Friedrich II. granted an Imperial privilege to its visitors, meaning they would be protected by the Empire. Since 1478, book trade fairs are held in Frankfurt, the Frankfurter Buchmesse still is the most important in Germany.
In 1372 Frankfurt became a Reichsstadt (en:Imperial city), i.e. one directly "under" the empire, not under the King or a local noblemen.
From 1810 to 1813 Frankfurt became a Grand-Duchy. 1815 it became a Freie Stadt (en: Free City), as well as seat of the Bundestag of the Deutscher Bund (en: German Confederation).
Frankfurt had been the capital of Germany for centuries. Many Germans were crownded there.
After the ill-faithed revolution of 1848, Frankfurt was home to the first German National Assembly (Nationalversammlung), which resided in St. Paul's Church (Paulskirche) (see German Confederation for details) and was opened on May 18th, 1848. Yet, it is not 1848 but 1871 that decided Germany's fate. Germany was unified under the Iron and Blood Chancellor Bismarck in 1871 by military means.
In 1914, the citizens of Frankfurt founded the University of Frankfurt, later called Johann Wolfgang Goethe University. This is the only civic foundation of a university in Germany; it is today one of Germany's largest.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born in Frankfurt.
Martin Lawrence was also born in Frankfurt.
The town hosted the second Congres Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne in 1929.
See also: Frankfurt International Airport, Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, Frankfurt School
Introduction
History
Miscellany
External links
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| Skyline of Frankfurt, photographed from the south-west |