Frankfurt am Main, which means Frankfurt on the Main, is usually referred to by non-Germans as simply Frankfurt. It is the largest city in the Federal State of Hesse and is located in the south of the state, just 30 kilometres upstream of the confluence of the Rhine and Main Rivers. Historically the city was established over 1,200 years ago at a ford of the River Main - Roman armies camped here - Charlamagne held an Imperial Reichstag here - it was the birthplace of Goethe - the seat of the first National Assembly and a centre of trade from very early in its history. Today it is the major economic and commercial centre of Hesse and is a modern city with an impressive skyline which has given rise to its nickname of ‘Mainhatten’!! Almost totally destroyed during the Second World War the city has now only a few remaining historic buildings within its Altstadt, but what it lacks here is makes up with its diverse and comprehensive range of museums and galleries, and in the evening the city comes to life with a lively dance and music scene. All else aside Frankfurt is better known as a centre for major Trade Fairs which it has supported since the mid 13th century. Today the city is home to international trade fairs such as the world’s largest Motor Show and the world’s largest Book Fair, plus exhibitions on chemical engineering, industrial products, textiles, music, IT and consumer goods, to name a few!! As an international cosmopolitan city Frankfurt offers visitors a plethora of attractions from shopping to restaurants, cafes to museums, nightclubs to opera and ballet – it’s all here waiting for your enjoyment!!
Frankfurt is a major German city and is today a thriving industrial, commercial and financial metropolis. It is the fifth largest in Germany with an estimated population of 650,000 residents although the greater metropolitan population exceeds 3.5 million. Frankfurt also lies at the centre of the Frankfurt-Rhine-Main Region, one of Europe’s leading metropolitan locations which is a cross border urbanised industrial area and supports a population of 5.3 million, making it the second largest population centre in Germany. This location is situated at the geographical centre of Europe, mid-way along the axis of the economic development that stretches from southern England via the Rhine River valley to northern Italy, commonly known as the ‘banana’!! Fortunately the city and its metropolitan area are surrounded by ‘green lungs’ which offer not only fresh air for the city but easy access to its citizens for recreation and leisure. These open countryside areas include the wooded hills and mountains of the Taunus, Vogelsberg, Odenwald and Spessart regions.
Its location has always favoured it as an important trading centre due to its position on the River Main, but as time passed it has become a major transport hub. Today it is home of one of Europe’s largest railway stations and one of the world’s busiest airports. This has been complimented by the development of the Autobahn system which maintains the Frankfurter Kreuz interchange just outside of the city and links Frankfurt with the northern Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area, and the south-western and south-eastern parts of Germany and the countries beyond. This infrastructure has enabled Frankfurt to gain access into the industrial centres of Europe and thereby further develop its economy, becoming the financial centre of Germany and home to one of Europe’s largest stock exchanges, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and the Bundesbank, the German Federal Bank. Frankfurt is also one of the largest financial centres in continental Europe and has become the seat of the European Central Bank.
First written evidence dates from the late 8th century, when Franconofurt, as it was called, was mentioned by Einhard, Charlamagne’s personal biographer. Its’ name is derived from being the home of the Franconians, or Franks, who built a ford, or furt’, across the river!! Until World War II the original ‘Old Town’, which had developed around the Imperial Castle, was the largest medieval city still intact in Germany. However during the war the Altstadt was mostly destroyed during Allied bombing raids, leaving only a few remnants of its former glory, these include the red-sandstone Gothic styled 14th century St. Bartholomeus’ Cathedral, the Romer or City Hall which stands in the Romerberg, or old market square which contains several other re-constructed medieval houses, the 18th century St. Paul’s Church, the 19th century Old Opera House, the 17th century St. Catherine’s Church, the 18th century Hauptwache building and the 14th century Eschenheimer Tower, one of the few remaining medieval fortifications that once encircled Frankfurt!!
Other attractions include the birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe who was a key figure in German literature during the 18th and 19th centuries. Born in Frankfurt in 1749, the city celebrates its connection by maintaining the Goethe House where he was born and the adjacent Goethe Museum. In the early 20th century the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University was established in honour of his achievements and today is among the largest educational institutions in Germany. Frankfurt is also well known for its very fine Zoological Gardens, the German Film Museum, the Senckenberg Natural History Museum, the Liebighaus Museum of Sculptue, Frankfurt’s most important gallery the Stadel Art Institute and Municipal Gallery and the Historical Museum which displays the culture and history of the city.
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