Frankfurt am Main

Basic data:

Population::	667,468 (12/31/2007)
Area:	248.31 km²
State:	Hesse
Administrative district:	Darmstadt
Circle:	district-free city of Frankfurt

Geography:

Frankfurt is drained by the Lower Main and is located south-east of the Taunus Mountains in south-west Germany. The city is located on the northernmost edge of the Upper Rhine Plain, which stretches from Basel to the Rhine-Main area. The largest city forest in Germany is located in the south of Frankfurt. The highest point in the city is in the Seckbach district at the Berger Warte on the Berger Rücken at 212 m above sea level. NN. The lowest point is on the Main bank in Sindlingen at 88 m above sea level. NN. The greatest extent of the city is 23.4 km in an east-west direction and 23.3 km in a north-south direction.

Climate:

Frankfurt is located at the northern end of the Upper Rhine Plain, which is climatically one of the warmest regions in Germany. The warmest months are June to August with average temperatures of 17.1 to 19.4 °C and the coldest December to February with an average of 1.6 to 2.7 °C. The rainiest month is July with an average of 63 mm, the least rainy month is February with an average of 38 mm. The prevailing wind direction is west.

City structure:

16 local districts, 46 districts, 118 city districts

history:

Frankfurt was first mentioned as "Franconovurt" in 794 AD by Emperor Charlemagne. Already 843 u time. the city was considered one of the most important royal palaces in East Franconia and the site of imperial diets.

The cornerstone as a trade fair city was laid in 1150, when the Frankfurt Fair (Autumn Fair) was first mentioned. This development favored Frederick II in 1240, when he promised visitors to the Frankfurt Fair a royal protection for the outward and return journey as a privilege. Just one year later, a tax register shows Frankfurt as the economically most important royal city in the German Empire.

With the "Golden Bull" in 1356, the city became the electoral city of the Roman kings, after most royal elections had taken place here since 1147. From 1562 the Emperor was also crowned in Frankfurt, the last being the Habsburg Franz II in 1792.

In 1372, Frankfurt received the status of a "free imperial city" and thus a member of the Reichstag, i.e. a self-governing city-state that was only obliged to allege allegiance to the emperor. In 1405, the city council bought the Römer house and a few adjoining town houses and converted them into a town hall.

In 1478 booksellers were present at the Frankfurt Fair for the first time. In the decades that followed, the city developed into one of the most important trading centers in Germany. The most expensive consumer goods of the medieval Occident such as e.g. B. sold books, weapons, fabrics and spices and settled the first cashless financial transactions. From the 15th to the 17th century, Germany`s most important book fair was based in Frankfurt (again since 1949).

From 1612 to 1614 there was a constitutional conflict between the council and the citizenry and civil unrest, which was also directed against Jews. The conflict culminated in "Fat Milk Uprising" which was ended by the Emperor`s intervention. Frankfurt remained neutral during the Thirty Years` War.

At the turn of the century, the city had a population of 35,000. By decision of the council, the fortifications were torn down and the ramparts were converted into a large park. The Congress of Vienna established the German Confederation in 1815 and declared Frankfurt a free city and the seat of the Bundestag.

With the opening of the Taunusbahn line Frankfurt-Höchst-Wiesbaden in 1839, Frankfurt`s development into a railway junction began.

In 1848 the March Revolution broke out in Germany. The convened National Assembly met in Frankfurt`s Paulskirche. In 1866, Frankfurt was annexed by Prussia and lost the status of a free imperial city. The city grew and in 1875 passed the 100,000 mark.

There were numerous innovations in terms of transport technology. In 1884, the world`s first real electric tram was put into operation. It ran between the Old Bridge in Frankfurt and Offenbach am Main. Four years later, in 1888, the main station, the largest railway station in Europe, was inaugurated.

In 1891, the world`s first long-distance transmission of high-voltage three-phase current from Lauffen am Neckar, 176 km away, was achieved at the International Electrotechnical Exhibition on the site of the former western railway stations, thus helping it to achieve an international breakthrough compared to direct current.

At the end of the 19th century, also often referred to as the Gründerzeit, the people of Frankfurt reorganized and redesigned their city. Neustadt (1333) and Altstadt (1180) became the inner city. More and more citizens from the core area of ??Frankfurt moved to the outskirts outside the ramparts, which were still sparsely populated at the beginning of the 19th century. Radial roads and the avenue ring were built to connect the rapidly growing outer districts, which were now called the Bahnhofsviertel, Westend, Nordend and Ostend, and to connect the main station and the newly incorporated districts of Bornheim and Bockenheim. Other areas such as the former gallows station and the area around the Gutleuthof were developed and formed the Gallusviertel and Gutleutviertel districts.

This was followed in 1910 by the incorporation of the entire district of Frankfurt. In 1914 Frankfurt had almost 400,000 inhabitants. During this time, the stock exchange was also built in 1879, the festival hall in 1908, and four years later the east harbor was built (1912) and the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University was founded. When the university, which Wilhelm Merton had worked hard to found, was opened on October 26, 1914, the First World War had already begun.

At the instigation of Lord Mayor Ludwig Landmann, Ernst May, who was appointed to Frankfurt, created new settlements from 1925 to 1930, such as the Praunheim settlement and the Römerstadt, Frankfurter Küche, and Frankfurt`s new wholesale market hall at the Osthafen. The "New Frankfurt" was born. The Frankfurt trade union building was built in 1930 on today`s Wilhelm-Leuschner-Strasse in the Bahnhofsviertel, the city`s first skyscraper. With nine floors, the building reaches a height of 31 meters. In 1931, the IG Farben building was opened as another architectural highlight. The I.G. Farben was founded shortly before in Frankfurt.

The reign of Lord Mayor Landmann ended when the National Socialists seized power. After the end of the war, Frankfurt`s city center and old town was almost completely destroyed by air raids. The Osthafen - an important transhipment point for bulk goods with its own siding - was largely destroyed.

In the spirit of urban planning at the time, the badly damaged city decided on a modern reconstruction of the historic city center while largely retaining the old road network.

In 1946, Frankfurt became part of the newly founded federal state of Hesse. The former city republic had only been a reluctant part of a territorial state since 1866 and had never previously belonged to Hesse. Consequently, Frankfurt did not apply to be the seat of the state government (which then moved to Wiesbaden).

A year later, Frankfurt became the seat of the combined economic area of ??the American, British and French zones. The created Bank deutscher Länder organizes the currency reform a year later.

In May 1949 civil air traffic was resumed at Frankfurt Airport. and Frankfurt narrowly lost the election as the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany. Nevertheless, the traditional trading and business city developed into an economic metropolis. In 1955 the population exceeded 600,000.

In 1957 the Deutsche Bundesbank, which emerged from the "Bank deutscher Länder", started its business in Frankfurt am Main. With the stock exchange and the settlement of many financial institutions from Germany and abroad, Frankfurt subsequently became one of the leading financial centers in Europe. The construction of the first high-rise office buildings (AEG high-rise, beehive building, telecommunications high-rise building, Zurich building) followed.

Due to the loss of Berlin, which was divided and difficult to reach from West Germany, from the German city competition and due to its central location in the West German sub-state, Frankfurt took over numerous metropolitan functions that were previously located in Berlin (and Leipzig), above all as a financial center and business location as well as a transport hub.

The "Auschwitz Trial" took place in Frankfurt from 1963 to 1965. With the opening of the first subway line in 1968, the city received a new local transport concept.

In 1981 the new Alte Oper was opened. The expansion of the Museumsufer in 1984 began what developed into an art and culture mile in the years that followed.

As a new symbol of the economic power of the Main metropolis, the 256 meter high trade fair tower, which was built in 1988, characterizes the cityscape of Frankfurt. In 1993 the European Monetary Institute (EMI) Frankfurt was founded.

In 1994 Frankfurt was able to celebrate its 1200th anniversary.

The skyline of Frankfurt was continuously expanded with the 1997 Commerzbank Tower, with 299 m (with antenna) Europe`s highest office building, Main Tower, Main Plaza, Gallileo and much more

The seat of the European Central Bank (ECB), which replaces the European Monetary Institute, was moved to Frankfurt in 1998. This confirms the leading role of the city as the financial center of Europe.

Sights:

Old Opera

Frankfurt Stock Exchange

Main Guard

Paul`s Church

Imperial Cathedral

Römer/Römerberg

Goethe House

I.G. Color House

Goethe Tower

Kleinmarkthalle

Henninger Tower

Airport Terminal 1

Europaturm, (Ginnheim asparagus)

European Central Bank (formerly BfG high-rise building)

Fair Gatehouse

Silvertower (Corporate Headquarters of Dresdner Bank)

Holbeinsteg

Westendstrasse 1

Messeturm

Commerzbank Tower

Main Tower

Gallileo

Skypers