The German Way: Life in Austria, Germany, Switzerland

Germany > Country Info > CITY GUIDES > FRANKFURT > FRANKFURT PHOTOS

Frankfurt bridge at night
Frankfurt and the Main river by night. - More Frankfurt photos. PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

Frankfurt am Main is the largest city in the German state of Hesse (Hessen in German), but not the capital (which is Wiesbaden). Frankfurt lies on the banks of the river Main (pron. mine). The city’s full name, Frankfurt am Main (“Frankfurt on the Main”), distinguishes it from the other, smaller Frankfurt on the Oder river (Frankfurt an der Oder) on the Polish border. Frankfurt am Main has about 670,000 residents (2008), but the greater Rhein-Main region is home to over five million people.

Some Frankfurt History

Evidence of first century Roman settlements can be found all around the Frankfurt area, but particularly in the center of Frankfurt, not far from the river, around a square called the Römerberg, which takes its name from the Romans. The city began as a place suitable for fording the Main river. The name Frankfurt means “the ford of the Franks.” (The German word for “ford” is “Furt.”) The Franks were a Germanic tribe who shared the region with another tribe called the Alemanni.

The Frankish king Karl der Große (ca. 742-814, known in English as Charlemagne) was crowned emperor (Kaiser) of the Holy Roman Empire in the year 800 in Aachen. Frankfurt (Franconofurd) was one of the most important cities in that empire. In 1372 Frankfurt became a Reichsstadt (imperial city), meaning it was directly subject to the Holy Roman Emperor, not to a regional ruler or a local nobleman.

As early as 1150, the Frankfurt Trade Fair (Frankfurter Messe) was drawing commerce to the city. Its famous Book Fair (Buchmesse) began in the earliest days of printing, in 1478.

During the short-lived revolution of 1848, Frankfurt was the seat of the first democratically elected German parliament, the National Assembly (Nationalversammlung), which first met in the Paulskirche (St. Paul’s Church) on May 18, 1848. Unfortunately, the revolution collapsed in 1849. Frankfurt has survived several wars, from the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) to World War II, which left much of the city in rubble.

Following the war, Frankfurt rose to become West Germany’s (and now Germany’s) major banking and insurance center, earning it the nickname “Bankfurt.” The Frankfurt/Rhein-Main region was in the U.S. occupation zone and was home to many American soldiers based there during the Cold War.

Frankfurt Today

Frankfurt towers
Skyscrapers in downtown Frankfurt.
PHOTO © Hyde Flippo
“Mainhattan”
Frankfurt’s skyscraper skyline on the banks of the Main has earned the city another of its many nicknames: “Mainhattan.” (The 56-story Commerzbank Tower is Europe’s second tallest building.) Since 1945, the city has become such a major financial, insurance, and transportation center for Germany, that people gave it yet another label: “die heimliche Hauptstadt” (“the secret capital city” of Germany). Frankfurt is also home to the European Central Bank (ECB, which controls the euro currency), the Bundesbank (German Federal Bank), and the headquarters of most of Germany’s major commercial banks. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Deutsche Börse AG) is Germany’s largest. Only the London and New York stock exchanges are larger. The annual Frankfurt Book Fair in October is one of the largest and most important events for publishers from all over the world.

Frankfurt as an Air and Rail Hub
Most travelers flying into or out of Germany do so via Frankfurt’s international airport, the largest in Germany, and one of the largest in Europe. The S-Bahn rail trip between the airport and the city’s main train station takes only about 12 minutes. (See more about the Frankfurt Airport.) Frankfurt is also a major rail hub, with many high-speed (ICE) train connections to German and European cities. (See more about rail travel in Germany.)

Scenic Sights and Attractions
Known more as a business and financial center, Frankfurt nevertheless has much to offer in the fields of culture, history, and art. The city is a pleasant place to live for its permanent residents, with a wide range of dining, recreation, and other attractions. Here are some of Frankfurt’s top attractions:

  • Der Römerberg | The ancient center of Frankfurt lies at the central square known as the Römerberg, or “Roman hill.” The Frankfurt city hall, begun in 1405 and known as the Römer, has been rebuilt and restored over the years after being destroyed by Allied bombs during the war. It is still a functioning city hall today.
  • Der Main | The river Main (pron. mine) is one of Frankfurt’s best attractions. The city has wisely turned many stretches along the banks of the river into pleasant places to stroll, bike, or relax. Also see Museumsufer below. (See photo.)

The Main river in Frankfurt
The Main river in Frankfurt. - More Frankfurt photos. PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

  • Dom St. Bartholomäus | St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral (“the imperial cathedral”) was established in the 9th century and was once where the Holy Roman German emperors were crowned.
  • Paulskirche | St. Paul’s church was the site of the assembly of the ill-fated 1848 revolution (see above). Built in 1789 as a Protestant church, St. Paul’s is no longer used as a church.
  • Museumsufer | The “Museum River Bank” is a section along the Main, to the east and west of the Untermainbrücke (Lower Main Bridge), where you’ll find more than 20 museums on both sides of the river, with most located on or near the south (Sachsenhausen) bank. Some of the best: das Deutsche Architekturmuseum (DAM, architecture), das Deutsche Filmmuseum (cinema), das Museum für Moderne Kunst (MMK, modern art), das Goethe-Haus (see more below), das Jüdische Museum (Jewish Museum), the Städel (art museum) and the Naturhistorisches Museum Senckenberg (natural history museum, with dinosaur bones) just north of the train station.
  • Alte Oper | The “Old Opera House” (1880) is no longer used for operas, but is now a concert house. The Oper Frankfurt is the city’s highly respected opera house.

St Katherine church from the Hauptwache
Katherinenkirche (St. Catherine’s church) tower seen from the Hauptwache café.
MORE: Frankfurt photos. PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

  • Hauptwache | This Frankfurt landmark, built in 1730, was once a guardhouse, a prison, and later a police station. (See photo above.) Today it lends its name to the surrounding square and is a key station for Frankfurt’s S-Bahn and U-Bahn public transit system. The Hauptwache (HOWPT-vakh-uh) building itself is now a popular café. (See large view.)
  • The Zeil | Frankfurt’s main shopping avenue is a long pedestrian zone that runs between the Hauptwache and Konstablerwache squares. (See photo.)
    • sign
    The Commerzbank Tower is Frankfurt’s tallest building. PHOTO © Hyde Flippo
  • Skyscrapers | Frankfurt earns its “Mainhattan” nickname by having more tall buildings than any other German city. The title of Europe’s tallest Wolkenkratzer (skyscraper) was held by the Messeturm (Trade Fair Tower, 257 m) until 1997, when the Commerzbank Tower (on right) beat it by a mere two meters. While it is still the tallest building in Frankfurt, the Commerzbank Tower lost the claim of Europe’s tallest to the Triumph Palace in Moscow. Other tall buildings in Frankfurt include the DZ Bank building (208 m), the Maintower (200 m, with public observation deck), the DekaBank Trianon (186 m), and the Dresdner Bank tower (166 m). The Europaturm TV tower at 337.5 meters is the tallest structure in Frankfurt.
  • Sachsenhausen | This Frankfurt district, located south of the Main river, is a popular upscale residential area. The old town section is home to many restaurants, cafés, and bars. The 120-meter high Henninger Tower (1961) is a Sachsenhausen landmark. Every May Day a bicycle race is held that loops around the tower. The tower’s observation deck has been closed to visitors since 2002.
  • Apfelwein | Apple or cider wine is a Frankfurt specialty. Try it at almost any café or dining establishment in the area. Sachsenhausen is known for its Apfelwein-Kneipen (apple wine bars).
  • Buchmesse | Frankfurt’s famous book fair dates back to the 15th century. It’s a good idea to book your hotel room far in advance of this annual event (usually in October), when the city’s lodgings are filled to capacity.
  • Das Goethe-Haus | Germany’s most famous writer and poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), was born in Frankfurt. Today the house in which he was born is a museum. Located in walking distance of the Hauptwache, his reconstructed house and a modern museum annex can be found on a street called Großer Hirschgraben. Frankfurt’s university, founded in 1914, is also named for Goethe. The Goetheturm (Goethe Tower) is a 43-meter tall wooden observation tower in Sachsenhausen that offers a panoramic view of Frankfurt. (See photos.)

  • Travel guides | There’s much more to see and do in Frankfurt! See our Bookstore for travel guides for Frankfurt and the Rhein-Main region.

NEXT > Frankfurt Photos

MORE > City Guide (Germany)

Germany > Country Info > CITY GUIDES > FRANKFURT > FRANKFURT PHOTOS

Related Pages

Frankfurt on the Web

Germany > Country Info > CITY GUIDES > FRANKFURT > FRANKFURT PHOTOS

Original Web content ©1997-2013 Hyde Flippo | Graphic design by Erik Flippo www.erikflippo.com
Hyde Flippo is solely responsible for the content of this site and, other than permission granted to publish copyrighted material, McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Publishing has no direct involvement, financial or otherwise, with this site. When in Germany, Do As the Germans ©2002 McGraw-Hill; The German Way ©1999 McGraw-Hill/Passport Books. All rights reserved | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Advertise with us!