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100-549: The largest cities on the Main are Frankfurt am Main , Offenbach am Main and Würzburg . It is the longest river lying entirely in Germany (if the Weser - Werra are considered separate). The Main flows through the north and north-west of the state of Bavaria then across southern Hesse ; against the latter it demarcates a third state, Baden-Württemberg , east and west of Wertheim am Main ,

200-534: A Reichsstadt ( Imperial Free City ), i.e., directly subordinate to the Holy Roman Emperor and not to a regional ruler or a local nobleman. In 1585, Frankfurt traders established a system of exchange rates for the various currencies that were circulating to prevent cheating and extortion. Therein lay the early roots for the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Frankfurt managed to remain neutral during

300-423: A Cenozoic subsidence basin between the local highlands of Spessart and Odenwald . Quaternary fluvial deposits of the river Main overlying Pliocene , lignite bearing sequences and Miocene sands and marls form the subsurface of the town. Sometime about AD 100, during the reign of Roman Emperor Trajan , a cohort castrum was built on what is now Seligenstadt's marketplace and parts of its old town. Since

400-628: A Wallonian homeland here after the local population had been decimated by warfare, famine and the Plague . Names like Beike, Massoth, Bonifer, Dutine, Oger and Assian still bear witness to the earlier francophone settlers. According to a legend, the town's name has nothing to do with the transfer of the martyrs’ bones as related above, but rather with the above-mentioned Einhard, one of Charlemagne's advisers, with whose daughter, Emma (or Imma), Einhard ran away. He lived with her in Obermulinheim. The Emperor

500-576: A Frankish king named Zuna, who ruled over the province then known as Sicambri . He hoped thereby to perpetuate the name of his lineage. This is chronologically incompatible, however, with the archaeologically demonstrated Roman occupation of the area around Nida fortress in modern Heddernheim . The name is derived from the Franconofurd of the Germanic tribe of the Franks ; Furt ( cf. English ford ) where

600-573: A camp for Sinti and Romani people (see Romani Holocaust ), the Dulag Luft West transit camp for Allied prisoners of war, and a subcamp of the Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp . Frankfurt was severely bombed in World War II (1939–1945). About 5,500 residents were killed during the raids, and the once-famous medieval city center , by that time one of the largest in Germany,

700-648: A city divided into four sectors , could no longer rival it. In 1948, the Allies founded the Bank deutscher Länder , the forerunner of Deutsche Bundesbank . Following this decision, more financial institutions were re-established, e.g. Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Bank . In the 1950s, Frankfurt Stock Exchange regained its position as the country's leading stock exchange. Frankfurt also reemerged as Germany's transportation hub and Frankfurt Airport became Europe's second-busiest airport behind London Heathrow Airport in 1961. During

800-458: A district committee and chairperson. The largest city district by population and area is Sachsenhausen , while the smallest is Altstadt , Frankfurt's historical center. Three larger city districts (Sachsenhausen, Westend and Nordend ) are divided for administrative purposes into a northern ( -Nord ) and a southern ( -Süd ) part, respectively a western ( -West ) and an eastern ( -Ost ) part, but are generally considered as one city district (which

900-581: A donation document, under its then current name of Obermühlheim . The town was founded by Charlemagne ’s biographer Einhard . After he had acquired the Frankish settlement of Obermulinheim from Louis the Pious in 815 as a donation, he founded a Benedictine monastery here. Mentioned as an earlier owner is a Count Drogo. The bones of the martyrs Marcellinus and Peter , which had been stolen in Rome , were transferred from

1000-538: A free city, becoming the seat of its Bundestag , the confederal parliament where the nominally presiding Habsburg Emperor of Austria was represented by an Austrian "presidential envoy". After the ill-fated revolution of 1848 , Frankfurt was the seat of the first democratically elected German parliament, the Frankfurt Parliament , which met in the Frankfurter Paulskirche (St. Paul's Church) and

1100-468: A ground area of 47 m × 14 m, this rectangular Kaiserpfalz was among the smaller ones. Perhaps the Emperor used it as a weekend residence or a small hunting lodge. The first restoration work took place in 1938; restoration work on the south and west walls has been ongoing since 1996. From around the same time comes the so-called Romanisches Haus built in massive stone with great arcades on

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1200-612: A herb and vegetable garden with a formal park. A museum was opened in the abbey, showing exhibits on the history of the town and the abbey. Dating to the reign of the Staufer emperors Friedrich Barbarossa or Friedrich II (12th-13th century), of the Palatium ( Kaiserpfalz ) on the Main's banks, also known as the Rotes Schloss ("Red Palace""), only the Main façade is still standing with double and triple arcades with arches of red sandstone. With

1300-563: A newly established primogeniture in Italy), Grand Duke of Frankfurt after Dalberg's death (since the latter as a Catholic bishop had no legitimate heirs). The Grand Duchy remained a short episode lasting from 1810 to 1813 when the military tide turned in favor of the Anglo-Prussian-led allies that overturned the Napoleonic order. Dalberg abdicated in favor of Eugène de Beauharnais, which of course

1400-501: A part of early Franconia , the inhabitants were the early Franks , thus the city's name reveals its legacy as "the ford of the Franks on the Main". Among English speakers, the city is commonly known simply as Frankfurt, but Germans occasionally call it by its full name to distinguish it from the other (significantly smaller) German city of Frankfurt an der Oder in the Land of Brandenburg on

1500-541: A population of 5.5 million. Other important cities in the region are Wiesbaden (capital of Hesse ), Mainz (capital of Rhineland-Palatinate ), Darmstadt , Offenbach am Main , Hanau , Aschaffenburg , Bad Homburg vor der Höhe , Rüsselsheim , Wetzlar and Marburg . The city is divided into 46 city districts ( Stadtteile ), which are in turn divided into 121 city boroughs ( Stadtbezirke ) and 448 electoral districts ( Wahlbezirke ). The 46 city districts combine into 16 area districts ( Ortsbezirke ), which each have

1600-652: A population of more than 5.8 million and is Germany's second-largest metropolitan region after the Rhine-Ruhr region and the fourth biggest metropolitan region by GDP in the European Union . Frankfurt is home to the European Central Bank , one of the institutional seats of the European Union, while Frankfurt's central business district lies about 90 km (56 mi) northwest of the geographic center of

1700-436: A reconstruction on occasion of its 900th anniversary, but the nave of the original three-aisled church built by Einhard is still extant. The massive crossing tower is Baroque, but the two Romanesque revival towers flanking the western main entry only date to 1868. The interior is also dominated by Baroque features, such as the main altar, several altars in the transepts, the pulpit and the wrought-iron choir screen which replaced

1800-523: A richly decorated oriel, the house on Steinheimer Straße at the corner of Stadtmühlengasse (1697), Freihofplatz 3 (1567), the little house at Freihofstraße 4 and many others. The timber-frame neighbourhood along Rosengasse is called Klaa-Frankreich ( Frankreich means “France” in German ), for which there is a particular historical reason: After the Thirty Years' War , Abbot Leonhard Colchon settled people from

1900-516: A rule. Newly minted salesmen then had to drink a whole litre of wine from the Geleitslöffel (“escort spoon”) without stopping to rest to earn entrance into the salesmen's association. Anyone who could not pass the so-called Nagelprobe (“nail test”) had to “treat” the merchants’ guild, and this specifically meant paying for the catering. This custom is, in moderated form, still today in Seligenstadt

2000-541: A simplified manner (e.g., Römer , St. Paul's Church , and Goethe House ). The collection of historically significant Cairo Genizah documents of the Municipal Library was destroyed by the bombing. According to Arabist and Genizah scholar S.D. Goitein , "not even handlists indicating its contents have survived." The end of the war marked Frankfurt's comeback as Germany's leading financial hub, mainly because Berlin, now

2100-585: A vital part of European " Corridor VII ", the inland waterway link from the North Sea to the Black Sea . In a historical and political sense, the Main line is referred to as the northern border of Southern Germany , with its predominantly Catholic population. The river roughly marked the southern border of the North German Federation , established in 1867 under Prussian leadership as the predecessor of

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2200-758: Is "FRA", the IATA code for Frankfurt Airport.   Roman Empire , pre 475   Francia , ca. 475–843   East Francia , 843–962 [REDACTED] Holy Roman Empire , 962–1806 [REDACTED] Free City of Frankfurt , 1372–1806 [REDACTED] Grand Duchy of Frankfurt , 1806–1813 [REDACTED] Free City of Frankfurt , 1813–1866 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Prussia , 1866–1871 [REDACTED] German Empire , 1871–1918 [REDACTED] Weimar Republic , 1918–1933 [REDACTED] German Reich , 1933–1945 [REDACTED] American occupation zone , 1945–1949 [REDACTED] West Germany , 1949–1990 [REDACTED]   Germany , 1990–present At

2300-625: Is 248.31 km (95.87 sq mi) and extends over 23.4 km (14.54 mi) east to west and 23.3 km (14.48 mi) north to south. Its downtown is north of the river Main in Altstadt district (the historical center) and the surrounding Innenstadt district. The geographical center is in Bockenheim district near Frankfurt West station . Frankfurt at the heart of the densely populated Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region with

2400-704: Is a town in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse , Germany . Seligenstadt is one of Germany's oldest towns and was already of great importance in Carolingian times. Seligenstadt is one of 13 towns and communities in the Offenbach district. The town lies on the river Main ’s left bank roughly 25 km southeast of Frankfurt am Main , directly neighbouring Bavaria . Seligenstadt borders in

2500-453: Is also not an administrative city district (it covers parts of the western Innenstadt district, the southern Westend district and the eastern Bahnhofsviertel district). Many city districts are incorporated suburbs ( Vororte ) or were previously independent cities, such as Höchst . Some like Nordend and Westend arose during the rapid growth of the city in the Gründerzeit following

2600-830: Is home to influential educational institutions, including the Goethe University with the Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt ( de ) (Hesse's largest hospital), the FUAS , the FUMPA , and graduate schools like the FSFM . The city is one of two seats of the German National Library (alongside Leipzig ), the largest library in the German-speaking countries and one of the largest in the world. Its renowned cultural venues include

2700-596: Is one of the world's busiest international airports by passenger traffic and the main hub for Germany's flag carrier Lufthansa . Frankfurt Central Station is one of the largest rail stations in Europe and the busiest junction operated by Deutsche Bahn , the German national railway company, with 342 trains a day to domestic and European destinations. Frankfurter Kreuz , also known as the Autobahn interchange and located close to

2800-488: Is one of the few cities in the European Union (EU) to have such a skyline, which is why Germans sometimes refer to Frankfurt as Mainhattan , combining the local river Main and " Manhattan ". The other well-known nickname is Bankfurt . Before World War II , the city was noted for its unique old town , the largest timber-framed old town in Europe. The Römer area was later rebuilt and is popular with visitors and for events such as Frankfurt Christmas Market . Other parts of

2900-651: Is rather narrow on many of the upper reaches, navigation with larger vessels and push convoys requires great skill. The largest cities along the Main are Frankfurt am Main , Offenbach am Main and Würzburg . The Main also passes the following towns: Burgkunstadt , Lichtenfels , Bad Staffelstein , Eltmann , Haßfurt , Schweinfurt , Volkach , Kitzingen , Marktbreit , Ochsenfurt , Karlstadt , Gemünden , Lohr , Marktheidenfeld , Wertheim , Miltenberg , Obernburg , Erlenbach/Main , Aschaffenburg , Seligenstadt , Hainburg , Hanau , Hattersheim , Flörsheim , and Rüsselsheim . The river has gained enormous importance as

3000-465: Is said, yielded the town's name, from the word selig (“blessed”) and the word Stadt (“town”). This “quote” is still to be seen on the oriel at the so-called Einhardhaus (renovated in 1596) in Seligenstadt. The Seligenstädter Geleit (“Seligenstadt Escort”) is a custom that is unique in Germany from the Early Middle Ages , which has been preserved in altered form down to the present day. In

3100-435: Is why often only 43 city districts are mentioned, even on the city's official website). Some larger housing areas are often falsely called city districts, even by locals, like Nordweststadt (part of Niederursel , Heddernheim and Praunheim ), Goldstein (part of Schwanheim ), Riedberg (part of Kalbach-Riedberg ) and Europaviertel (part of Gallus ). The Bankenviertel ( banking district ), Frankfurt's financial district,

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3200-514: The Main ") is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse . Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany . Located in the foreland of the Taunus on its namesake Main , it forms a continuous conurbation with Offenbach am Main ; its urban area has a population of over 2.7 million. The city is the heart of the larger Rhine-Main metropolitan region, which has

3300-531: The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority and European Systemic Risk Board in 2011. Frankfurt is the largest city in the state of Hesse in the western part of Germany. Frankfurt is located on both sides of the river Main , south-east of the Taunus mountain range. The southern part of the city contains the Frankfurt City Forest , Germany's largest city forest. The city area

3400-688: The Franconian Jura mountain range, 50 km (31 mi) in length, and runs through Creussen and Bayreuth . The White Main originates in the Fichtel Mountains ; it is 41 km (25 mi) long. In its upper and middle section, the Main runs through the valleys of the German Highlands. Its lower section crosses the Lower Main Lowlands ( Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin and northern Upper Rhine Plain ) to Wiesbaden , where it discharges into

3500-510: The Free City of Frankfurt . The Prussian administration incorporated Frankfurt into its province of Hesse-Nassau . The Prussian occupation and annexation were perceived as a great injustice in Frankfurt, which retained its distinct western European, urban and cosmopolitan character. The formerly independent towns of Bornheim and Bockenheim were incorporated in 1890. In 1914, the citizens founded

3600-919: The German Empire . The river course also corresponds with the Speyer line isogloss between Central and Upper German dialects, sometimes mocked as Weißwurstäquator . The Main-Radweg is a major German bicycle path alongside the river. Approximately 600 kilometres long (370 mi), it is the first long-distance instance awarded 5 stars by the General German Bicycle Club ( ADFC ) in 2008. It starts from Creußen or Bischofsgrün and ends in Mainz . Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main ( / ˈ f r æ ŋ k f ər t / ; German: [ˈfʁaŋkfʊʁt ʔam ˈmaɪn] ; lit. " Frank ford on

3700-553: The Hanau -Groß-Umstadt Wiebelsbach (- Erbach ) railway line ( Odenwaldbahn ). Today's Mainfähre (“Main ferry”, formerly known as “Newe”) is an untethered car ferry and crosses the Main at Main kilometre 69.60. It has been running since 1971. Before this there had been two or three (the exact number cannot be confirmed) ferries linking the Hessian town of Seligenstadt with the Bavarian side of

3800-760: The Rhine . Major tributaries of the Main are the Regnitz , the Franconian Saale , the Tauber , and the Nidda . The name Main originates from Latin Moenis , Moenus or Menus . It is not related to the name of the city Mainz (Latin: Mogontiacum or Moguntiacum ). The Main is navigable for shipping from its mouth at the Rhine close to Mainz for 396 km (246 mi) to Bamberg . Since 1992,

3900-463: The Thirty Years' War , but suffered from the bubonic plague that refugees brought to the city. After the war, Frankfurt regained its wealth. In the late 1770s the theater principal Abel Seyler was based in Frankfurt, and established the city's theatrical life. Following the French Revolution , Frankfurt was occupied or bombarded several times by French troops. It remained a Free city until

4000-540: The Unification of Germany , while others were formed from territory which previously belonged to other city district(s), such as Dornbusch and Riederwald . Until the year 1877 the city's territory consisted of the present-day inner-city districts of Altstadt , Innenstadt , Bahnhofsviertel , Gutleutviertel , Gallus , Westend , Nordend , Ostend and Sachsenhausen . Bornheim was part of an administrative district called Landkreis Frankfurt , before becoming part of

4100-811: The Wallanlagen , Volkspark Niddatal , Grüneburgpark , the City Forest , two major botanical gardens (the Palmengarten and the Botanical Garden Frankfurt ) and the Frankfurt Zoo . Frankfurt is the seat of the German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund – DFB) , is home to the first division association football club Eintracht Frankfurt , the Löwen Frankfurt ice hockey team, and

Main (river) - Misplaced Pages Continue

4200-621: The fall of the Limes as a result of raids by the Alamanni in about AD 260, the castrum was abandoned, and the Romans withdrew farther behind the Rhine line. On the former castrum's rubble and on what is now the monastery area in a section of the Breitenbach valley arose the early mediaeval settlement of Mulinheim superior , or Obermühlheim. Seligenstadt had its first documentary mention on 11 January 815 in

4300-401: The 15th, originally had four gatetowers and six bulwark towers. Of the town gates, only the Steinheimer Tor from 1603-1605 is preserved; of the bulwark towers, three are still standing. The Kaiserpfalz ’s Main façade was integrated into the town wall, to which also wall and ditch complexes belonged. The greater part of the town fortification was torn down in the 19th century. The town hall at

4400-404: The 16th century, this castrum has been referred to by the name Selgum . The 500 legionaries and auxiliary forces stationed there belonged to the Legio XXII Primigenia (or Roman 22nd Legion), based in Mogontiacum ( Mainz ). The cohort was known by the name Cohors I Civium Romanorum equitata and was responsible for security along the stretch of the Limes Germanicus running along the Main. With

4500-401: The 1970s, the city created one of Europe's most efficient underground transportation systems. That system includes a suburban rail system ( S-Bahn ) linking outlying communities with the city center, and a deep underground light rail system with smaller coaches ( U-Bahn ) also capable of travelling above ground on rails. In 1998, the European Central Bank was founded in Frankfurt, followed by

4600-421: The Allies' wartime bombardment. Frankfurt was the original choice for the provisional capital city of the newly founded state of West Germany in 1949. The city constructed a parliament building that was never used for its intended purpose (it housed the radio studios of Hessischer Rundfunk ). In the end, Konrad Adenauer , the first postwar Chancellor , preferred the town of Bonn , for the most part because it

4700-409: The Alps. Nothing remains of the original Benedictine abbey built in the 9th century. The oldest extant buildings of Kloster Seligenstadt date from the 11th century. The most prominent are from the Baroque period, including the library and the Prälatur with its Kaisersaal (emperor's hall). The abbey was dissolved in 1803. It has been fully restored, including the Baroque garden which combined

4800-422: The Apostle and now Frankfurt Cathedral . Frankfurt was one of the most important cities in the Holy Roman Empire . From 855, the German kings were elected and crowned in Aachen . From 1562, the kings and emperors were crowned and elected in Frankfurt, initiated for Maximilian II . This tradition ended in 1792, when Francis II was elected. His coronation was deliberately held on Bastille Day , 14 July,

4900-408: The Danube itself are of the same dimensions. There are 34 weirs and locks along the 380 km navigable portion of the Main, from the confluence with the Regnitz near Bamberg, to the Rhine. Most of the weirs or dams along the Main also have turbines for power generation. Tributaries from source to mouth: Left Right Around Frankfurt are several large inland ports. Because the river

5000-407: The EU at Gadheim in Lower Franconia . Like France and Franconia , the city is named after the Franks . Frankfurt is the largest city in the Rhenish Franconian dialect area. Frankfurt was a city state , the Free City of Frankfurt , for nearly five centuries, and was one of the most important cities of the Holy Roman Empire , as a site of Imperial coronations ; it lost its sovereignty upon

5100-430: The EU. Frankfurt is one of the major financial centers of the European continent, with the headquarters of the European Central Bank , Deutsche Bundesbank , Frankfurt Stock Exchange , Deutsche Bank , DZ Bank , KfW , Commerzbank , DekaBank , Helaba , several cloud and fintech startups , and other institutes. Automotive, technology and research, services, consulting, media and creative industries complement

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5200-414: The Frankfurt spelling for Frankfurt am Main on 24 October 1953 and last used the Frankfort spelling on 10 June 1954. The suffix am Main has been used regularly since the 14th century. In English, the city's full name of Frankfurt am Main means "Frankfurt on the Main" (pronounced like English mine or German mein ). Frankfurt is located on an ancient ford (German: Furt ) on the river Main . As

5300-420: The Main has been connected to the Danube via the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and the highly regulated Altmühl river. The Main has been canalized with 34 large locks (300 × 12 m or 984 × 39 ft) to allow CEMT class V vessels (110 × 11.45 m or 360.9 × 37.6 ft) to navigate the total length of the river. The 16 locks in the adjacent Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and

5400-442: The Main – the communities of Kahl and Dettingen . It is run by the Seligenstadt Town Works and incurs great losses every year due to, among other things, the high administrative costs. It has therefore been discussed many times whether it might be a better idea to build a bridge across the Main (as was done at Mainflingen ) or indeed to replace the car ferry with a pedestrian and cyclist ferry. There has also been talk of privatizing

5500-420: The Middle Ages, bands of merchants with their wagons came from all points on the compass to the Frankfurt Trade Fair . Merchants from Augsburg and Nuremberg had to come through the Spessart or along the Main to their rest stop at Seligenstadt. The way was dangerous, as the rich merchants were very much a worthwhile target for highwaymen and robber knights. Therefore, the Staufer Emperor Friedrich II put

5600-415: The Polish border. The city district Bonames has a name probably dating back to Roman times, thought to be derived from bona me(n)sa (good table). The common abbreviations for the city, primarily used in railway services and on road signs, are Frankfurt (Main) , Frankfurt (M) , Frankfurt a. M. , Frankfurt/Main or Frankfurt/M . The common abbreviation for the name of the city is "FFM". Also in use

5700-438: The Seligenstadt fools ( Narren ) call themselves “Schlumber” and their town “Schlumberland”. Each year, a Carnival Prince and Princess are chosen, as are two children to be the Child Prince and Princess. Besides the Rosenmontag parade, there is a Kinderfaschingsumzug (“Children’s Carnival Parade”) each year on the Sunday. Seligenstadt has its own Autobahn interchange on the A 3 . Seligenstadt railway station lies on

5800-408: The Seligenstadt townsmen's rights were sharply limited. During the Thirty Years' War , a Swedish commissary administered the abbey on King Gustav II Adolf's behalf. The Swedish king had spared the town destruction and burning in return for the townsmen's tribute. As he went forth with his army, though, the occupation troops who had been left behind plundered the town and the abbey anyway. In 1685,

5900-404: The University of Frankfurt, later named Goethe University Frankfurt . This marked the only civic foundation of a university in Germany; today it is one of Germany's largest. From 6 April to 17 May 1920, following military intervention to put down the Ruhr uprising , Frankfurt was occupied by French troops . The French claimed that Articles 42 to 44 of the peace treaty of Versailles concerning

6000-419: The abbey and convent buildings were newly built. Through the secularization of Electoral Mainz in 1803, the Amt of Seligenstadt passed to the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt and the abbey was dissolved. In 1832, the Landratsbezirk of Seligenstadt was merged into the Offenbach district and in 1882 the Hanau -Seligenstadt- Eberbach railway opened. In 1977 in the course of municipal reform in Hesse,

6100-479: The airport, is the most-heavily used interchange in the EU, used by 320,000 cars daily. In 2011 human-resource-consulting firm Mercer ranked Frankfurt as seventh in its annual 'Quality of Living' survey of cities around the world. According to The Economist cost-of-living survey, Frankfurt is Germany's most expensive city and the world's tenth most expensive. Frankfurt has many downtown high-rise buildings that form its renowned Frankfurt skyline . In fact, it

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6200-576: The anniversary of the storming of the Bastille . The elections and coronations took place in St. Bartholomäus Cathedral , known as the Kaiserdom (Emperor's Cathedral), or its predecessors. The Frankfurter Messe ('Frankfurt Trade Fair') was first mentioned in 1150. In 1240, Emperor Frederick II granted an imperial privilege to its visitors, meaning they would be protected by the empire. The fair became particularly important when similar fairs in French Beaucaire lost attraction around 1380. Book trade fairs began in 1478. In 1372, Frankfurt became

6300-408: The basilica in Steinbach in the Odenwald to Obermühlheim, soon leading to a change in the community’s name from Obermühlheim to Seligenstadt ("town of the blessed ones" in German). About 830, building work began on the Einhard-Basilika , the current version of which is now the landmark of Seligenstadt. Einhard died in 840 and he and his partner, Imma, are buried in a chapel in the northern transept of

6400-459: The basketball club Frankfurt Skyliners , and is the venue of the Frankfurt Marathon and the Ironman Germany . Frankfurt is the largest financial hub in continental Europe . It is home to the European Central Bank , Deutsche Bundesbank , Frankfurt Stock Exchange and several large commercial banks. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is one of the world's largest stock exchanges by market capitalization and accounts for more than 90 percent of

6500-452: The church. In 1028, a Roman Catholic synod was held, whose most important result was the introduction of ember days with their strict rules for fasting . In 1063, Emperor Heinrich IV confirmed to the Archbishop of Mainz the lawfulness of his ownership of the abbey. Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa held court in Seligenstadt in 1188. During his reign the community acquired town rights (around 1175). A royal court (or Kaiserpfalz )

6600-430: The city on 1 January 1877, followed by Bockenheim on 1 April 1895. Seckbach , Niederrad and Oberrad followed on 1 July 1900. The Landkreis Frankfurt was finally dispersed on 1 April 1910, and therefore Berkersheim , Bonames , Eckenheim , Eschersheim , Ginnheim , Hausen , Heddernheim , Niederursel , Praunheim , Preungesheim and Rödelheim joined the city. In the same year a new city district, Riederwald ,

6700-469: The collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in 1805/6. In 1806, it became part of the principality of Aschaffenburg under the Fürstprimas ( Prince-Primate ), Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg . This meant that Frankfurt was incorporated into the Confederation of the Rhine . In 1810, Dalberg adopted the title of a Grand Duke of Frankfurt . Napoleon intended to make his adopted son Eugène de Beauharnais , already Prince de Venise (" prince of Venice ",

6800-469: The collapse of the empire in 1806, regained it in 1815 and then lost it again in 1866, when it was annexed (though neutral) by the Kingdom of Prussia . It has been part of the state of Hesse since 1945. Frankfurt is culturally, ethnically and religiously diverse, with half of its population, and a majority of its young people, having a migrant background . A quarter of the population consists of foreign nationals, including many expatriates . In 2015, Frankfurt

6900-474: The concert hall Alte Oper , continental Europe's largest English theater and many museums, 26 of which line up along the Museum Embankment , including the Städel , the Liebieghaus , the German Film Museum ( de ), the Senckenberg Natural Museum , the Goethe House and the Schirn art venue. Frankfurt's skyline is shaped by some of Europe's tallest skyscrapers, which has led to the term Mainhattan . The city has many notable green areas and parks, including

7000-444: The demilitarization of the Rhineland had been broken. In 1924, Ludwig Landmann became the first Jewish mayor of the city, and led a significant expansion during the following years. During the Nazi era , the synagogues of the city were destroyed and the vast majority of the Jewish population fled or was killed. During World War II , Frankfurt was the location of a Nazi prison for underage girls with several forced labour camps,

7100-419: The dissolution of the Benedictine abbey. Seligenstadt has a great number of historic buildings and timber-frame houses from the 17th and 18th centuries, some of which are listed buildings. This is why the town is also on one of the nine routes of the Deutsche Fachwerkstraße (German Timber Frame Road) ( Rhine - Main - Odenwald route). Most of these two- and three-floor timber-frame houses are to be found at

7200-609: The economic base. Frankfurt's DE-CIX is the world's largest internet exchange point . Messe Frankfurt is one of the world's largest trade fairs . Major fairs include the Music Fair and the Frankfurt Book Fair , the world's largest book fair. With 108 consulates, among which the largest is the US Consulate General , Frankfurt is second to New York City among non-capital cities in regards to consulate seats. Frankfurt

7300-748: The end of the war, Frankfurt became a part of the newly founded state of Hesse, consisting of the old Hesse-(Darmstadt) and the Prussian Hesse provinces. The city was part of the American Zone of Occupation of Germany. The Military Governor for the United States Zone (1945–1949) and the United States High Commissioner for Germany (HICOG) (1949–1952) had their headquarters in the IG Farben Building , intentionally left undamaged by

7400-501: The ferry to reduce costs. It is one of twelve ferries still crossing the Main today. As early as the 9th century there was a link in place across the Main, as the monastery at Seligenstadt held the rights to ferry persons and goods to the Main's far side. For money or kind, these rights were passed on, out of which arose something called Fährgerechtigkeit (“ferry justice”). This Fährgerechtigkeit remained mostly for many years in one family's ownership and could be further bequeathed. When

7500-428: The former West Germany , Frankfurt Airport became the busiest in Germany , one of the busiest in the world, the airport with the most direct routes in the world, and the primary hub for Lufthansa , the national airline of Germany and Europe's largest airline. Frankfurt Central Station is Germany's second-busiest railway station after Hamburg Hbf , and Frankfurter Kreuz is the most-heavily used interchange in

7600-455: The ground floor. On the first floor are double arcades with middle column and arch and a blind arcade under the crow-stepped gable. In 1187, the building was the Vogtei and in 1188 the showplace for Barbarossa's court, which he held there that year. It was restored in 1984, and in the 21st century, cultural events take place here. The town fortification, built in the 12th century and strengthened in

7700-585: The highlight of the Geleitsfest (“Escort Festival”), which is held every four years. The town of Seligenstadt is widely known for its Carnival parade, which snakes its way, traditionally on Rosenmontag ( Shrove Monday ), through the historic inner town and the neighbouring parts of town. There is proof that this Rosenmontag parade has existed since 1859. Nowadays the parade has more than a hundred elaborately built attractions, drawing an average of forty thousand interested visitors from near and far. At Carnival time,

7800-457: The marketplace and in rows along the nearby streets (particularly Steinheimer Straße, Kleine Fischergasse, Große Fischergasse, Kleine Maingasse, Große Maingasse and Freihofstraße). Examples at the marketplace are the Alte Schmiede (“Old Smithy”, no. 13, now a restaurant), nos. 7 and 10, the historic apothecary with the apothecary's emblem with a mortar, the so-called Einhard-Haus from 1596 with

7900-489: The marketplace was renovated in 1823 and stands out architecturally as the only Neoclassical building with great arcades in amongst many timber-frame houses. Two arms stones with dragon’s heads were integrated into the building from the predecessor building, itself documented in 1539. The square tower goes back to the old parish church, which was torn down once the town parish took over the Einhard-Basilika in 1812 after

8000-408: The medieval rood screen . The silver shrine containing the relics is today exhibited behind the choir screen. Above hangs a Romanesque crucifix. Since 1925 the church has borne the honorary title of minor basilica , bestowed by Pope Pius XI . Although the building was heavily modified over the centuries, this is nonetheless one of the largest basilicas with a basic Carolingean structure north of

8100-476: The merchants under Imperial protection with a Geleitsbrief , a kind of safe-conduct, in 1240. Every affected fiefholder thereafter was obliged to afford those passing through their lands armed escort for a fee. Near Seligenstadt the escort troops were changed. Electoral Mainz escort troops handed their charges to Frankfurt troops. From this time comes the Hänselbrauch , a custom among salesmen that actually became

8200-601: The monastery was dissolved in 1803, the Fährgerechtigkeit passed to the Grand Duchy of Hesse . In 1868, the town of Seligenstadt took over all rights and privileges for the Main crossing from the ferrymen of the time. The town then leased the ferrying rights to the highest bidder. Only after the Second World War did the town take the ferry over again. Seligenstadt has at its disposal an Amtsgericht , which belongs to

8300-541: The neighbouring communities of Froschhausen and Klein-Welzheim were merged into Seligenstadt. The municipal election held on 26 March 2006 yielded the following results: The town council has four boards: In March 2008, the partnership with the Dutch community of Heel , which had existed since 1972, was ended by the community of Maasgouw , into which the former communities of Heel, Maasbracht and Thorn were amalgamated on 1 January 2007. The partnership with Heel went back to

8400-540: The north on the community of Hainburg , in the east on the community of Karlstein ( Aschaffenburg district in Bavaria), in the southeast on the community of Mainhausen , in the south on the town of Babenhausen ( Darmstadt-Dieburg ) and in the west on the town of Rodgau . Seligenstadt's Stadtteile are Seligenstadt, Klein-Welzheim and Froschhausen. Seligenstadt is located in the Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin ,

8500-687: The northernmost town of that state. The upper end of its basin opposes that of the Danube where the watershed is recognised by natural biologists, sea salinity studies (and hydrology science more broadly) as the European Watershed . The Main begins near Kulmbach in Franconia at the joining of its two headstreams, the Red Main ( Roter Main ) and the White Main ( Weißer Main ). The Red Main originates in

8600-656: The old town were reconstructed as part of the Dom-Römer Project from 2012 to 2018. Frankonovurd (in Old High German ) or Vadum Francorum (in Latin ) were the first names mentioned in written records from 794. It transformed to Frankenfort during the Middle Ages and then to Franckfort and Franckfurth in the modern era . According to historian David Gans , the city was named c.  146 AD by its builder,

8700-528: The partnership between the formerly self-administering community of Klein-Welzheim, now part of Seligenstadt, and the Dutch community of Wessem, which belonged to Heel then. Seligenstadt's most prominent landmark and historic building is the Basilika St. Marcellinus und Petrus (also known colloquially as Einhard-Basilika ) with Saints Marcellinus's and Peter's relics. Today's structure is mostly Baroque , dating to

8800-508: The river was shallow enough to be crossed on foot. By the 19th century, the name Frankfurt had been established as the official spelling. The older English spelling of Frankfort is now rarely seen in reference to Frankfurt am Main, although more than a dozen other towns and cities, mainly in the United States, use this spelling, including Frankfort, Kentucky , Frankfort, New York , and Frankfort, Illinois . The New York Times first used

8900-476: The turnover in the German market. In 2010, 63 national and 152 international banks had their registered offices in Frankfurt, including Germany's major banks, notably Deutsche Bank , DZ Bank , KfW , Deka Bank and Commerzbank , as well as 41 representative offices of international banks. Frankfurt is considered a global city (alpha world city) as listed by the GaWC group's 2012 inventory. Among global cities it

9000-609: The western borders of Frankfurt lies the Kapellenberg as part of the Taunus with one of the first Stone Age cities in Europe. The Celts had different settlements in the Taunus mountains north of Frankfurt, the biggest one the Heidetrank Oppidum . The first traces of Roman settlements established in the area of the river Nidda date to the reign of Emperor Vespasian in the years 69 to 79 AD. Nida (modern Heddernheim , Praunheim )

9100-447: Was a Roman civitas capital ( Civitas Taunensium ). Alemanni and Franks lived there , and by 794, Charlemagne presided over an imperial assembly and church synod, at which Franconofurd (alternative spellings end with -furt and -vurd) was first mentioned. It was one of the two capitals of Charlemagne's grandson Louis the German , together with Regensburg . Louis founded the collegiate church , rededicated in 1239 to Bartholomew

9200-618: Was almost completely destroyed. It became a ground battlefield on 26 March 1945, when the Allied advance into Germany was forced to take the city in contested urban combat that included a river assault. The 5th Infantry Division and the 6th Armored Division of the United States Army captured Frankfurt after several days of intense fighting, and it was declared largely secure on 29 March 1945. Frankfurt consists to over 40% of buildings from before World War II, besides all destruction. After

9300-468: Was built on the banks of the Main during the reign of the Staufer family, however it is not certain whether this occurred under Barbarossa or one of his successors, possibly Friedrich II . Until 1309, Seligenstadt was a freie Reichsstadt . At that point, it came to the Archbishop of Mainz who remained the town's ruler until 1803. In 1527, Archbishop Albert of Mainz brought in a new town order whereby

9400-571: Was close to his hometown, but also because many other prominent politicians opposed the choice of Frankfurt out of concern that Frankfurt would be accepted as the permanent capital, thereby weakening the West German population's support for a reunification with East Germany and the eventual return of the capital to Berlin . Postwar reconstruction took place in a sometimes simple modern style, thus changing Frankfurt's architectural face. A few landmark buildings were reconstructed historically, albeit in

9500-595: Was created on territory that had formerly belonged to Seckbach and Ostend. On 1 April 1928 the City of Höchst became part of Frankfurt, as well as its city districts Sindlingen , Unterliederbach and Zeilsheim . Simultaneously the Landkreis Höchst was dispersed with its member cities either joining Frankfurt ( Fechenheim , Griesheim , Nied , Schwanheim , Sossenheim ) or joining the newly established Landkreis of Main-Taunus-Kreis . Seligenstadt Seligenstadt

9600-405: Was home to 1,909 ultra high-net-worth individuals , the sixth-highest number of any city. As of 2023, Frankfurt is the 13th-wealthiest city in the world and the second-wealthiest city in Europe (after London ). Frankfurt is a global hub for commerce, culture, education, tourism and transportation, and is the site of many global and European corporate headquarters. Due to its central location in

9700-513: Was only a symbolic action, as the latter effectively never ruled after the ruin of the French armies and Frankfurt's takeover by the allies. After Napoleon's final defeat and abdication, the Congress of Vienna (1814–1815) dissolved the grand-duchy and Frankfurt became a fully sovereign city-state with a republican form of government. Frankfurt entered the newly founded German Confederation (till 1866) as

9800-597: Was opened on 18 May 1848. In the year of its existence, the assembly developed a common constitution for a unified Germany, with the Prussian king as its monarch. The institution failed in 1849 when the Prussian king, Frederick William IV , declared that he would not accept "a crown from the gutter". Frankfurt lost its independence after the Austro-Prussian War in 1866 when Prussia annexed several smaller states, among them

9900-405: Was passing through the town one night and entered the inn, in which his daughter was working. She served him pancakes, and the Emperor recognized their incomparable flavour. Charlemagne, realizing that he had found his runaway daughter then supposedly said “ Selig sei die Stadt genannt, da ich meine Tochter Emma wiederfand ” (“Blessed be called the town, as I found my daughter Emma again.”), which, it

10000-638: Was ranked tenth by the Global Power City Index 2011 and 11th by the Global City Competitiveness Index 2012 . Among financial hubs, the city was ranked eighth by the International Financial Centers Development Index 2013 and ninth in the 2013 Global Financial Centres Index . Its central location in Germany and Europe makes Frankfurt a major air, rail, and road transport hub . Frankfurt Airport

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