Frankfurt
10992
225413392
2008-07-13T15:35:45Z
ChiragPatnaik
106601
reverting edits by 58.8.186.244
{{Infobox German Location
|Name = Frankfurt am Main
|Art = City
|image_photo = Skyline-sued-ffm003.jpg|thumb
||image_caption = Frankfurt am Main skyline
|Wappen = Wappen-frankfurt.png
|lat_deg = 50 | lat_min = 6 | lat_sec = 37
|lon_deg = 8 | lon_min = 40 | lon_sec = 56
|Lageplan = Hessen F.png
|Lageplanbeschreibung = <!-- Description of image "Lageplan" Default: "Location of XX" -->
|Bundesland = Hessen
|Regierungsbezirk = Darmstadt
|Landkreis = urban
|Höhe = 112
|Fläche = 248.31
|Einwohner = 667598
|Stand = 2007-12-10
|pop_ref =<ref name="urban_area_pop"/>
|pop_metro = 5800000
|pop_metro_date = 2004
|PLZ = 60001-60599, 65901-65936
|PLZ-alt = 6000, 6230
|Vorwahl = 069, 06109, 06101
|Kfz = F
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 06 4 12 000
|NUTS = DE712
|LOCODE = DE FRA
|Gliederung = 16 districts (''Ortsbezirke'')<br/>46 boroughs (''Stadtteile'')
|Website = [http://www.frankfurt.de/ www.frankfurt.de]
|Bürgermeister = [[Petra Roth]]
|Bürgermeistertitel = [[List of mayors of Frankfurt|Lord Mayor]]
|Partei = CDU
|ruling_party1 = CDU
|ruling_party2 = Green
|year = 1st century
}}
{{otheruses}}
{{Audio|De-Frankfurt_am_Main-pronunciation.ogg|'''Frankfurt am Main'''}} (German: {{IPA|[ˈfʁaŋkfʊɐtʰ]}}, English: {{IPA|[ˈfɹæŋkfɜːt]}}) is the largest city in the German [[States of Germany|state]] of [[Hesse]] and the [[List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants|fifth-largest city]] in [[Germany]], with a 2007 population of 667,598. The urban area had an estimated population of 2.26 million in 2001.<ref name="urban_area_pop">{{en icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf| title=World Urban Areas| first=Wendell Cox Consultancy (Demographia)| accessdate=2007-09-20}}</ref> The city is at the centre of the larger '''[[Frankfurt Rhine Main Area]]''' which has a population of 5.3 million and is Germany's [[Demographics of Germany#Major metropolitan areas|second largest metropolitan area]].
Situated on the [[Main|River Main]], Frankfurt is the [[finance|financial]] and [[Transport in Germany|transportation]] centre of Germany and one of the two largest financial centres in [[continental Europe]], the other being [[Paris]]. It is the place of residence of the [[European Central Bank]], the [[Deutsche Bundesbank|German Federal Bank]], the [[Frankfurt Stock Exchange]] and the [[Frankfurt Trade Fair]], as well as several large commercial banks. [[Frankfurt International Airport]] is one of the world's busiest airports, [[Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof|Frankfurt Central Station]] is one of the largest terminal stations in Europe, and the [[Frankfurter Kreuz]] (''[[Autobahn]] interchange'') is the most heavily used interchange in [[continental Europe]]. Frankfurt is the only German city listed as one of ten [[Global city|Alpha world cities]].<ref name="World Cities">{{cite web|url=http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/citymap.html|title=World Cities|accessdate=2007-01-23}}</ref>
Among [[English language|English]] speakers the city is commonly known simply as "Frankfurt", though [[Germans]] occasionally call it by its full name when it is necessary to distinguish it from the other (significantly smaller) Frankfurt in the German state of [[Brandenburg]], known as [[Frankfurt (Oder)]]. It is also called Frankfort-on-the-Main in English, a translation of Frankfurt am Main.
__TOC__
==Overview==
[[Image:Frankfurt_am_Main_Germany.jpg|thumb|Frankfurt skyline]]
[[Image:IG-Farben-Gebaeude Poelzig-Bau.jpg|thumb|right|Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, the former [[IG Farben Building]]]]
The three pillars of Frankfurt's economy are finance, transport, and trade fairs. Frankfurt has been Germany's financial centre for centuries, and it is the home of a number of major banks and brokerages. The [[Frankfurt Stock Exchange]] is by far Germany's largest, and is one of the world's most important. Frankfurt is also the seat of the [[European Central Bank]] which sets monetary policy for the [[Eurozone]] economy, and of the [[Bundesbank|German Federal Bank]]. Over 300 national and international banks are represented including the headquarters of the major German banks.
Frankfurt has an excellent transportation infrastructure, and the [[Frankfurt International Airport]] is a major European aviation hub. Its central location at the heart of Europe and its excellent accessibility by air, rail and road make Frankfurt Airport City especially attractive.
In addition, many large trade fairs are held in Frankfurt each year, notably the [[Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung]], the world's largest motor show, and the [[Frankfurt Book Fair|Frankfurter Buchmesse]], the world's largest book fair.
Frankfurt is also home to many [[Culture of Germany|cultural]] and [[Education in Germany|educational]] institutions including the [[Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main|Johann Wolfgang Goethe University]], many museums and a large botanical garden, the [[Palmengarten]]. Frankfurt's second major university, [[Business School of Finance and Management]], focuses on finance.
Frankfurt is one of only four European cities that have a significant number of high-rise [[skyscraper]]s. With ten skyscrapers taller than {{convert|150|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} in 2004, Frankfurt is second behind [[Paris]] with twelve skyscrapers, but ahead of [[London]] with eight skyscrapers and [[Moscow]] with seven skyscrapers. The city of Frankfurt contains the two tallest skyscrapers in the [[European Union]], the [[Commerzbank Tower]] and [[Messeturm]], which rank [[List of tallest buildings in Europe|second and third on the continent]] after the [[Triumph-Palace]] in Moscow.
<br clear="all"/>
{{wide image|Panorama Frankfurt vom Maintower.jpg|1800px|Panorama of Frankfurt seen from the Maintower observation deck}}
==History==
{{main|History of Frankfurt am Main}}
In the area of the ''Römer'', [[Germania|Roman settlements]] were established, probably in the 1st century; some artifacts from that era are found even to this day. The city district ''Bonames'' has a name probably dating back to Roman times—it is thought to be derived from ''bona me(n)sa''. ''Nida'' (Heddernheim) was also a Roman civitas capital.
The name of Frankfurt on [[Main]] is derived from the ''Franconofurd'' of the [[Germanic peoples|Germanic tribe]] of the [[Franks]]; ''Furt'' ([[cf.]] [[English language|English]] ''[[ford (river)|ford]]'') where the river was shallow enough to be crossed by wading. [[Alemanni]] and Franks [[Francia|lived there]] and by 794 [[Charlemagne]] presided over an [[Council of Frankfurt|imperial assembly]] and church synod, at which ''Franconofurd'' (-furt -vurd) was first mentioned.
Frankfurt was one of the most important cities in the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. From 855 the [[List of German Kings and Emperors|German kings and emperors]] were elected in Frankfurt and crowned in [[Aachen]]. From 1562 the kings/emperors were also crowned in Frankfurt, [[Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian II]] being the first. This tradition ended in 1792, when [[Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor|Franz II]] was elected. His coronation was deliberately held on [[Bastille Day]], [[14 July]], the anniversary of the [[storming of the Bastille]]. The elections and coronations took place in [[Frankfurt Cathedral|St. Bartholomäus cathedral]], known as the ''Kaiserdom'' (en: Emperor's Cathedral), or in its predecessors.
The ''Frankfurter Messe'' (Frankfurt Trade Fair) was first mentioned in 1150. In 1240, [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Friedrich II]] granted an Imperial privilege to its visitors, meaning they would be protected by the Empire. Book trade fairs have been held in Frankfurt since 1478.
In 1372 Frankfurt became a ''Reichsstadt'' (en:[[Imperial Free City|Imperial city]]), i.e. directly subordinate to the [[Holy Roman Emperor]] and not to a regional ruler or a local nobleman.
[[Image:Mk Frankfurt Merian Stadtansicht.jpg|thumb|left|Frankfurt in 1612]]Frankfurt managed to remain neutral during the [[Thirty Years' War]], but suffered from the [[bubonic plague]] that was brought to the city by refugees. After the end of the war, Frankfurt regained its wealth.
In the [[Napoleonic Wars]] Frankfurt was occupied or bombarded several times by French troops. It nevertheless still remained a free city until the total collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in 1805/6. In 1806 it become part of the principality of Aschaffenburg under the ''Fürstprimas'' ('[[Prince-Primate]]', [[25 July]] [[1806]] – [[19 October]] [[1813]]: [[Karl Theodor Anton Maria Kämmerer von Worms, Reichsfreiherr von Dalberg]] (b. 1744 – d. 1817), 1803–1806 [[Prince-archbishop of Regensburg]]). This also meant that Frankfurt was incorporated into the [[confederation of the Rhine]]. In 1810 Dalberg adopted the title of a [[Grand Duchy of Frankfurt|Grand Duke of Frankfurt]]. [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] intended to make his adopted son [[Eugène de Beauharnais]], already ''Prince de Venise'' ("[[prince of Venice]]", 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 lead allies, which overturned the Napoleonic order of central Europe. Dalberg abdicated in favor of Eugène de Beauharnais, which of course was only a symbolic action, as the latter effectively never did rule after the ruin of the French armies and Frankfurt being taken by the allies.
After Napoleon's final defeat and abdication, the [[Congress of Vienna]] (1812–1815, redrawing the map of Europe) dissolved the grand-duchy, and Frankfurt entered the newly founded [[German Confederation]] (till 1866) as a free city, becoming the seat of its ''Bundestag'', the confederal parliament where the nominally presiding [[Habsburg Monarchy|Habsburg Emperor of Austria]] was represented by an Austrian "presidential envoy".
[[Image:Frankfurt Nationalversammlung 1848.jpg|thumb|left|The Frankfurt Parliament at St. Paul's Church in 1848]]After the ill-fated [[The Revolutions of 1848 in the German states|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 was opened on [[18 May]] [[1848]]. The institution failed in 1849 when the [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussian]] king declared that he would not accept "a crown from the gutter". In the year of its existence, the assembly developed a common constitution for a unified Germany, with the Prussian king as its monarch.
Frankfurt lost its independence after the [[Austro-Prussian War]] as Prussia in 1866 annexed several smaller states, among them the free city of Frankfurt. The Prussian administration incorporated Frankfurt into its province of [[Hesse-Nassau]]. The formerly independent towns of Bornheim and Bockenheim were incorporated in 1890.
In 1914 the citizens of Frankfurt founded the [[Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main|University of Frankfurt]], later called Johann Wolfgang Goethe University. This is the only civic foundation of a university in Germany; today it is one of Germany's largest universities.
After [[World War I]], Frankfurt was occupied by French troops in reprisal for having violated, from the French viewpoint, some details of the [[Treaty of Versailles (1919)|peace treaty of Versailles]] concerning the demilitarisation of the [[Rhineland]].{{Request quote|date=February 2007}} In 1924 [[Ludwig Landmann]] became the first [[Judaism|Jewish]] Mayor of the city, and led a significant expansion during the following years. However, during the [[Nazi Germany|Nazi era]], the [[synagogue]]s of Frankfurt were destroyed.
[[Image:Frankfurt Am Main-Altstadt-Zerstoerung-Luftbild 1944.jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view of the cathedral in May 1945 after World War II]]The city of [[Bombing of Frankfurt am Main in World War II|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 centre, by that time the largest in Germany, was destroyed. Post-war reconstruction took place in a sometimes simple modern style, thus irrevocably changing the architectural face of Frankfurt. Only very few landmark buildings have been reconstructed historically, albeit in a simplified manner.
After the end of the war, Frankfurt became a part of the newly founded state of Hesse, consisting of the old [[People's State of Hesse|Hesse-(Darmstadt)]] and the [[Province of Kurhessen|Prussian Hesse]] provinces. The city was part of the [[Allied Occupation Zones in Germany#American Zone of Occupation|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 the Allies' wartime bombardment. Frankfurt was the original choice for the provisional capital of [[West Germany]]—they even went as far as constructing a new parliament building that has never been used for its intended purpose, and is now a TV studio. In the end, [[Konrad Adenauer]] (the first post-war [[Chancellor of Germany|Chancellor]]) preferred the tiny city of [[Bonn]], for the most part because it was close to his hometown, but also for another reason; many other prominent politicians opposed the choice of Frankfurt out of concern that Frankfurt, one of the largest German cities and a former centre of the old German-dominated Holy Roman Empire, would be accepted as a "permanent" capital of Germany, thereby weakening the West German population's support for [[German reunification|reunification]] and the eventual return of the Government to [[Berlin]].
[[Image:Frankfurt Am Main-Samstagsberg-20070607.jpg|thumb|left|Reconstruction (1981–1984) of six houses at the east side of the ''Römerberg'' that were destroyed in World War II]]During the 1970s, the city created one of Europe's most efficient underground transportation systems. That system includes a light rail system ([[S-Bahn]]) capable of reaching outlying communities as well as the city centre, and a deep underground rail system with smaller coaches ([[Frankfurt U-Bahn|U-Bahn]]) also capable of travelling above ground on street rails.
Since the postwar period Frankfurt has emerged once again as the financial and transportation centre of Germany.
===Population===
Frankfurt is a multicultural city. Most immigrants are from [[Turks in Germany|Turkey]], [[Croatia]], [[Serbia]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Italo-Germans|Italy]], [[Spain]], [[North African]] countries, [[Iran]], [[Lebanon]], and the [[United States]]. The Frankfurt Area is also home to the (now 2nd) largest [[Koreans in Germany|Korean]] community in Europe, and 180 different nationalities reside in Frankfurt.
For a long time Frankfurt was a [[Protestantism|Protestant]]-dominated city. However, during the 19th century an increasing number of [[Roman Catholicism in Germany|Catholics]] moved to the city. Today a small majority of its citizens are Catholic. According to the Central Council of Jews in Germany, there are 7,300 Jews affiliated with Judaism in Frankfurt, giving it the second largest [[History of the Jews in Germany|Jewish community]] (behind [[Berlin]]) in Germany.
==Geography==
[[Image:Mk Frankfurt Nachbargemeinden.png|thumb|left|Frankfurt as the centre of the Rhine Main Region]]
[[Image:Ortsbezirke von Frankfurt am Main.png|thumb|left|The 16 ''Ortsbezirke'' (area districts) of Frankfurt]]
===Geographic location===
The city is located on both sides of the [[Main|River Main]] in the south-west part of [[Germany]]. The southern part of the city contains the [[Frankfurt City Forest]] (''Frankfurter Stadtwald''), Germany's largest forest within a city. The centre of Frankfurt is located on the north side of the river.
===Neighbouring communities and areas===
To the west, Frankfurt borders the [[Main-Taunus-Kreis]] ([[Hattersheim am Main]], [[Kriftel]], [[Hofheim am Taunus]], [[Kelkheim (Taunus)]], [[Liederbach am Taunus]], [[Sulzbach (Taunus)]], [[Schwalbach am Taunus]] and [[Eschborn]]); to the northwest the [[Hochtaunuskreis]] ([[Steinbach (Taunus)]], [[Oberursel (Taunus)]], and [[Bad Homburg]]); to the north the [[Wetteraukreis]] ([[Karben]] and [[Bad Vilbel]]); to the northeast the [[Main-Kinzig-Kreis]] ([[Niederdorfelden]] and [[Maintal]]); to the southeast the city of [[Offenbach am Main]]; to the south the [[Offenbach (district)|Kreis Offenbach]] ([[Neu-Isenburg]]) and to the southwest the [[Groß-Gerau (district)|Kreis Groß-Gerau]] ([[Mörfelden-Walldorf]], [[Rüsselsheim]] and [[Kelsterbach]]).
===City divisions and districts===
The city is divided into 46 ''[[Stadtteil]]e'' or ''[[Ortsteil]]e'' which are again divided into 118 ''[[Stadtbezirk]]e''. The largest ''Ortsteil'' is [[Sachsenhausen-Süd (Frankfurt am Main)|Sachsenhausen-Süd]]. Most ''Stadtteile'' are incorporated suburbs (''[[Vororte]]''), or previously separate cities, like [[Höchst (Frankfurt am Main)|Höchst]]. Some like [[Nordend (Frankfurt am Main)|Nordend]] arose during the rapid growth of the city in the [[Gründerzeit]] following the unification of Germany. Others were formed from settlements which previously belonged to other city divisions, like [[Dornbusch (Frankfurt am Main)|Dornbusch]].
The 46 city divisions are combined into 16 area districts or ''[[Ortsbezirke]]'', which each have a district committee and chairperson.
===History of incorporation===
Until the middle of the 19th century, the city territory of Frankfurt consisted of the present-day ''[[Stadtteil]]e'' of [[Altstadt (Frankfurt am Main)|Altstadt]], [[Innenstadt (Frankfurt am Main)|Innenstadt]], [[Bahnhofsviertel (Frankfurt am Main)|Bahnhofsviertel]], [[Gutleutviertel (Frankfurt am Main)|Gutleutviertel]], [[Gallus (Frankfurt am Main)|Gallus]], [[Westend (Frankfurt am Main)|Westend]], [[Nordend (Frankfurt am Main)|Nordend]], [[Ostend (Frankfurt am Main)|Ostend]], [[Riederwald (Frankfurt am Main)|Riederwald]] and [[Sachsenhausen (Frankfurt am Main)|Sachsenhausen]]. After 1877, a number of previously independent areas were incorporated into the city, see [[Template:Suburbs of Frankfurt am Main|list of current districts of the city]].
==Main sights==
{{wrapper}}
|[[Image:Frankfurter Dom Eiserner Steg.jpg|thumb|St. Bartholomeus' Cathedral]]
|-
|[[Image:Roemerberg-ffm001.jpg|thumb|Roemer, the city hall]]
|-
|[[Image:Paulskirche-ffm002.jpg|thumb|St. Paul's Church]]
|-
|[[Image:Alteoper-ffm002.jpg|thumb|The old opera house, now a concert hall]]
|-
|[[Image:Katherinenkirche Frankfurt am Main.JPG|thumb|St. Katherine's Church]]
|-
|[[Image:Maintower-ffm002.jpg|thumb|Maintower]]
|-
|[[Image:Skyline_Frankfurt_am_Main.jpg|thumb|Skyline of Frankfurt at night]]
|}
===Saint Bartholomeus' Cathedral===
{{main article|Frankfurt Cathedral}}
[[Bartholomew|Saint Bartholomeus']] Cathedral (''Dom Sankt Bartholomäus'') is a [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] building which was constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries on the foundation of an earlier church from the [[Merovingian]] time. It is the main church of Frankfurt. From 1356 onwards, kings of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] were elected in this church, and from 1562 to 1792, emperors were crowned here.
Since the 18th century, Saint Bartholomeus' has been called "the [[cathedral]]" by the people, although it has never been a bishop's seat. In 1867, the cathedral was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt in its present style. The height of the cathedral is 95 m.
===Roemer===
{{main|Römer (Frankfurt am Main)}}
The name of the [[rathaus|city hall]] means "Roman". In fact, nine houses were acquired by the city council in 1405 from a wealthy merchant family. The middle house became the town hall and was later connected with the neighbouring buildings. In the upper floor, there is the ''Kaisersaal'' ("Emperor's Hall") where the newly crowned emperors held their banquets. The Römer was partially destroyed in World War II and later rebuilt. It is located at the ''Römerberg'' (city hall square).
===Saint Paul's Church===
{{main|Frankfurter Paulskirche}}
St. Paul's Church (''Paulskirche'') is a national historic monument in Germany with great political symbolism, because it was the seat of the first democratically elected Parliament in 1848. It was established in 1789 as a Protestant church but was not completed until 1833. Its importance has its root in the [[Frankfurt Parliament]], which met in the church during the revolutionary years of 1848/49 in order to write a constitution for a united Germany. The attempt failed because the monarchs of Prussia and Austria did not want to lose power, and in 1849 Prussian troops ended the democratic experiment by force of arms and the parliament was dissolved. Afterwards, the building was used for church services again.
St. Paul's was partially destroyed in World War II, particularly the interior of the building, which now has a modern appearance. It was quickly and symbolically rebuilt after the war; today it is not used for religious services, but mainly for exhibitions and events.
===Old Opera House===
{{main|Alte Oper}}
The famous old opera house (''Alte Oper'') was built in 1880 by the architect Richard Lucae. It was one of the major opera houses in Germany until it was heavily damaged in World War II. Until the late 1970s it was a ruin, nicknamed "Germany's Most Beautiful Ruin". There were even efforts to just blow it up. Former Frankfurt Lord Mayor Rudi Arndt called for blowing it up in the 1960s, which earned him the nicknamed "Dynamite-Rudi". (Later on, Arndt said he never had meant his suggestion seriously.)
Fortunately, due to public pressure, it was finally fully reconstructed and reopened in 1981. Today it functions as a concert hall, while operas are performed in the [[Oper Frankfurt]].
The inscription on the [[frieze]] of the Old Opera says: "''Dem Wahren, Schönen, Guten''" ("To the true, the beautiful, the good").
===Frankfurt Opera House===
{{main|Opern- und Schauspielhaus Frankfurt}}
The Frankfurt Opera is a leading opera company in Germany and one of the most important opera houses in Europe. It was elected "Opera house of the year" by German magazine ''Opernwelt'' in 1995 and 2003.
===Saint Katherine's Church===
{{main|Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt}}
St. Katherine's church is the largest [[Evangelical Church in Germany|evangelical (Lutheran)]] church in Frankfurt. It is located in the city centre at the entrance to the [[Zeil]].
===Hauptwache===
{{main|Hauptwache (Frankfurt am Main)}}
The Hauptwache (Main Watch) is a [[Baroque architecture|baroque]] building built in 1730, formerly used as a prison. It has given its name to the surrounding square and the transport hub beneath it. It is situated at one end of the Zeil, the city's main retail street.
===Zeil===
{{main|Zeil}}
The Zeil is Frankfurt's main shopping street and one of the most crowded in Germany. The street is a pedestrian-only area and is bordered by two large plazas, Hauptwache in the west and Konstablerwache in the east. It is the second most expensive street for shops to rent in Germany after the [[Kaufingerstraße]] in [[Munich]].
===20th-century architecture===
*[[Frauenfriedenskirche]], consecrated 1929, example of early modernist church building
*[[Grossmarkthalle]], built 1926-1928, former wholesale market, future [[European Central Bank]] headquarters
*[[IG Farben Building]], built 1928-1930, now housing the [[Johann Wolfgang Goethe University]]
*[[Goethe House]], rebuilt in 1947. The birthplace of [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]] from 1749 was destroyed in World War II and then rebuilt true to the original. The Goethe Museum is next door.
*[[Museum für angewandte Kunst]], built 1985, designed by [[Richard Meier]]
===Skyscrapers===
Frankfurt is the only German city with a significant number of [[skyscraper]]s, meaning buildings at least 150 meters tall. There are ten buildings, with two more (''OpernTurm, 168 m'' and ''Skytower, 185 m'') currently under construction. Only [[Bonn]] has also one building (''Post Tower, 163 m'') over 150 m. Most of the skyscrapers in Frankfurt are located in the western part of the city centre known as [[Bankenviertel (Frankfurt am Main)|Bankenviertel]].
The tallest skyscrapers in Frankfurt are:
* [[Commerzbank Tower]], 259 m — Europe's tallest building (1997–2003), Headquarters of [[Commerzbank]].
* [[MesseTurm]], 257 m — Europe's tallest building (1990–1997).
* [[Westendstraße 1]], 208 m — Headquarters of [[DZ Bank]].
* [[Maintower]], 200 m — Headquarters of [[Helaba|Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen]] with an observation deck open to the public.
* [[Trianon (Frankfurt am Main)|Trianon]], 186 m — Headquarters of DekaBank.
* [[Silver Tower (Frankfurt)|Silver Tower]], 166 m — Germany's tallest building (1978–1990), Headquarters of [[Dresdner Bank]].
* [[Plaza Büro Center]], 159 m — Germany's tallest building (1976–1978).
* [[Deutsche Bank Twin Towers|Deutsche Bank I]], 155 m — Headquarters of [[Deutsche Bank]].
* [[Deutsche Bank Twin Towers|Deutsche Bank II]], 155 m — Headquarters of [[Deutsche Bank]].
* [[Skyper]], 154 m.
===Other tall structures===
* [[Europaturm]] - The Europe Tower is a telecommunication tower known as the Frankfurt TV Tower. It is the tallest tower in the city with a height of 337.5 meters. It was open to the public until 1999, with an entertainment establishment in the revolving top. It is normally referred to by the locals as "Ginnheimer Spargel" (''The Ginnheimer Asparagus'') which is not correct because it is not located in the [[Ginnheim]] district but stands a few meters within the [[Bockenheim]] district.
* [[Henninger Turm]] - The Henninger Tower is a 120-meter high [[grain silo]] built from 1959-1961 and owned by [[Henninger|Henninger Brewery]]. It has two rotating restaurants at the height of 101 and 106 meters and an open-air observation deck at the height of 110 metres. The tower has been closed to the public since October 2002. Plans to destroy the tower and replace it were abandoned. Today there are new plans to convert it into a residential tower.
* [[Goethe Tower|Goetheturm]] - The Goethe Tower is a 43-meter high tower built entirely out of wood on the northern edge of the [[Frankfurt City Forest]] in [[Sachsenhausen (Frankfurt am Main)|Sachsenhausen]]. It is the fifth tallest wooden construction in Germany. It was built in 1931 and is still a popular place for day-trippers, especially families, as a large playground and a café have been built at the foot of the tower.
==Culture==
[[Image:Museumsuferfest 2005 - Riesenrad.jpg|thumb|left|The Museumsuferfest in 2005]]
[[Image:Frankfurt-Waeldchestag.jpg|thumb|left|Wäldchestag in 2002]]
===Festivals===
A major festival in the city is the '''Museumsuferfest''' (''Museums Riverbank Festival''). It is one of the biggest cultural festivals in Germany which attracts more than 3 million visitors over a period of 3 days. It takes place yearly at the end of August on both sides of the [[Main River|Main]] Riverbank in the city centre. More than 20 museums are located there and they are open far into the night. Furthermore there are special attractions like live-bands, dance shows, several booths for crafts, jewelry, clothes and food from all around the world. It ends with a spectacular firework display .
Frankfurt's oldest folk festival is the '''Dippemess''' (''Festival of Stoneware'') which takes place twice a year around [[Easter]] and the end of September in the eastern part of the city. Mentioned for the first time in the 14th century as an annual marketplace it is now more of an amusement park. ("Dippe" is a regional [[hessian]] dialect word meaning "pot" or "jar" and which would not be understood in most other German regions. The name of the festival derives from its original purpose, when it was a fair where traditionally crafted jars, pots and other stoneware were offered)
The Frankfurt '''Wäldchestag''' (''Woods Day'') is jocularly known as a national holiday because until the 1990s it was common that Frankfurts shops were closed on this day. Despite the name the festival takes place over a period of four days after [[Pentecost]] with the actual Wäldchestag being Tuesday. What is special about this festival is its location in Frankfurts [[Frankfurt City Forest|city forest]], south of the city centre in [[Niederrad]].
The '''Wolkenkratzer Festival''' (''Skyscraper Festival'') is unique in Germany. It takes place irregularly, the last time in May 2007. For two days most of the skyscrapers in downtown Frankfurt are open to the public, which is normally not the case, apart from the [[Maintower]] observation deck. Around 1,2 million visitors took the opportunity to see the city from above. Sky-divers, base jumpers, fireworks and laser shows were extra attractions. The next festival will not be held before 2010.
The '''Sound of Frankfurt''' is a music festival held in the city centre. It took place regularly from 1994 to 2004 and is planned again for the summer of 2008. Various artists and bands performed open air and for free on eight stages located mainly around the Zeil. Different types of music (rock, Latino, house, alternative and pop) attracted about 500,000 visitors each year.
===Museums===
[[Image:FrankfurtM Staedel.jpg|thumb|The Städel]]
[[Image:Senckenberg Außenansicht 2005.jpg|thumb|Senckenberg Museum]]
[[Image:Schirn-ffm001.jpg|thumb|Schirn Art Gallery from above]]
Most of the museums in Frankfurt are located on both sides of the [[River Main]] in [[Sachsenhausen (Frankfurt am Main)|Sachsenhausen]] (south side) and in the [[Altstadt (Frankfurt am Main)|old part of the city centre]] (north side). The area is therefore known as [[Museumsufer]] (''Museums Riverbank'').
There are 13 museums on the south side between [[Eiserner Steg]] and [[Friedensbrücke]], including:
* [[Ikonenmuseum]]
* [[Museum für Angewandte Kunst]]
* [[Museum der Weltkulturen]]
* [[Deutsches Filmmuseum]]
* [[Deutsche Architekturmuseum]]
* [[Museum für Kommunikation]]
* [[Städel]], one of the most famous museums in Germany
* [[Liebieghaus]]
* [[Museum Giersch]]
The street itself, [[Schaumainkai]], is partially closed to traffic on Saturdays for Frankfurt's largest [[flea market]].
There are 2 museums on the north side:
* [[Jewish Museum Frankfurt]]
* [[Historisches Museum]]
Not directly located on the Riverbank are:
* [[Museum of Modern Art (Frankfurt am Main)|Museum of Modern Art]]
* [[Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt|Schirn Kunsthalle (Schirn Art Gallery)]]
Another important museum is located in the [[Westend (Frankfurt am Main)|Westend]] area:
* [[Senckenberg Natural History Museum]], the largest natural history museum in Germany
[[Image:Frankfurter Bethmännchen 1.JPG|thumb|[[Bethmännchen]]]]
===Culinary specialties===
* [[Frankfurter Sausage]]
* [[Frankfurter Rindswurst]]
* [[Apfelwein]]
* [[Green sauce#German Grüne Soße|Grüne Soße]]
* [[Bethmännchen]]
* [[Frankfurter Kranz]]
* [[Handkäse|Handkäs mit Musik]]
* [[Frankfurter Rippchen|Rippchen mit Kraut]]
===Dance music===
The roots of [[trance music]] can be traced back to [[Germany]], and in particular, Frankfurt. It was here, in the early 1990s, that local DJs like [[Sven Väth]] and DJ DAG (of [[Dance 2 Trance]]) first played a harder, deeper style of [[acid house]], that became hugely popular worldwide, during the next decade. One of the main venues of the early [[Trance music]] sound was the Omen nightclub, in the city. Accordingly, some of the early, and most influential Trance acts, e.g. [[Jam and Spoon]], [[Dance 2 Trance]], and [[Hardfloor]], and record labels such as [[Harthouse]] and [[Eye Q]] were based in the city, in the early 1990s.
== Transport ==
[[Image:AirportFrankfurt fromair.jpg|thumb|left|Frankfurt International Airport]]
[[Image:Zeil-ffm001.jpg|thumb|left|The Zeil, the main shopping street]]
[[Image:Frankfurt am Main Hauptbahnhof von oben.jpg|thumb|left|Frankfurt Central Station]]
[[Image:S-Bahn Rhein Main Type 420.JPG|thumb|left|S-Bahn at Central Station]]
[[Image:Frankfurt U-Bahn Train Type U4.jpg|thumb|left|U-Bahn]]
[[Image:VGF S201 29.11.2005 Suedbahnhof.JPG|thumb|left|Tram at Frankfurt South Station]]
===Airports===
The city is accessed from around the world via the [[Frankfurt Airport|Frankfurt International Airport]] (''Flughafen Frankfurt am Main'') which is located
{{convert|12|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} from the city centre. The airport has three [[runway]]s and serves 265 non-stop destinations. It ranks among the world's top ten airports and is the biggest [[cargo]] airport in [[Europe]]. Depending on whether total passengers or flights are used, it ranks as the second or third busiest in Europe alongside [[London Heathrow Airport]] and [[Charles de Gaulle Airport|Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport]]. Passenger traffic at Frankfurt Airport in 2007 was 54.2 million.
The airport can be reached by car or bus and has two train stations, one for regional and one for long-distance traffic. The [[S-Bahn]] lines S8 and S9 (direction "Frankfurt (Main) Hbf", "[[Offenbach am Main|Offenbach Ost]] or "[[Hanau]]"), departing at the regional traffic station take 10-15 minutes from the airport to the [[Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof|Central Station]] and the city centre, the [[IC]] and [[ICE]] trains departing at the long-distance traffic station take as well 10-15 minutes.
Despite the name, [[Frankfurt Hahn Airport]] (''Flughafen Frankfurt-Hahn'') is not located anywhere near Frankfurt but is instead situated approximately {{convert|120|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} from the city in [[Lautzenhausen]] ([[Rhineland-Palatinate]]). This airport can only be reached by car or bus. An hourly bus service runs from [[Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof|Frankfurt Central Station]], taking about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Last year over 4 Million Passengers used this airport in order to use Low Cost Airlines like Ryanair.
[[Frankfurt Egelsbach Airport]] is a busy [[general aviation]] airport located south-east of Frankfurt International Airport, near the town of [[Egelsbach]].
===Roads===
The streets of central Frankfurt are usually congested with cars during the rush hour. Some areas, especially around the shopping streets [[Zeil]], are [[pedestrian]]-only streets. There are numerous car parks located throughout the city.
Frankfurt is a traffic hub of the German [[Autobahn]] system. The [[Frankfurter Kreuz]] is an Autobahn interchange close by the airport where the Autobahnen [[Bundesautobahn 3|A 3]] ([[Cologne]]-[[Würzburg]]) and [[Bundesautobahn 5|A 5]] ([[Basel]]-[[Hannover]]) meet. With approximately 320,000 cars daily it is the most heavily used interchange in [[Europe]]. The [[Bundesautobahn 66|A 66]] connects Frankfurt with [[Wiesbaden]] in the west and [[Fulda]] in the east. The A 661 starts in the south ([[Darmstadt]]), runs through the eastern part of Frankfurt and ends in the north ([[Bad Homburg]]). The [[Bundesautobahn 648|A 648]] is a very short Autobahn in the western part of Frankfurt.
===Railway stations===
[[Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof|Frankfurt Central Station]] (''Frankfurt am Main Hauptbahnhof'' or short ''Ffm Hbf'') is the largest train station in Germany by number of platforms. Regarding daily passenger volume it ranks second together with [[München Hauptbahnhof|Munich Central Central]] (350,000 each) after [[Hamburg Hauptbahnhof|Hamburg Central Station]] (450,000). It is located between the [[Gallus (Frankfurt am Main)|Gallus]] and the [[Bahnhofsviertel (Frankfurt am Main)|Bahnhofsviertel]], not far away from the [[Frankfurt Trade Fair|Trade Fair]] and the financial district ([[Bankenviertel (Frankfurt am Main)|Bankenviertel]]). It serves as a major hub for long-distance trains ([[InterCityExpress|ICE]]) and regional trains (all [[Rhine-Main S-Bahn]] lines, two [[Frankfurt U-Bahn|U-Bahn]] lines, several [[tram]] and [[bus]] lines). Local trains are integrated in the [[Public transport]] system [[Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund]] (''RMV''), the second largest integrated public transport systems in the world. Only the [[Berlin]] integrated public transport system (''VBB'') is larger.
[[Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbahnhof|Frankfurt Airport Long Distance Station]] connects [[Frankfurt International Airport]] to the main rail network, most of the [[InterCityExpress|ICE]] services using the [[Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed rail line]]. It is one of two railway stations at the airport, the other is for local [[Rhine-Main S-Bahn|S-Bahn]] trains (lines S8 and S9), called [[Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof|Frankfurt Airport Regional Station]].
The two major stations in the city centre are [[Hauptwache (Frankfurt am Main)|Hauptwache]] and [[Konstablerwache]], both located on Frankfurts most famous shopping street, the [[Zeil]].
===Public transport===
{{main|Public transport in Frankfurt am Main}}
The city has two underground railway systems: the [[Frankfurt U-Bahn|U-Bahn]] and the [[Rhine-Main S-Bahn|S-Bahn]], as well as an above-ground [[tram]] system. Information about the U and S Bahn can be found on the [http://www.rmv.de/coremedia/generator/RMV/Sprachen/SPRACH__ART__en.html RMV website].
Nine '''S-Bahn''' lines connect Frankfurt with the [[Frankfurt Rhein-Main Region|Rhine Main Region]]. All lines have a 30 minute service during the day but the majority of the routes are served by two lines thereby offering a 15 minute schedule. All lines, except line S7, run through the Frankfurt city tunnel and serve the stations [[Ostendstraße]], [[Konstablerwache]], [[Hauptwache (Frankfurt am Main)|Hauptwache]], [[Taunusanlage]] and Frankfurt Central Station. When leaving the city the S-Bahn travels above ground. It provides access to the Frankfurt Trade Fair (S3-S6), the airport (S8, S9), the stadium (S7-S9) and nearby cities such as [[Wiesbaden]], [[Mainz]], [[Darmstadt]], [[Rüsselsheim]], [[Hanau]], [[Offenbach am Main]], [[Bad Homburg]], [[Kronberg]] and smaller towns that are on the way.
The '''U-Bahn''' has seven lines serving the city centre and some larger suburbs. The [[train]]s that run on the line are in fact [[lightrail]]s as many lines travel along a track in the middle of the street instead of underground further from the city centre. There is only one line (U4) that is completely underground. The minimum service interval is 2.5 minutes, although the usual pattern is that each line runs with a 7.5-10 minute frequency which combines to approx 3-5 minutes on the city centre sections served by more than one line.
Frankfurt has 9 [[tram]] lines, with trams arriving usually every 10 minutes. Many sections are served by two lines, combining to give a 5 minute frequency during rush-hour. The tram runs only above ground and serve more stops than the U-Bahn or the S-Bahn.
A number of '''bus''' lines complete the Frankfurt public transportation system. [http://www.nachtbus-frankfurt.de/index2.htm Night buses] take over the service of the U-Bahn and tram at 1:30 am to 3:30 am on Friday and Saturday nights.
===Taxis===
[[Taxicab|Taxis]] can be found outside most S-Bahn or U-Bahn stations and major intersections. The normal way to obtain a taxi is to either call a taxi operator or go to a taxi rank. However, although not the norm, one can hail one on the street.
===Bicycles===
Deutsche Bahn also rent out [[bicycle]]s to the public. One finds them at many major road intersections and railway stations. All one has to do is make a phone call to hire them for €0.06/min or they can be hired per day for €15,-. The bicycles are a bit heavy but they do have [[shock absorber]]s to ensure a smooth journey. The [[silver]]-[[red]] colour of the bikes with their unique frame make them easily visible and difficult to steal.
The public can now use a [[velotaxi]] which involves the operator using a [[tricycle]] with a sheltered passenger cab. There is room for two people and the service covers all of the city centre.
Frankfurt has also a network of modern cycle routes throughout city. Many of the long distance bike routes into town have dedicated cycle tracks. A number of city centre roads are "bicycle streets" where the cyclist has the right of way and where motorised vehicles are allowed access if they do not disrupt the cycle users.
Every first Sunday in the month there is a [[Critical Mass]] cycle event which starts at 2 pm at the Old Opera.
==Economy and business==
Frankfurt is one of the leading financial centres in Europe. According to an annual study (2007) by [[Cushman & Wakefield]] it is one of the top three cities for international companies in Europe, along with [[London]] and [[Paris]]. According to a ranking list (2001) produced by the [[University of Liverpool]], Frankfurt is the richest city in Europe by [[GDP per capita]]. After Frankfurt are [[Karlsruhe]], [[Paris]] and [[Munich]] <ref>Nick Swift: ''[http://www.citymayors.com/business/eurocities_gdp.html European cities outperform their English counterparts]''. citymayors.com (Zugriff am 1. November 2006)</ref>. The Mercer Human Resource Consulting Worldwide Quality of Living Survey 2007 ranked Frankfurt at the seventh position of the cities with the highest [[quality of life]] worldwide. The only German city that did better was [[Düsseldorf]] at number six <ref>[http://www.mercer.com/qol#Europe Highlights from the 2007 Quality of Livings – Mercer Human Resource Consulting]</ref>.
[[Image:Innenstadtpanorama-ffm002.jpg|thumb|right|The financial district]]
[[Image:Eurotower-ffm005.jpg|thumb|right|The Eurotower, headquarters of the European Central Bank]]
[[Image:Bulle und Bär Frankfurt.jpg|thumb|[[Market trends|Bull and Bear]] in front of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange]]
[[Image:Frankfurt am Main Messeturm.jpg|thumb|right|[[Messeturm]] at the exhibition centre]]
=== Banks ===
Frankfurt is commonly known as "the city of the banks". In 2006, six of the ten major German banks had their headquarters in the city, including the top four ([[Deutsche Bank]], [[Commerzbank]], [[Dresdner Bank]] and [[DZ Bank]]) <ref>''[http://www.german-banks.org/html/10_news/List100-table-2006.asp The Top 100 German banks 2006]''</ref>. Other important banks are [[ING Group|ING Diba]], [[KfW]], [[BHF Bank]], [[Bankhaus Metzler]], [[Delbrück Bethmann Maffei]], [[DekaBank]], [[Helaba|Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen]] and [[Frankfurter Sparkasse]]. More than 300 national and international banks are represented here <ref>''[http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=stadtfrankfurt_eval01.c.125162.de Wirtschaft in Frankfurt am Main]''</ref>.
The [[European Central Bank]] (''Europäische Zentralbank'') is one of the world's most important central banks, responsible for monetary policy covering the 15 member countries of the [[Eurozone]]. Since its foundation in 1998 the headquarters are located in downtown Frankfurt although plans have now been made for a move to a landscaped area on the site of the former wholesale market hall (''[[Großmarkthalle]]'') in the eastern part of the city.
The [[Bundesbank|German Federal Bank]] (''Deutsche Bundesbank'') is an integral part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). It was established in 1957.
=== Stock exchange ===
{{main|Frankfurt Stock Exchange}}
With the [[stock exchange]] (''Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse'') and [[Xetra (trading system)|XETRA]], which belong to [[Deutsche Börse]], Frankfurt has the second largest stock exchange in Europe after the [[London Stock Exchange]]. It is by far the largest stock exchange in Germany with over 90 percent turnover in the German market. In terms of market capitalization, Deutsche Börse is the largest stock exchange in the world.
===Trade fairs===
{{main|Frankfurt Trade Fair}}
Fairs have a very long tradition in Frankfurt. They were first mentioned in the 12th century. Today Frankfurt has the third-largest exhibition site in the world. The ''Messe Frankfurt'' corporation arranged 120 fairs in 40 countries in 2006. Hosted in Frankfurt are the [[Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung]] (the world's largest motor show), the [[Frankfurter Buchmesse]] (the world's largest book fair), the Ambiente (the world's largest consumer goods fair), the Achema (the world's largest plant engineering fair) and many more like Paperworld, Christmasworld, Beautyworld, Tendence Lifestyle or Light and Building.
===Advertising agencies===
Although it is best known for its banks, Frankfurt is also a centre for media companies. There are around 570 companies of the [[advertising]] industry and 270 [[public relations]] companies.
According to a ranking of [[Focus (German magazine)|FOCUS magazine]] from November 2007 there are seven of the 48 largest [[Advertising agency|advertising agencies]] in Germany based in Frankfurt, including [[Saatchi & Saatchi]], [[JWT]], and [[Publicis]]. Topping the list is [[Berlin]] with nine, followed by [[Hamburg]] with eight. After Frankfurt comes [[Munich]] with six. [[Wiesbaden]] is also on the list with two <ref>''[http://www.focus-campus.de/fileadmin/excerpts/EXC_0746_AufeinenBlick.pdf FOCUS: Die größten Werbeagenturen 2007]''</ref>.
===Accountancy and professional services===
The [[Big Four auditors|''Big Four'']], the four largest international accountancy and professional services firms, are all represented in Frankfurt.
They are [[Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu]], [[Ernst & Young]], [[KPMG]] and [[PricewaterhouseCoopers]] (PwC).
PwC has also its German headquarters in the city.
In October 2007, KPMG's member firms in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein merged to form KPMG Europe LLP, which is now the largest accountancy and professional services firm in Europe. The European headquarters will be situated in Frankfurt.
===Management consulting===
Some of the largest international management consulting firms are represented in Frankfurt, including [[Accenture]], [[McKinsey & Company]], [[Boston Consulting Group]], [[Booz & Company]], [[Oliver Wyman]], [[Bain & Company]] and [[Roland Berger Strategy Consultants]].
===Electronic communication===
Frankfurt is also an important location for the internet. It is home to Germany's largest [[internet exchange point]], [[DE-CIX]], and is where domain names are registered for the top-level-domain "[[.de]]".
===Lawyers===
Frankfurt has the highest concentration of lawyers in Germany, with one lawyer per 99 inhabitants.
=== Working in Frankfurt ===
With over 922 jobs per 1,000 inhabitants, Frankfurt has the highest concentration of jobs in Germany. The high number of around 600,000 jobs with only 663,000 inhabitants of the city itself is explained by the high number of commuters who work in the city, which raises the per capita GDP of the resident population significantly. On work days and Saturdays there are around one million people within the city limits. On other days, the statistics regarding Frankfurt's wealth are reduced, in favor of the communities and towns of the so-called "Speckgürtel" (literally ''bacon belt'', meaning the suburban area), such as [[Bad Homburg]], [[Königstein im Taunus]], [[Kronberg im Taunus]] and [[Bad Soden am Taunus]], many of whose inhabitants work in Frankfurt.
Despite that, Frankfurt also had, as of 2003, the highest levels of crime per 100,000 inhabitants in Germany. However, this statistic is a result of the commuter population, for it is calculated based on the 650,000-inhabitant figure, and also includes crimes committed at the airport, such as smuggling. Frankfurt is actually therefore a very safe city, corroborated by surveys among the inhabitants.
[[Frankfurt International Airport]] is the single largest place of work in Germany.
=== Other businesses ===
Frankfurt is home to [[chemical]] industries, [[software]] businesses and [[call centre|call centers]]. Business development and other important departments of the [[Deutsche Bahn]] are located at the DB-Headquarters in Gallus. Because of [[Hoechst AG]], Frankfurt is considered the "Apothecary of the World". Höchst's industrial park in Frankfurt is one of the three largest locations for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry in Europe. Frankfurt is also home to several large German industrial associations, such as the Chemical Industry Association; the Association for German Machine- and Equipment-building; the Electrotechnical, Electronic, and [[Information Technology]] Association e. V. with its affiliated electrotechnical standards commission; and the Association of German Automobile Producers, which is currently moving to Franfurt. The Union of German Automobile Producers meets in Frankfurt every two years to coincide with the International Automobile Exhibition, mentioned above. Furthermore, the Trade Association of German Booksellers has its headquarters in Frankfurt, and organizes the Frankfurt Book Fair. In terms of labor unions, Frankfurt is home to the headquarters of [[IG Metall]] and [[IG Bau]], two of Germany's largest labor unions.
Businesses with regional headquarters or based in and near Frankfurt include:
{|
| valign="top" |
* [[German Football Association]]
* [[Fiat]]
| valign="top" |
* [[Maserati]]
* [[Ferrari]]
* [[Alfa-Romeo]]
| valign="top" |
* [[Lancia]]
* [[Hyundai]] (in [[Offenbach am Main|Offenbach]])
| valign="top" |
* [[Kia Motors|KIA]]
* [[Jaguar (car)|Jaguar]] (in [[Kronberg]])
| valign="top" |
* [[Opel]] (in [[Rüsselsheim]])
* [[Ferrero SpA|Ferrero]]
|}
=== Property and real estate ===
Frankfurt has the highest concentration of home owners in Germany. This is partly attributed to number of financial workers in the city but also because of its cosmopolitan nature with a quarter of the city's population being foreigners. For this reason Frankfurt's property market often operates differently than the rest of the country where the prices are generally much flatter than Frankfurt. German property prices are pulled down nationally because of the former East Germany, however, economically sound cities like Frankfurt and other cities in the west of Germany, have a buoyant housing market, which attracts a lot of buyers from the Far East.
=== Establishments and organization ===
Frankfurt is home of the [[German National Library]], the Hessian State Supreme Court, and the Hessian State Employment Court, and has its own police academy. The fire department, founded in 1874, and the volunteer fire department have eight fire stations. Until their dissolution at the end of 2003, Frankfurt was the location of the Federal Disciplinary Court.
The German office of the [[International Finance Corporation]], part of the [[World Bank]] group, and the Committee of European Insurances and Occupational Pensions Supervisors (Ceiops), the European insurance control, have their headquarters in Frankfurt.
Frankfurt hosts 88 [[consulate]]s. Only [[New York City|New York]] and [[Hamburg]] have more foreign representation, excluding capital cities. Russia and China have recently opened general consulates in Frankfurt. The [[Consulate General of the United States in Frankfurt]] in Eckenheim is the largest American consulate in the world.
=== Media ===
[[Image:FAZ Building 2.jpg|thumb|left|Editorial department building of ''[[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]]'']]
Two important daily newspapers are published in Frankfurt. The conservative [[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]] was founded in 1949 and is the German newspaper with the widest circulation abroad, with its editors claiming to deliver the newspaper to 148 countries every day. The ''FAZ'' has a circulation of over 380,000 copies daily. The other important newspaper, the [[Frankfurter Rundschau]], was first published in 1945 and has a daily circulation of over 181,000 copies.
Frankfurt is also home to the German headquarters of [[Reuters]], one of the world's most important news agencies.
Several magazines also originate from Frankfurt. The [[Journal Frankfurt]] is the best-known magazine for events, parties, and "insider tips". An "ecological magazine", [[Öko-Test]], publishes materials for the [[Bündnis 90/Die Grünen|Green Party]] of Germany in Bockenheim. Bockenheim is known for the quiz magazine of the same name, and is home to the editorial office of the satire magazine, [[Titanic (magazine)|Titanic]].
Frankfurt's first radio station was the Südwestdeutsche Rundfunkdienst AG (Southwest German Radio Service), founded in 1924. Its successor service is the public broadcaster [[Hessischer Rundfunk]] (Hessian Broadcast). Its "Funkhaus am Dornbusch" station is one of the most important [[radio]] and [[television]] broadcasters. There is also the [[ARD-Stern]] that broadcasts from individual senders via a high-service network. [[Bloomberg TV]] and [[RTL Group|RTL]] have regional studios on the ''Neuen Mainzer Straße'', downtown. Other broadcasters in Frankfurt include [[Main FM]] and [[Radio X]]. The largest private radio station in the region FFH, is located nearby in [[Bad Vilbel]].
Since August 1945, the [[American Forces Network]] had broadcasted from Frankfurt. Due to troop reductions, the AFN's Frankfurt location has been abandoned. Since October 2004, the AFN has broadcast its European programs from [[Mannheim]].
== Education and research ==
In Frankfurt am Main, there are two universities and several specialist schools. The oldest and most well-known university in the city is the [[Johann Wolfgang Goethe University]], with locations in Bockenheim, Westend, and Riedberg, and the university hospital in Niederrad. Alongside the university is the banking academy [[HfB - Business School of Finance & Management]], formerly known as the ''Hochschule für Bankwirtschaft'' (Institution of Higher Learning for Banking Economics), with its campus in the Ostend (Eastend) neighborhood. Since 2001, it has been a specialist institution for the teaching Economics and Management, or FOM.
Frankfurt has the State Institution of Higher Learning for Artistic Education known as the [[Städelschule]], founded in 1817 by [[Johann Friedrich Städel]], that was taken over by the city in 1942 and turned into a state art school. Another art school is the State Institution for Music and Performance Art, initially a private school known as ''[[Hoch Conservatory|Dr. Hoch's Konservatorium]]'' founded in 1878. The ''Fachhochschule Frankfurt am Main'' (Professional School of Frankfurt) was created out of several older organizations in 1971, and offers courses in engineering and economics. Until September 2003, Frankfurt was also home to a school for library science and administration.
The Philosophical-Theological Institution of Saint George (''[[Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Sankt Georgen]]'', a private institution with membership in the German Jesuit Association, has been located in [[Sachsenhausen (Frankfurt am Main|Sachsenhausen]] since 1950.
The city is also home of three [[Max Planck Society]] institutes: the [[Max Planck Institute for European Legal History]] (MPIeR), [[Max Planck Institute for Biophysics]], and the [[Max Planck Institute for Brain Research]].
The [[Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies]], sponsored by several institutional and private sources, is involved in theoretical research in physics, chemistry, neurology, and computer science.
Frankfurt is host to the ''Römisch-Germanische-Kommission'' (RGK), the [[German Archaeological Institute]] branch for [[prehistory|prehistoric archaeology]] in Germany and Europe. The RGK is involved in a variety of research projects. Its library, with over 130,000 volumes, is one of the largest specialised archaeological libraries in the world.
== Sport ==
Frankfurt hosts the following sports teams or clubs:
{|
| valign="top" |
* [[Eintracht Frankfurt]], football (soccer)
* [[SV 07 Heddernheim]], football (soccer)
* [[FSV Frankfurt]], football (soccer)
| valign="top" |
* [[1. FFC Frankfurt]], football (soccer)
* [[Frankfurter FC Germania 1894]], football (soccer)
| valign="top" |
* [[Frankfurt Lions]], ice hockey
* [http://www.deutsche-bank-skyliners.de/index_de.html Deutsche Bank Skyliners — Basketball]
|}
Frankfurt used to host these former teams or clubs:
{|
| valign="top" |
* [[1. Bockenheimer FC 1899]], football (soccer)
| valign="top" |
* [[Frankfurt Galaxy]], American Football
|}
Frankfurt is host to the [[Classic cycle races|classic cycle]] race [[Rund um den Henninger-Turm]].
==Sister cities==
Frankfurt has several [[town twinning|Sister cities]]
{| cellspacing=10
|{{flagicon|France}} || [[Lyon]], [[France]], since 1960
|{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} || [[Birmingham]], [[United Kingdom]], since 1966
|{{flagicon|Italy}} || [[Milan]], [[Italy]], since 1971
|-
|{{flagicon|Egypt}} || [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]], since 1979
|{{flagicon|Israel}} || [[Tel Aviv]], [[Israel]], since 1980
|{{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} || [[Guangzhou]], [[People's Republic of China|China]], since 1988
|-
|{{flagicon|Canada}} || [[Toronto]], [[Canada]], since 1989
|{{flagicon|Czech Republic}} || [[Prague]], [[Czech Republic]], since 1990
|{{flagicon|Hungary}} || [[Budapest]], [[Hungary]], since 1990
|-
|{{flagicon|Germany}} || [[Leipzig]], [[Germany]], since 1991
|{{flagicon|Poland}} || [[Kraków]], [[Poland]], since 1991
|{{flagicon|Nicaragua}} || [[Granada, Nicaragua|Granada]], [[Nicaragua]], since 1991
|-
|{{flagicon|UAE}} || [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]], since 2002
|{{flagicon|India}} || [[Chennai]], [[India]], since 2005
|{{flagicon|Pakistan}} || [[Islamabad]], [[Pakistan]]
|}
==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Frankfurt am Main - Skyline.jpg|<center>The financial district at night<center>
Image:Westendstrasse 1 from Maintower.JPG|[[Westendstraße 1|Westendtower]], also known as "crown tower"
Image:Frankfurt am Main Friedensbrücke Westhafen.JPG|<center>View from the Main riverbank<center>
Image:Luftbild Ffm 2005-08-11.jpg|<center>[[Commerzbank-Arena]] in the city forest<center>
Image:Deutsche-bank-ffm002.jpg|<center>Twin towers of Deutsche Bank<center>
Image:Frankfurt Goethehaus jhl.jpg|<center>Goethehaus<center>
Image:Festhalle-ffm004.jpg|<center>Frankfurt Book Fair<center>
Image:Kaiserstrasse-ffm011.jpg|<center>Kaiserstrasse, view from Frankfurt Central Station<center>
Image:Alteoper in Frankfurt.gif|<center>The old opera house<center>
</gallery>
==See also==
* [[Free City of Frankfurt]]
* [[Frankfurt Trade Fair]]
* [[Frankfurt Book Fair]]
* [[Frankfurt Transit]]
* [[Frankfurt School]]
* [[List of mayors of Frankfurt]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
* ''Frankfurt — City Guide'', Kraichgau Verlag (ISBN 3-929228-21-1)
==External links==
{{Commonscat|Frankfurt am Main}}
*[http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=stadtfrankfurt_eval01.c.317693.en&template=hp_flash Official website]
*{{wikitravel|Frankfurt}}
* [http://germany.archiseek.com/hesse/frankfurt/index.html Architecture of Frankfurt]
*[http://www.zoo-infos.de/zoos-en/120.html Frankfurt Zoo] {{en icon}}
* Frankfurt Panoramas: [http://www.stadtpanoramen.de/en/frankfurt/frankfurt.html], [http://www.oopper.de/tn/panorama-frankfurt.htm], [http://www.frankfurt360.de], [http://www.panorama-frankfurt.de]
* [http://www.altfrankfurt.com Frankfurt before and after World War II]
* [http://www.k-faktor.com/en/frankfurt-webcams.htm Frankfurt webcam links]
* [http://www.travelling-images.com/germany-frankfurt-march-2008 Frankfurt photogallery]
* [http://www.mygreatgermany.com/Central/Hesse/Cities/Frankfurt_(Main)/ Visual Frankfurt]
{{Geographic Location (8-way)
| Centre =Frankfurt
| North =
| Northeast =
| East =
| Southeast =
| South =
| Southwest =
| West =
| Northwest =
}}
{{Germany districts hesse}}
[[Category:Frankfurt|*]]
[[Category:Historic Jewish communities]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in Germany]]
{{Link FA|af}}
{{Link FA|de}}
{{Link FA|ro}}
{{Link FA|sk}}
{{Link FA|hu}}
{{Link FA|vi}}
[[af:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[als:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[ang:Frankfurt]]
[[ar:فرانكفورت]]
[[an:Fráncfort d'o Meno]]
[[roa-rup:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[frp:Francfort]]
[[ast:Frankfurt]]
[[az:Frankfurt]]
[[map-bms:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[be-x-old:Франкфурт-на-Майне]]
[[bs:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[br:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[bg:Франкфурт на Майн]]
[[ca:Frankfurt del Main]]
[[cv:Франкфурт]]
[[cs:Frankfurt nad Mohanem]]
[[co:Francuforte nant'à u Menu]]
[[cy:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[da:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[pdc:Frankfurt]]
[[de:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[dsb:Frankfurt nad Menem]]
[[et:Frankfurt]]
[[el:Φρανκφούρτη]]
[[es:Fráncfort del Meno]]
[[eo:Frankfurto ĉe Majno]]
[[ext:Frankfurt 'el Menu]]
[[eu:Frankfurt]]
[[fa:فرانکفورت]]
[[fo:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[fr:Francfort-sur-le-Main]]
[[fy:Frankfurt]]
[[ga:Frankfurt]]
[[gan:法蘭克福]]
[[gv:Frankfurt]]
[[gd:Frankfurt]]
[[gl:Frankfurt - Frankfurt am Main]]
[[ko:프랑크푸르트]]
[[hy:Ֆրանկֆուրտ]]
[[hr:Frankfurt na Majni]]
[[io:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[id:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[ia:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[ie:Frankfurt]]
[[xh:Frankfurt]]
[[zu:Frankfurt]]
[[is:Frankfurt]]
[[it:Francoforte sul Meno]]
[[he:פרנקפורט]]
[[jv:Frankfurt]]
[[pam:Frankfurt]]
[[ka:მაინის ფრანკფურტი]]
[[kw:Frankfurt]]
[[sw:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[ht:Frankfurt]]
[[ku:Frankfurt]]
[[lad:Frankfurt]]
[[la:Francofurtum ad Moenum]]
[[lv:Frankfurte pie Mainas]]
[[lb:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[lt:Frankfurtas prie Maino]]
[[lij:Francoforte inscio Men]]
[[li:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[lmo:Frankfurt]]
[[hu:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[mk:Франкфурт]]
[[mg:Franckfort/Main]]
[[mr:फ्रांकफुर्ट]]
[[ms:Frankfurt]]
[[nah:Frankfurt in Main]]
[[na:Frankfurt]]
[[nl:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[ja:フランクフルト・アム・マイン]]
[[nap:Frankfurt]]
[[no:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[nn:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[nrm:Francfort-sur-le-Main]]
[[oc:Francfòrt de Men]]
[[uz:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[pms:Franchfort sël Men]]
[[nds:Frankfort an’n Main]]
[[pl:Frankfurt nad Menem]]
[[pt:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[ksh:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[ro:Frankfurt pe Main]]
[[rm:Frankfurt]]
[[qu:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[ru:Франкфурт-на-Майне]]
[[se:Frankfurt]]
[[sco:Frankfurt]]
[[sq:Frankfurti mbi Main]]
[[scn:Francuforti suprô Menu]]
[[simple:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[sk:Frankfurt nad Mohanom]]
[[sl:Frankfurt na Majni]]
[[so:Frankfurt]]
[[sr:Франкфурт на Мајни]]
[[sh:Frankfurt na Majni]]
[[fi:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[sv:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[tl:Frankfurt]]
[[ta:ஃபிராங்க்ஃபுர்ட்]]
[[tet:Frankfurt]]
[[th:ฟรังค์ฟูร์ทอัมไมน์]]
[[vi:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[tr:Frankfurt am Main]]
[[uk:Франкфурт-на-Майні]]
[[vec:Francoforte sul Meno]]
[[vo:Frankfurt len Main]]
[[vls:Frankfurt]]
[[yi:פראנקפורט]]
[[zh-yue:法蘭克福]]
[[diq:Frankfurtê Maini]]
[[bat-smg:Frankforts]]
[[zh:法兰克福]]