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A Brief History of Frankfurt
The Frankfurt Parliament convening in St Paul's Church in 1848
A Brief History of Frankfurt
Although some parts of Frankfurt were settled in Roman times, its modern history dates from the time of Charlemagne, who erected a Pfalz (Imperial Palace) here and resided on the banks of the Main for 10 months.
Ever since, Frankfurt has occupied a strategic position on the major trade routes. Frankfurt has held trade fairs (Messe), which became the base of its wealth and fame, since the 11th century. From 1240 onwards, traders en route to the fair received imperial protection and guarantees. In 1372, Frankfurt became a Free Imperial City.
In 1152, Friedrich Barbarossa was elected German king. This was the first of the 33 imperial elections (out of 52) that took place here. From 1356, all elections took place in Frankfurt and, from 1562, the formal coronations were in the Frankfurt Kaiserdom, rather than the cathedral in Aachen.
After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, Frankfurt remained an independent city. In 1848-49, the first German parliament congregated in Frankfurt. Attempts to draw up a liberal constitution and to form a loose German federation failed when the King of Prussia refused the offered crown.
During the 1866 Prussian-Austrian war, Frankfurt was occupied by Prussian troops and, after paying heavy war reparations, incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia. As there was already a Frankfurt in Prussia, “am Main” (on the River Main) was added to distinguish it from Frankfurt an der Oder.
During World War II Frankfurt suffered several air raids that destroyed most of the old town and killed 6,000 people. After the war, Frankfurt narrowly missed out to provincial Bonn to become the capital of West Germany. Frankfurt’s rebuilding was decidedly modern with few of the original old buildings preserved, but note the exceptions below.
Frankfurt remained the banking center of Germany and banks mainly occupy the skyscrapers that were constructed here during the last quarter of the 20th century. Frankfurt has 19 buildings higher than 50 m(164 feet), making it the only city in Germany with a skyline. The Commerzbank building, at 258.7 m (850 feet), is the tallest in Europe. These factors contributed to Frankfurt’s nicknames: Bankfurt, an obvious reference to the banks in the city, which led to Krankfurt, German for “sick-furt,” a reference to the city’s attention to making money rather than following more noble social issues, and Mainhatten – combining Manhattan, high buildings, the River Main, and a lot of wishful thinking!
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