From 1562, the Emperor was also crowned in Frankfurt, the last one being the Habsburg Franz II. After the end of the Holy Roman Empire, Frankfurt joined the Confederation of the Rhine and under the First Prince Karl Theodor of Dalberg, became the capital of a short-lived (1810-1813) grand duchy of Frankfurt.
In 1815, Frankfurt became a free city and the seat of the federal government.
In 1848, the March revolution broke out in the German states. As a symbol of reconciliation, the Franco-Prussian war was officially ended in 1871 with the Peace of Frankfurt. The city expansion of Frankfurt in the 19th century began with the incorporation of Bornheim. Further incorporations followed from 1895 onwards. For a short time, Frankfurt thus became the city with the largest area in Germany. Between 1879 and 1926 important institutions such as the Stock Exchange (1879), the Old Opera (1880), the central station (1888), the University (1914) and the first Frankfurt airport (1926) were built.
Under the National Socialist regime, 9000 Jews were deported from Frankfurt. In World War Two, aerial attacks destroyed almost all of the old and central parts of the city. However, the cityscape that was practically completely in the medieval style up to 1944 – which in this form was unique for a German city at this time – was lost during the modern reconstruction of the city. After the end of the war, the occupying American forces set up their headquarters in the city. Frankfurt then became the administrative headquarters of the trizone. In the voting for the Federal capital, Frankfurt only just lost out narrowly to Konrad Adenauer’s favourite, Bonn. A parliamentary building had already been built in Frankfurt and today houses the Hessischer Rundfunk, the public broadcaster for the state of Hesse. In the post-war period, the city again developed into a business metropolis and in 1998 became the seat of the European Central Bank.
A good place for ideas
Frankfurt is not only a business metropolis, it is also a market place for words and ideas. Publishing houses define the intellectual profile of the city. And the thinkers of the Frankfurt School, from Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheim to Jürgen Habermas, have left an indelible mark on the intellectual life in Frankfurt. The Institute of Social Research is still here today, as is the German National Library and, of course, the world’s largest book exhibition.
Since it was established in 1949, the Book Fair has become a huge marketplace, for ideas, books and electronic media. The initiators of the first Book Fair had recommended Frankfurt due to its long tradition of trade fairs and of the book trade. During the great Book Fair, the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels awards its peace prize every year in the Paulskirche, the place where the first German national assembly was held in 1848 and where the foundation of German democracy was laid. The Paulskirche still maintains its symbolism today, and many a debate in Germany was sparked off by a speech held here.
The city is disputatious and always communicative. This is ensured, among others, by the renowned Frankfurt daily newspapers. And the new media are not forgotten in Frankfurt either: this is where the heart of the Internet, the German Internet hub is located.
After all, the city of poets and thinkers has always ensured that the next generation of academics has been given an appropriate home. With its move into the Poelzig Building, the University has acquired a wonderful architectural memorial. All around the elegant building, the ‘Campus Westend’ has developed – the opportunity of the century for Frankfurt’s alma mater!
Historical Buildings
Frankfurt’s history can be experienced even today through a large number of historical buildings. In addition to the city’s world-famous landmarks (Römer, Old Opera, Imperial Cathedral and St. Paul’s Church), other important buildings will be introduced here. They represent the city’s long tradition of commerce, culture and religion. These structures make it possible to understand the lively cooperation of spiritual life, commerce and politics over more than a thousand years of the city’s history in a clear and fascinating way.
Search more historical buildings here.
