Arnsburg Abbey (German: Kloster Arnsburg ) is a former Cistercian monastery near Lich in the Wetterau , Hesse, Germany. It was founded by monks from Eberbach Abbey in 1174. Although heavily damaged in the Thirty Years' War it was rebuilt later in the 17th century and prospered in the 18th century, when much of the abbey was rebuilt in Baroque style.
101-567: Secularized in 1803 and abandoned by its monks in 1810, its buildings were given to the Grafen (Counts) von Solms-Laubach , who adapted them as their seat. The abbey church today stands as a roofless ruin, but many of the outbuildings are still intact and have seen various uses over the past 200 years. Since 1960 the abbey has also been the site of a war memorial , containing the graves of German soldiers and Soviet, Polish and Romanian prisoners-of-war/forced labourers as well as those of 87 people shot by
202-552: 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
303-463: A Benedictine monastery known as Altenburg and provided it with rich gifts. They granted it the land where the castrum once stood. The position on a hill was in line with Benedictine standards and the Roman ruins could serve as a source of building materials. The monks from Michaelsberg Abbey, Siegburg made only slow progress, however, and in 1174 the monastery was abolished. Only the eastern part of
404-584: A cohort of around 500 soldiers. The castrum encompassed an area of 2.9 hectares, protected by a surrounding rectangular wall with 14 towers and four gates (each flanked by another two towers). This was the most northeastern full-sized castrum of the Limes . Along with the rest of the border, it was vacated by the Romans in 250/260. The area then disappeared from history until the Middle Ages. In between, it
505-591: 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
606-650: 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,
707-422: A church had been built at that point ( transept and choir ). These likely had been finished, as roof slates have been found. However, work on the church's nave probably never even started. Late 19th-century excavations discovered the remains of the castrum's praetorium still in situ where the nave would have been located. The transept of what would have been a three-aisled basilica measured 33 by 12 meters and
808-656: 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
909-896: A daughter of Gustav Albrecht, 5th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg . The abbey is open to the public, although some parts are private. A restaurant, Alte Klostermühle operates in the former water mill. (in German) Solms-Laubach Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 223053430 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:47:33 GMT Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main ( / ˈ f r æ ŋ k f ər t / ; German: [ˈfʁaŋkfʊʁt ʔam ˈmaɪn] ; lit. " Frank ford on
1010-458: 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
1111-580: A document dating to February or March 1151. A document signed by Emperor Friedrich I in 1152 provided Royal protection to Altenburg. Due to a lack of progress on the Benedictine house, Kuno I von Münzenberg eventually contacted the abbot of Siegburg Abbey, Nikolaus, and managed to convince him to withdraw the monks from Altenburg. By then he had already made advances to the Cistercians to found an abbey for several years. A preferences for that order
SECTION 10
#17327800533351212-481: A first castle was built to the northwest of the later abbey (c. 800 AD) and a second castle followed around 1000 AD in the area called Hainfeld , between the former castrum and the abbey site. This second castle overlooked the steep bank of the Wetter and was constructed in four phases over c. 150 years before it was abandoned shortly after 1151. This castle is known as Arnsburg [ de ] . The etymology
1313-557: 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
1414-562: A hotel operated in the upper floors of the Bursenbau . Until 1953 Arnsburg was an unincorporated area directly administered by the Landrat of the Gießen district. From 1953 to 1976 it was an independent municipality. Since 1976 it has been an Ortsteil of Lich. In the mid-1950s the idea was mooted to turn part of the abbey into a war grave cemetery for those killed in the area during
1515-581: 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
1616-560: 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
1717-541: 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
1818-681: 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
1919-411: A sheepfold, before being cleared in the 1870s. From the late 19th century on it was being used as a Protestant place of worship until 1944. Then, due to damage delivered by Allied bombing to its original building, the gynaecological clinic of Gießen moved here and occupied some of the buildings. From 1957 to 1960 a children's home followed. After this was moved to Lich, a retirement home was opened. Later
2020-553: 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
2121-762: 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
SECTION 20
#17327800533352222-645: 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
2323-459: 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
2424-879: 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
2525-609: 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
2626-488: 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
2727-415: Is the former vestibule of the abbey church, the only part of that building that is still roofed. It is used today as a Protestant place of worship. The cloister , or inner yard, is surrounded by the Bursenbau , the church ruin, the main abbey building (1775), and the early Gothic eastern wing ( Ostflügel ) that housed the dormitory for the brothers on the upper floor and the chapter hall, which doubled as
2828-561: Is unclear. The ruling local family had no tradition of members being named "Arn" or "Arnold". One possibility is that it derived from Castellum Hadrianum ( Hadriansburg ) after the Roman Emperor Hadrian during whose reign the castrum was built. Another is that the name derived from Aar (eagle), reflecting the Roman Eagles and/or the heraldic use of the bird by Kuno of Arnsburg after serving two German emperors. By
2929-435: 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,
3030-574: 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
3131-548: 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
Arnsburg Abbey - Misplaced Pages Continue
3232-520: 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
3333-584: The SS in the final days of World War II . The abbey is partially open to the public. Arnsburg Abbey is located on the Wetter river , near the former Bundesstrasse 488 [ de ] (now Landesstraße 3053 ) between Lich and Butzbach . The region is also known as Wetterau . Administratively, the area is an Ortsteil of Lich (also named Kloster Arnsburg), part of the Landkreis Gießen . In
3434-531: 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
3535-546: 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
3636-865: 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
3737-672: The 15th century, the monks of the abbey translated "Arnsburg" into Latin as castrum aquilae . The first local lord known by name is Kuno von Arnsburg, who served Emperor Heinrich IV as a Ministerialis in 1057. Around 1064 he married Gräfin Mathilde of the House of Bilstein . Their daughter, Gertrud (b. c. 1065, d. before 1093) married Eberhard von Hagen (1075–1122), lord of Burg Hayn [ de ] near Frankfurt , who moved his seat to Arnsburg and changed his name to "von Hagen und Arnsburg". Under Eberhard's son, Konrad I (1093–1130)
3838-401: 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
3939-412: The 19th century but has been partially reconstructed. Its four wings were likely built immediately following completion of the church, i.e. around 1250. The open space in the centre was roughly square, around 27 by 32 meters. The cloister walkways were about 4 meters wide, and via Gothic arches open to the central space. The western and southern wing of the cloister probably used to have an upper floor. To
4040-411: The 19th century demolitions of the upper works, the roof and arches (except for an area in the northern side-aisle) have been gone. With the vestibule to the west and a cycle of eleven chapels at its eastern end the church in total measured over 85 meters in length. The transept was around 33 meters long whilst the nave was 24 meters wide. Estimates put the height of the central aisle at around 20 meters at
4141-603: The 1st century AD, the Roman Empire under Emperor Domitian expanded its territory in Germania at the expense of the local Chatti . The Limes Germanicus was extended to the northeast to include most of the area now known as Wetterau. The Limes passed a few hundred meters north and east of the location of the later abbey. Around 750 meters southwest of this area the Romans built a castrum , later known as Kastell Arnsburg/Alteburg [ de ] , which housed
Arnsburg Abbey - Misplaced Pages Continue
4242-421: 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
4343-596: 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,
4444-587: 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
4545-486: 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
4646-471: 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
4747-468: 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
4848-523: The Rhine to French expansion, in this case the House of Solms. The Solms family divided up the property in contracts of November 1802 and March 1804 between its individual lines: Solms-Braunfels and Solms-Lich received around 1,500 hectares, Solms-Laubach 1,350 hectares including the abbey itself (owning it to this day) and Solms-Rödelheim-Assenheim 1,260 hectares. Since the Solms family were Protestants,
4949-465: The Soviet Union, Poland and Romania. There are also 81 women and 6 men – Germans, Luxemburgers, French, Soviets and Polish – who had been shot by the SS at Hirzenhain shortly before the arrival of the U.S. troops. Only one of these 87 killed is known by name. The abbey lies in a bend of the Wetter river, on low ground. A mill run is diverted upstream and flows through the abbey precinct. Today,
5050-585: 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
5151-458: The abbey church, where a chapel was dedicated to its veneration. There it was probably destroyed in 1631 by a peasant from Eberstadt. That year the area was occupied by the Swedish troops and the monks were forced to flee. The newly elected abbot Adam Will and some of his monks went to Clairvaux where he was ordinated. He returned to Arnsburg in 1634 but the fighting continued and at one point only
SECTION 50
#17327800533355252-489: The abbey is by the Baroque Pfortenbau (1770s) giving access to the outer yard with the economy buildings (barn, water mill, brewery and stables). Of the late 17th-century smithy only a stairway tower remains. The Bursenbau (originally c. 1250, renovated in the 18th century) makes up the final front of the outer courtyard. This building contained the refectory and the dormitory of the lay brothers. To its north
5353-474: The abbey owned property in (or rights to income from) 270 locations between Fulda, Wetzlar, Gelnhausen and Mainz. It also had houses in Frankfurt, Friedberg, Gelnhausen, Gießen, Wetzlar and other towns. The number of monks varied significantly over time: records are available for 1390 (more than 100 monks and lay brothers), 1525 (37 monks, 10 lay brothers), 1631 (19 monks, 3 lay brothers), 1673 (12 monks), 1701 (35 monks) and 1774 (43 monks and 3 novices). In 1404,
5454-482: The abbey with an agreement that gave the lords considerable influence over finance, administration and even the day-to-day life of the monks. However, in 1562 Graf Reinhard died and the line of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich now joined the Reformation and tried to change the abbey and environment. Although some members of the reform order joined this movement, it engendered opposition from the powerful Archbishop of Mainz. At
5555-526: The abbot and a lay brother remained, with both of them living in hiding. The abbey was occupied by the Swedish and their Solms allies in 1631/2. Part of the furnishings, including the organ, were dragged off to Lich. The tombs of the founders and abbots, the church and its altars were desecrated. A 1661 list presented to the Emperor lists the damages: all the furnishings were taken, the altars destroyed and even
5656-479: 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
5757-800: 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
5858-459: 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
5959-422: The burial site of the abbots, on the lower floor. The former was demolished in the 19th century, but has been reconstructed and now serves as a venue for concerts. The latter has become part of the war grave cemetery, with a memorial to the war dead. The war cemetery now occupies the cloister, where rows of graves are interspersed with crosses made of Basaltic tuff . The cloister was almost completely demolished in
6060-419: The church was restored. He also added a tower to the church and a new cloister. In addition, Kolb restored the main altar and several side altars. Abbot Antonius Antoni (1714–45) had the Bursenbau , the convent the library, the main building and the Prälatenbau restored. Peter Schmitt built the Küchenbau and the Gartenhaus , he also restored the church roof. Finally, under abbot Bernhard Birkenstock (1772–99)
6161-430: 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 ,
SECTION 60
#17327800533356262-469: 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 ",
6363-469: 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
6464-474: 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
6565-440: The confrontation a reported 26 farms were burned and damages totaling 73,000 Gulden were inflicted on abbey property. In 1457 the dormitory of the lay brothers burned down and – after having been rebuilt – collapsed. Plundering also caused damage, so that by 1489 the abbey had to seek a loan from Antoniterkloster Grünberg [ de ] . In 1541/2 abbey and secular lord were able to resolve differences about practices at
6666-455: The convent denied Archbishop John II of Nassau financial support and as a consequence he seized the abbey's properties in the Rheingau, Wetterau and on the Main river. He also "banned" it and threatened its destruction. However, in 1406 Werner von Falkenstein , Archbishop of Trier , came to the abbey's help and stationed a troop of 400 soldiers there to protect it. The abbey had to bear the significant cost of supporting them. In addition, during
6767-444: 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,
6868-481: The east, the main building connects to the still extant Prälatenbau (1727) and Küchenbau (1747). These used to front on a park to the south, of which only a pond remains. The 18th-century Konventbau , extending north from the Prälatenbau , was almost completely demolished in the 19th century. The large, roofless church lies to the north of the cloister. It was a three-aisled late Romanesque hall basilica built from Londorfer Basaltlava [ de ] . Since
6969-434: 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
7070-458: The economy buildings of the abbey followed. The abbey originally was awarded the property of the Benedictine house: land and farms ( Hofgüter ) in various locations including Arnsburg, near Frankfurt and near Mainz; as well as fishing rights and the tithing rights for two villages. Estimates put the total property of the young abbey at around 175 hectares. The abbey was initially largely independent of secular influences. The founder had reserved only
7171-420: The election of a new abbot in May 1574 the Solms family and Mainz both denied the other side's right to send a delegation. The Solms family claimed sovereignty over the abbey, which insisted that it enjoyed imperial immediacy ( Reichsunmittelbarkeit ) and was therefore free from any other authority than the Emperor. Although the Aulic Council at Vienna ruled in favour of the abbey in 1715, the Solms objected and
7272-791: 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
7373-534: The family became the most powerful in the Wetterau and the Rhine-Main region. Konrad II exchanged properties with Fulda Abbey , receiving the land of Münzenberg Castle not far from Arnsburg. His son, Kuno I (1151–1207), from 1156 styled himself von Münzenberg , implying that by then a castle had been built at Münzenberg and the one at Arnsburg had been vacated. In 1150/1 Konrad II and his wife Luitgard set up
7474-453: The fighting of World War II . It was decided to build the cemetery in the area of the former cloister after the then owner, Georg Friedrich Graf zu Solms-Laubach gave the permission. The cemetery was created in 1958–60. It contains the graves of 447 people who had been previously buried at various sites across the districts of Alsfeld, Büdingen and Gießen. Among the interred are German soldiers as well as prisoners-of-war and forced labourers from
7575-428: 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
7676-488: The former catholic monastery became part of the parish of Gonterskirchen (until 1808 or 1815) and then of the parish Wohnbach (until 1859). After the monks left, the abbey was soon turned into a prison/insane asylum and workhouse, but this only lasted until 1811. In 1847 a house for "fallen women" was established at the Gartenhaus and in 1877 expanded into the Bursenbau . The vestibule of the church served for decades as
7777-490: The gate house was erected. All of this vastly changed the appearance of the abbey and significantly increased its size. At the same time, the library was restocked. From almost complete destruction in the 1630s it was rebuilt to 2,100 tomes by 1708 and 15,000 by 1784. The final abbot, Alexander Weitzel, was ordained in 1799. During German mediatisation the abbey was dissolved in 1802/3. Like many others, its properties were awarded to secular princes who had lost territory west of
7878-657: The most crass violations of the order's rules ended. These stricter policies were also followed by abbots Conrad Eiff (1708–14) and Peter Schmitt (1746–72). However, the way of life of the Arnsburg monks of the 18th century was still far from the original ideals of the order and they enjoyed a high standard of living and a relatively comfortable life. This was reflected in the pomp of the Baroque reconstruction that created abbey buildings and outposts among its properties that resembled secular palaces and manor houses. Under abbot Kolb
7979-416: The new abbey was also delayed. It is not clear whether a group of monks arrived soon after the agreement of 1174 and then left again, or whether the whole enterprise was delayed for a long time. What is known is that only in 1197 did the monks led by the new abbot Mengot arrive at Arnsburg and construction started. The first building to be raised was the church, which was consecrated in 1246. The Klausur and
8080-681: 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,
8181-640: The order's rules. Abbot and monks lived a life resembling that of contemporary secular nobles rather than adhering to the Cistercian rules. They went hunting, feasted and kept women, especially under abbot Georg Heyl (1663–69). The 18th century once again brought troubles during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740s) and the Seven Years' War (1750s/60s). In the years after 1759 the region
8282-536: The proceedings continued to drag on for decades, without having been resolved in 1803 when the abbey was dissolved. Like many other monasteries, the abbey was significantly damaged during the Thirty Years' War . In 1623, the Gothic Heiligkreuzkapelle (chapel of the holy cross) on the Hainfeld (built 1399) was desecrated and plundered by Protestant peasants. The holy cross relic was brought to
8383-579: The property of the former Benedictine monastery as well as his old castle of Arnsburg. He had come to an agreement with abbot Pontius of Clairvaux as early as February 1171. The general chapter of the Cistercians then ordered the abbot of Eberbach Abbey , Gerhard, to send monks to Arnsburg. On 16 July 1174 in a formal meeting in Münzenberg Castle, the founding document was presented to the monks. However, for unknown reasons, construction of
8484-515: 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
8585-427: The roofs of church and dormitory had been disassembled and carried off. Most other buildings were heavily damaged or completely demolished. It took decades to repair the abbey. The monks used the vestibule, which had apparently survived, for services. The first service in the church itself took place only in 1672. The 17th century (like the 16th century before) was a period of low standards and widespread violations of
8686-457: The site is a mixture of various architectural styles from the late Romanesque to the Baroque. The state of preservation differs significantly. The abbey is surrounded by the Medieval wall of around 1.6 km length, which encircles the complete abbey precinct, including territory on the left bank of the river. This includes the Gartenhaus and the former vegetable garden. The main entry into
8787-432: The square choir 8 by 8 meters. No other foundations have been found – according to Benedictine custom, the church was the first permanent building to be constructed. The monks likely still lived in temporary wooden houses when the monastery was dissolved in 1174. Two extant documents pertain to this monastery. Heinrich, Archbishop of Mainz , who was the ecclesiastical superior of the monastery, confirmed its establishment in
8888-571: The status of "patron" in 1174 and in 1219 Emperor Friedrich II just granted his "protection" to the abbey, which was projected from Friedberg Castle. Nevertheless, the Vogt rights retained by the secular lords created some tensions of time, as the family of Falkenstein-Eppstein and then the Grafen von Solms inherited the lordship over the area from the Münzenbergers. By the late 14th century,
8989-479: The top of the arch. Stylistically, the church was most likely built between 1200 and 1250, starting with the eastern structures (choir and transept), followed by the first two bays of the nave (c. 1220) and then, after only a short break, the western bays. The counts of Solms-Laubach remain owners of the abbey. For decades, the Gartenhaus has been home of the Dowager Countess Madeleine,
9090-480: 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
9191-627: 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 )
9292-447: 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
9393-630: 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
9494-577: 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
9595-405: 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
9696-454: Was in keeping with the times, as rulers of the 12th century tended to favour the "reform orders". They also refrained from exercising the rights of ownership over newly founded abbeys, leaving them to the responsible (Arch-)Bishop. Cistercians also usually asked to be exempted from the Vogt system, whereby the secular ruler retained some administrative or judicial rights. Kuno gave the Cistercians
9797-522: 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
9898-616: 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
9999-680: 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
10100-437: Was settled by the Franks but whether there was a continuity of use of the Arnsburg area is unknown. Research is currently under way in this regard with excavations at Villa Arnesburg , a place mentioned in 1151 and 1174. This village was later abandoned ( Wüstung ) but may have been a local place of settlement in late Antiquity, bridging the abandonment of the castrum and the building of the castles. Excavations indicate that
10201-533: Was the site of armed conflict and the abbey was plundered three times. The abbot had to flee five times. Monks were kidnapped and had to be ransomed on several occasions. Nevertheless, the 18th century was a period of late prosperity for the abbey and it saw the great renovation of the buildings in Baroque style . Under abbot Robert I Kolb (1673–1701) the damage of the Thirty Years' War was finally overcome and
#334665