181-553: The New Frankfurt Old Town (also known as the Dom-Römer Quarter ) is the centre of the old town of Frankfurt am Main , Germany, which was reconstructed from 2012 to 2018 as part of a major urban development project called the Dom-Römer Project (German: Dom-Römer-Projekt ). The project redesigned and developed a 7,000 m (75,000 sq ft) property between Römerberg in the west and Domplatz in
362-552: 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
543-439: A door knocker on the western wall, which probably originated from Hamel's time and led directly to the vestibule of the rear building Alte Hölle (as can be seen in the image). A barred window above the door leading to the vestibule allowed only little natural light to reach the room. At the southern wall you could see the outlines of a walled-up door leading to the neighboring house Stadt Miltenberg (H ell's Lane 11 ), which
724-591: 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
905-487: A bed-chamber or an office under different owners. The museum furnished them according to their presumed purposes an office, a music room, a kitchen and the chambers of a male resident, using much of the original decor. Back in the stairwell the third intermediate floor above the vestibule of the Alte Hölle could be seen on the western side on the way to the roof. Although in contrast to the preceding intermediate floors,
1086-650: 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,
1267-656: 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
1448-559: A construction project that did not pretend that the Second World War had never existed". Michael Guntersdorf talks to Matthias Alexander about his experiences with the Dom-Römer project. The project was essentially about city repair. One of the main benefits of the project is the recovery of Braubachstrasse. In the past 70 years, practically no urban space has emerged that has the quality of the new old town. The ensemble effect
1629-458: 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
1810-467: A few of these requirements. In this plan, the "Coronation Trail" was not going to follow the original route, but was to be built in a straight diagonal line from the Stone house to the cathedral tower. The plan involved construction of large scale buildings and a trapezoidal shaped square was planned at the level of the archaeological garden, which, like the diagonal to the cathedral tower, had never existed in
1991-536: A fortune, which greatly exceeded the usual wealth of rich merchants in Frankfurt. At the time of his death on 19 January 1623 he already owned the complete western part of Hell's Lane and the bordering house of Wolkenburg (Krautmarkt 7) which was situated at the Krautmarkt ( herb market ). It was now the turn of Hamels widow and one of his younger brothers to keep on networking. This was nearly impossible due to
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#17327722256712172-557: 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
2353-533: A lot of money because he had to rent several houses for his family and goods in the meantime. When the latticework was finished he sued the blacksmith because the latticework was not the same as that of the counsellor Johann Martin Hecker, as Hamel desired. Instead, according to Hamel, Reynold had "overloaded the grid with many excessive rings – which were not originally intended – in such a way that noticeable demage [ sic ? ] would inevitably be caused through
2534-581: 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
2715-581: A one-dimensional concert of your dreams ... A history in which National Socialism, the German wars of aggression and the Holocaust still survive as anecdotes of an otherwise unbroken national history". Trüby's theses also received international attention, for example in the Observer. The architecture journalist Enrico Santifaller contradicts this. The debate about the old town has historical roots, since 1880
2896-560: 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
3077-541: 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
3258-413: A private library for his villa. The reconstruction of the old town went on from 1952 to 1960. Modern functional and residential buildings with new floorplans and traffic routes were produced. The area between Frankfurt Cathedral and Römer was left out and stayed a waste land until the 1970s. Excavations in the 1950s found a lot of evidence of Roman, Merovingian, Karolingian and late medieval buildings in
3439-576: A similar form in Frankfurt's urban history. At the presentation of the draft, however, Edwin Schwarz (CDU), head of the planning department, emphasised that it was only a suggestion of how the required building dimensions should be made: "What can be seen here will not be built this way". Other architectural competitions would decide on the final design. Schwarz also spoke out against the reconstruction of individual historical buildings, since these would then stand next to modern buildings. The winning design
3620-553: 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
3801-434: A speed-up of the construction to finish the house in time for the autumn fair in 1618 and was "left to it". Nevertheless, the house was not finished by the autumn fair in 1618 because the locksmith Jacob Reynold, who created the latticework between the vaulted passages and the skylights of the ground floor, delivered so late that the house was not ready for over a year and could finally only be finished in 1619. This cost Hamel
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#17327722256713982-509: A stairway once led from there to the basement of th e Alte Hölle . The stairway became obsolete when the Alte Hölle was merged with the Goldenen Waage and part of the basement rooms was sold to die Grüne Linde located west of the market . Changes to the house, such as the many doors which were walled-up over the centuries, the cellars, along with uncertainty as to the ownership gave rise to many myths and rumours, so people believed
4163-413: A total of 35 buildings were to be built on the site. In September 2010, after a round of revisions, the fourth-placed architectural firm Meurer Architects was selected with a revised design for a building envisaged to cover the entire archaeological garden close to the cathedral. In order to maintain a small appearance, the building dimensions were designed as an ensemble of five buildings. In March 2011,
4344-762: 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
4525-645: 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
4706-823: 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 the EU at Gadheim in Lower Franconia . Like France and Franconia ,
4887-543: Is a medieval half-timbered house in the old town of Frankfurt am Main , which was destroyed in the air raid on 22 March 1944 . Because of its high architectural and historic value, it is one of the most famous sights of the city. It is situated in front of the main entrance of the cathedral on the corner of the narrow Höllgasse , which leads from the cathedral square to the Römerberg and Altstadtgasse. The detailed Renaissance facade dates from 1619. The remains of
5068-459: 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
5249-411: Is an expression of a conservative zeitgeist that hides the disintegration of public cohesion through symbolic-media replacement. "It's not a question of how you can build a city that is useful today – it's about generating an image of a city". Stephan Trüby criticized the entire project. The New Old Town was initiated by Claus Wolfschlagback, a "right-wing radical with links to the extremist milieu". This
5430-403: Is even better than originally thought. Suddenly the architects are on the defensive and have a professional discussion about their health. One could learn from the project for future new building projects "that one needs more depth in dealing with architecture. It can no longer be about creating volume. You have to provide identification with special design elements. You have to put more effort into
5611-879: 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
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5792-618: Is just a backdrop, untrue, inauthentic ... But architecture is always illusory ... Only in some residential and commercial areas, where every design claim is sacrificed, is the architecture really true". Even Laura Weißmüller emphasizes the quality and attention to detail with which the New Old Town was built. Starting with the planning and the careful construction, all parties involved, builders, architects, planners and construction companies pulled together in Frankfurt. "One would wish that so much attention to detail and care would be put into
5973-428: Is no coincidence, "the reconstruction architecture in Germany is currently developing into a key medium of authoritarian, ethnic, historical revisionist rights". It was "scandalous that the initiative of a right-wing radical without any significant civil society resistance led to a slick neighborhood with seemingly seamless repeat architectures". The new old town is "a sub-complex heal-world building that reduces history to
6154-556: 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
6335-488: 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
6516-483: Is well-known (Wolf Burckhardt ), as well as the name of the man who was responsible for the wrought iron grid between the circular arches and the skylights – locksmith Jacob Reynold. He was responsible for the wrought iron latticework between the circular arches and the skylights. Above the kontor rooms there was a low intermediate storey on the level of the ground floor called the Bobbelage . The intermediate storey
6697-435: 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,
6878-600: 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
7059-463: 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
7240-472: 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 a population of more than 5.8 million and
7421-494: The Goldene Waage to be haunted. The vestibule originally served the Alte Hölle's staircase, which revealed the very old style of construction: once, the vestibule was open towards the yard and arbor-like vestibules with wooden parapets were located in front of the upper rooms. This construction method was common for timber-framed houses in Frankfurt's historic center, even in the early 20th century. However, as part of
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7602-483: The Haus zur Goldenen Waage were destroyed during the airstrike on 22 March 1944. The house collapsed to its sandstone pedestal because the beautiful timber frame was burning. The loss of many works of art, that were integrated into the building and historically and materially irreplaceable e.g. the complex ceilings of the different rooms or the tile stove on the first floor was exceptionally tragic. Major artworks exhibited by
7783-466: The Schöffen (judiciary executives) came to the conclusion that the ground floor was one Schuh ( literally shoe – about 28,5 cm) too high compared to the blueprints provided by Hamel. Due to this the planning permission was almost denied, but although as so often before Hamel used his wealth to get his way. He paid a fine of 100 Reichstalern for another infringement of the blueprints consisting of
7964-572: The Schönau house (Market 10) "a very narrow thing with a slate facade pulled down deep… and a slightly convex curvature of the elegantly stepped front. Probably an absolutely unique piece". Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main ( / ˈ f r æ ŋ k f ər t / ; German: [ˈfʁaŋkfʊʁt ʔam ˈmaɪn] ; lit. " Frank ford on the Main ") is the most populous city in
8145-568: The Technisches Rathaus was created in 1972–1974 as the seat of the technical offices of the city administration. Five old town houses on Braubachstrasse that had survived the war were demolished to excavate the construction pit. The building, built in the brutalist architectural style, dominated the former old town, in a style very different from that of the small-scale buildings in the area. The construction costs totalled DM 93 million. In 2004, developers discussed plans for renovating
8326-531: 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
8507-546: 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
8688-865: 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
8869-402: 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 the EU. Frankfurt is one of
9050-528: The cathedral , displayed a very delicate design of the timber framing , which formed a pattern of saltires . The timber framing could be compared to the design at Schwarzer Stern, which had been built at Römerberg shortly before. In contrast to the Goldene Waage the Schwarzer Stern was rebuilt in the 1980s after its destruction in World War II. The timber frame of the upper floors also showed almost continuous rows of narrow windows on all sides. On
9231-442: The market . Hamel had additionally used the room as a shop for his business. At the southern side one could reach the low intermediate storey, known as a Bobbelage, via a magnificently-crafted stairway (as can be seen in the image). The parapet was designed in the same style as the guard rail and was intercepted by a solid red sandstone pillar with an ionic capital as high as the room. The ceiling, situated only slightly above it,
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#17327722256719412-453: The market . The arcades were based on widely overhanging imposts ; the keystones depicted lions' heads. The front door, which was decorated by a double lintel , was located between the two arcades facing the market . While the upper one was connected to the (extended) column shafts of the arcades, the lower formed almost a straight line. Its keystone displayed the coat-of-arms of Abraham van Hamel and his wife Anna van Lith (as can be seen in
9593-401: 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
9774-636: The 30-year-old technical town hall. The city council then decided in December 2004 to carry out an urban planning ideas competition with the option of either renovation of the current building or demolition and subsequent small-scale development in its place. There was demand for a return of the small-scale structures that used to form the Gothic old town. The councils competition was considered an unusual procedure. The Chamber of Architects in Wiesbaden opposed
9955-421: 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
10136-468: The Alte Hölle (Old Hell). Around this time the name Höllgasse (Hell's Lane) emerged, which described the densely built and extremely dark lane between the market square and Bendergasse, which was very narrow even for medieval times. There was also a house called Junge Hölle (Young Hell), located on the eastern side of Höllgasse, directly opposite Alte Hölle (Old Hell). Most of the houses on this side of
10317-596: 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,
10498-710: The Carolingian Royal Palace Frankfurt. In 2007, reconstruction of parts of the former old town became part of the Dom-Römer Project , which included the rebuilding of the Goldenen Waage. Work did not start until 2014. During the reconstruction, the Archaeological Garden was covered over but remains accessible via the neighbouring townhouse on the market square. In December 2017, the half-timbered facade,
10679-471: 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
10860-677: The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Mayor Petra Roth (CDU) suggested that four buildings, including the Haus zur goldenen Waage and the Neue Rote Haus could be reconstructed, but Roth believed that these could not be rebuilt in their original locations. In May 2006, the German Federal Government architect (BDA) Workshop organised 50 architects to draft proposals for 20 plots to be built, with
11041-468: 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
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#173277222567111222-587: The Renaissance ceiling and the belvedere were completed. There are plans to open the restored building to the public in 2019, along with a café and a local office of the Historical Museum . The house on the corner of Höllgasse was mentioned as early as the Middle Ages , in 1323, known as House Kulmann or Colmann after the owner. In 1405, it became one building with the house behind it,
11403-400: The Second World War, the medieval old town of Frankfurt am Main, until then one of the best preserved in Central Europe, was almost completely destroyed by bombing. Only a few historical buildings remained, and in the post-war period, other damaged buildings were also demolished, mostly in favour of "car-friendly" traffic planning. There were very few external reconstructions of buildings and
11584-404: The University of Frankfurt, later named Goethe University Frankfurt . This marked the only civic foundation of a university in Germany; today it is one of Germany's largest. From 6 April to 17 May 1920, following military intervention to put down the Ruhr uprising , Frankfurt was occupied by French troops . The French claimed that Articles 42 to 44 of the peace treaty of Versailles concerning
11765-444: The additional costs incurred during the construction period are due to changes in the plan and interventions in the construction process. Public criticism and approval accompanied the project from the start. The lines of argumentation often followed the same pattern as since the beginning of the reconstruction debate immediately after the destruction. Dieter Bartetzko compares the old town with an unfathomably deep fountain that draws on
11946-479: 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
12127-576: The anniversary of the storming of the Bastille . The elections and coronations took place in St. Bartholomäus Cathedral , known as the Kaiserdom (Emperor's Cathedral), or its predecessors. The Frankfurter Messe ('Frankfurt Trade Fair') was first mentioned in 1150. In 1240, Emperor Frederick II granted an imperial privilege to its visitors, meaning they would be protected by the empire. The fair became particularly important when similar fairs in French Beaucaire lost attraction around 1380. Book trade fairs began in 1478. In 1372, Frankfurt became
12308-421: The arcades they seemed rather to be decorative elements. The corbels , which were located below the impost block of the shaft, had been carefully designed by the stonemason : on the biggest corbel at the north-western corner a crouching man surrounded by flowers was depicted (as can be seen in the image), the remaining seven corbels alternated between the depiction of a man's and a woman's head (as can be seen in
12489-411: The area. At the beginning of the 21st century, the city started planning the future design of the old town area by the cathedral, later known as the Dom-Römer Project . In 2005 – more than 60 years after the destruction of the old town – both the inhabitants and the city council had a preference for the most exact possible restoration of the historical site with alleys, squares and courtyards, as well as
12670-459: 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
12851-456: The beginning of the Thirty Years' War. From 1631 to 1635 Frankfurt was partly occupied by Swedish soldiers. The complaints of the war reached the city, that was filled with refugees, too: From 1634 to 1636 almost 14,000 people died during the years of the Plague. During peaceful times Frankfurt had around 15,000 inhabitants, of whom many were refugees. The first three years of the pest (1634–1636) took 14,000 peoples' lives in Frankfurt. Wide parts of
13032-413: The bottom alongside a ram with golden scales above. At the bottom of the girder a metal arm was attached to the building, holding golden scales. The name of the house seems to be derived from this object. The arm was located above the front door until 1899 and originates from the times when houses needed a clear, visual identifier due to the lack of house numbering. The scales that had been attached after
13213-463: The building. At the end of the seventeenth century, when the house was owned by the Barckhausen family, additional renovations were carried out, for example, furnishing was obviously added. A rather simple stucco ceiling was built in the north-eastern room. It was divided in panels, showing a pelican feeding its fledglings – an indication that the room was used as a nursery. The pelican was also
13394-609: The buildings from Maria Margarethe Gaßmann in 1605. Hamel came from Tournai in the Spanish Netherlands . As a member of the Continental Reformed Church and a religious refugee he travelled through Sittard near Aachen and Wesel in 1599 and arrived in Frankfurt, where his father and brother had already taken up citizenship. Despite some opposition from the guilds he was permitted to take
13575-444: The buildings in the area that weren't planned to be reconstructed, could be feasibly reconstructed based on the available documentation, provided that private investors were found. The deadline for interested parties to purchase a property in the Dom-Römer area ended on 31 July 2010. On 12 June 2010, the statutes for the Dom-Römer area came into force. This described guidelines for the structure and design of facades and roofs as well as
13756-410: The central square of the new old town was reconstructed on three sides. The architects, who were awarded first prizes in 2011, prevailed over the new buildings, which fit harmoniously into the ensemble of the old town, but should nevertheless be recognizable as 21st century buildings. In 2013, a citizens' initiative was formed against the competition results in favour implementing more reconstructions with
13937-435: The citizen's oath on 19 November 1599. From 1618 to 1619, he ordered the four-storeyed front-facing house on his property to be torn down and replaced it with an elaborately designed new house. His project came in for intense resistance from the council and begrudging neighbors. The public display of prosperity was frowned upon in Frankfurt, which the owner of the similarly elaborately ornamented Salzhaus had experienced. Hamel
14118-499: 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 the collapse of the empire in 1806, regained it in 1815 and then lost it again in 1866, when it
14299-430: 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 ,
14480-708: 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 ",
14661-499: The competition approach and considered the obligation to submit two drafts impractical and called for a clear decision by politicians. The competition, originally announced for January 2005, ultimately did not take place. In May 2005, the political powers decided not to pursue the competition any further. They nevertheless insisted that the following requirements be in place for any further urban planning competition: small-scale buildings with facades and roofs need to fit harmoniously into
14842-912: 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
15023-424: The concrete structure and the exposed stone wall, the insulation wool peels out and proves that history is even possible in the face of today's building regulations cannot be reproduced true to the original". Philipp Oswalt said similarly. It is absurd to build so few apartments for 200 million. The city stopped social housing, subsidized luxury apartments and thus privatized public goods. The entire Dom-Römer project
15204-502: The construction of the Goldene Waage was documented in the city archives. In February 1618 Hamel first asked for permission to tear down his run-down house to replace it with a new four-storeyed building consisting of a ground floor and three upper floors. Even though Hamel promised to abide by the laws and regulations, including to not build above the neighbor's property, thereby not "allowing navigation caused by narrowing of alleyways and other nuisances and drawbacks". The construction of
15385-399: The construction of the Goldene Waage, Hamel had ceilings installed in the vestibule and thus created further rooms above it. Since the rooms were considerably shorter than the original rooms of the Alte Hölle and also were not at the same height as the rooms of the Goldene Waage , as can be seen in the cross-section of the house, a tower containing a spiral staircase was constructed between
15566-450: The construction site to citizens. A virtual project film gave an impression of what the old town would look like after completion. On 12 December 2016, the managing director of the GmbH reported to the Dom-Römer special committee that the current calculation was 196 million euros. As the head of planning stated, the additional costs would arise from non-project costs, such as the renovation of
15747-453: The construction, according to which he had "with benevolence and good will, paid and pleased them without any argument or misunderstanding". Even though Hamel was a confectioner, he mostly traded with spices and dyes, which is documented by a petition by the city council which elevated him to a "trader" in 1619. Due to his extensive trade relations to the whole middle Rhine area, parts of northern Germany, but also in his homeland, he soon earned
15928-443: The construction. A written document states: "because of justice and appropriateness, a Dutchman, who is predestined to seek his own advantages, should not be favoured over other long-standing and local citizens." Hamel countered that for his business the acquisition of more space was very important due to the expensive property at the market forcing him to build up to the same height to use the house to its full extent. During this time
16109-416: The crest of the Barckhausen family's coat-of-arms. Additionally, a big double door leading to the north-western room had been added (as can be seen in the image), flanked by detailed Corinthian pillars. The remaining rooms on the floor were decorated far more plainly than the previous floors and included little decor originating from the earlier times of the house. Through the centuries they had been used as
16290-438: The date 1577, whereas the Goldene Waage was only completed in 1619. The room was also connected to the backyards of the market by an iron door. Hamel still stored his goods in this room, later owners used it, among other things, as a stable for the horses, as proven by the mangers which were added later. Finally, various ancient vehicles were displayed in the museum. The room was a so-called Kellerhals ("basement neck") because
16471-603: 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,
16652-471: The design for the area up to a citizens referendum. The SPD said that two or three competing designs with historical or historicizing and modern buildings should be developed. In October 2005, voters presented their concept for a historically accurate reconstruction of old houses, alleys and squares under the title "An Old Town for Frankfurt's Soul". In December 2005 the CDU tried to set up a special committee for
16833-559: The design has always been struggling anew, with opponents and advocates of reconstructions not fitting in a right-left scheme. The reconstruction of the Römerberg-Ostzeile was based on an idea by the SPD Mayor Rudi Arndt. At the same time, Linke and Spontis had instigated the Frankfurt house fight, "sociologists see today as the beginning of a second homeland security movement". The "storm of indignation", which
17014-410: The details". He opposes criticism that you could have built many social housing for the same money; this thinking is "totally limited". "It was a sensible investment, it brings the city forward. The foreigners in particular, who we led over the construction site, were of the opinion that the people of Frankfurt should have remembered their history as a European metropolis much earlier". He personally likes
17195-483: The east, delimited by Braubachstrasse in the north and the Schirn Kunsthalle in the south, in an effort to remake the old city centre, the Altstadt (old town), which was severely damaged during World War II , in the style of the pre-war architecture. Due to the heavy bombing of Frankfurt am Main in World War II , most of the city's old town was destroyed. Efforts to rebuild parts of the historic fabric of
17376-633: 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
17557-791: 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
17738-497: The entrance to the first intermediate storey above the vestibule of the Alte Hölle to the west. According to an inventory in 1635, it was once used as a kitchen but is now, along with the room behind it, a library for the museum. In its structure the second floor was essentially identical with the floor below although the rooms north and south of the hallway had already been separated by intermediate walls during Hamel's time, resulting in four doors leading to four rooms in this part of
17919-420: The excavations of the archaeological garden accessible, a superstructure was to be built, in which larger struts had to be incorporated. Further research was necessary to establish, for example, whether the historical level of the streets and ground floors could be maintained. The current building regulations had to be observed for each reconstruction, especially with regard to fire protection, energy efficiency and
18100-504: The fact that a total of 16 coronation ceremonies for Roman-German kings were held in Frankfurt from the 14th to the 18th century. 20 offices took part in the urban planning competition. In August 2005, an application was submitted suggesting the reconstruction of some important historic buildings that had been destroyed in the war. However, the winning design chosen by the Frankfurt office KSP Engel and Zimmermann in September 2005 met only
18281-403: The first floor there were eleven windows to the eastern side, six to the northern. On the second floor there were twelve windows to the eastern and four to the northern side. The glazing was completed around 1750. The crossing pier , which was statically important for the timber frame, was entirely decorated with grand carvings (as can be seen in the image): Patriarch Abraham was depicted on
18462-526: The help of a citizens' decision. It was unsuccessful. At the beginning of April 2010, the demolition of the technical town hall began and was completed by early 2012. The foundation stone for the development of the Dom-Römer area was laid symbolically on 23 January 2012. The buildings were built on top of the 1972 underground car park and subway station. In August 2012 an extension of the Schirn art gallery had to be demolished in order to create more space for
18643-513: The high medieval layers. The archaeological finds were preserved and made accessible to the public as an archaeological garden. In 1966, the Frankfurt subway was extended under the old town. When the Dom/Römer underground station was built in 1970–71, it destroyed a large part of the oldest settlement floor in Frankfurt (which had not yet been archaeologically examined) due to the open construction method, Subsequently, after years of discussion,
18824-424: The house in the style of a typical townhouse in Frankfurt around the 18th century. The 18th century was chosen because the latest major extensions were made during this time. Also, the inventory was still original since the death of Hamel. It was common for the court to note down the furniture of every wealthy citizen after their death. After her death in 1635, the inventory of Hamel's wife was officially recorded. At
19005-465: The house of the three Romans or the building in Braubachstrasse 21 . In his reply to Trüby's polemic, Matthias Alexander also points out that "reconstructions cannot be classified politically either on the right or on the left. They obtain their legitimation primarily from two sources: their craft quality and their civic acceptance. Both are given in Frankfurt". Hanno Rauterberg contradicts
19186-412: The house, according to Hamel, would have led to "quite some wealth, adornment and a good reputation" and was not permitted. The neighbors, who were all well established families of merchants and patricians from Frankfurt, objected the tall construction which, according to them, would have restricted the narrow alleyway's exposure to light and air and increased the danger of fire. They grudged the foreigner
19367-522: The house, which would have allowed reconstruction after the war, were eliminated in 1950. However, the archways remained preserved as part of a private library in Götzenhain. For more than 20 years the land was fallow. Then in 1972–73, during the construction of the subway station Dom / Römer, the Archaeological Garden was created, allowing access to excavations of the Roman settlement on Cathedral hill and
19548-405: The image). Only the stone on the outermost (most western from the top) side facing the market was particularly special in its own right, depicting a ram's head – whether this could be seen as a reference to the name Hamel (similar to Hammel, German for ram), has never been resolved. The name of the stonemason also remains unknown. However, the name of the leading bricklayer during the construction
19729-502: The interior of the Goldene Waage was not yet completed. The café on the ground floor opened in September 2019. The Historical Museum is still to be set up on the two upper floors. Judging by its outward appearance, the Goldene Waage appeared to be a typical renaissance building in Frankfurt's historic city center: a tall foundation made of red sandstone that outwardly showed intricate, richly decorated arcades – four of which pointed towards Hell's Lane ( Höllgasse ), two towards
19910-442: The lack of light" and furthermore "the rods so thickness should be more than enough to lock up a prisoner". He refused an evaluation of the situation by the jury of craftsmen from the outset because he believed them to be prejudiced. Thus, the locksmith received no judgement and Hamel filed another lawsuit before the local court ( Schöffengericht ). This time he won by submitting a declaration signed by all other workers participating in
20091-479: The lost anchor of its origin and provides it with rock solid reinforcement made of cement". Jürgen Tietz doubts that the new old town will contribute to the future of the city. It is a fairytale world, the danger is great that "only a dollhouse will be created, a backdrop for photographing tourists, selfie stick drawn and thumbs up. What characterizes historic old towns cannot be ordered and also not simply built". The creative replicas are "fake architecture", "between
20272-451: The lower two-thirds and the letters A(nna) V(an) L(ith) in the upper area. The helmet crest was a guardian ram (German: Hammel ), undoubtedly a reference to the name of the builder. Taking early seventeenth century conditions into account, the construction was a masterpiece of structural engineering of both the material and the construction: the open-worked arcades on the ground floor were not suitable as load-bearing elements. However, this
20453-458: 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
20634-461: The majority of the former old town was rebuilt in the style of the 1950s, largely abandoning the historic street network. The area between Römerberg and the cathedral remained as a rubble clearance wasteland for many years and its development was debated for a long time. In 1953, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a Roman settlement, and traces of the Carolingian period, beneath the area of
20815-474: The market constituted the main shopping street, comparable to the current Zeil street in Frankfurt. Hamel lost the trial and therefore the Goldene Waage only became a three-story building, contrary to the original planing. At the beginning of July 1618, a neighbour filed another complaint against the construction when the ground floor and the timber-framework had already been completed. An inspection by
20996-504: The memory of the past in the minds of city dwellers, no matter how often it is overwritten. He explains this thesis using the example of the new building at Großer Rebstock (Markt 8) and the reconstruction at Braubachstraße 21 . In contrast, the Technisches Rathaus, "rammed as a concrete juggernaut in the middle of the previously closed row of houses on Braubachstrasse", had remained a provocative and ignorant foreign body in
21177-484: The memory of their destruction in different ways. He recalls an earlier article that he wrote about the planned demolition of the Technical Town Hall and reconstructions in the old town for Die Zeit, and in which he made fun of the "half-timbered longing", the "longing for a city like this looks like the cities that Frankfurt might like to visit as tourists". After a tour of the construction site, however, he
21358-500: The museum survived the war without any damage because they were brought to other places before the attacks. A simplified reconstruction of the building (similar to the reconstruction of the Salzhaus ) would have been possible because of the existing inventory and the intact foundation walls but the city removed the ruins completely in 1950. The arcades of the Goldene Waage were sold to a private investor from Götzenhain, who built himself
21539-454: The myths of the past and gives life in the present. He recalls that the fountain on the chicken market was drilled as early as Roman times and that the Carolingian people were probably already aware that they lived on historical ground. This explains why Frankfurt was referred to in its first documentary mention in 794 as a locus celeber , a celebrated site . He describes the old town with Nietzsche as an architectural palimpsest that always keeps
21720-477: The new old town. The completion of the entire Dom-Römer area was planned for 2017. In December 2015, it was announced that the construction costs of the project would not be around 170 million euros, but would again amount to 185.7 million euros, according to a new estimate. The townhouse was finally opened in June 2016. On 15 October 2016, the city of Frankfurt celebrated the topping-out ceremony and opened parts of
21901-461: The next few centuries: 1655–1699 it belonged to the Barckhausen family, 1699–1748 to the Grimmeisen merchants and from 1748–1862 to Von der Lahr family. Before it was bought in 1898 by the city of Frankfurt for 98,000 Mark, it was owned by the families Osterrieth and Scheld' The building was completely renovated starting in 1899 by the builder Franz von Hoven. In the 19th century, the plaster and
22082-562: The old town began in the 1950s with the Römer city hall, which was built as a modern office building behind the old façade that was still standing after the war. An underground car park was built under the Römerberg square, and on top of the Romerberg area, in front of the Cathedral, the brutalist Technisches Rathaus ("Technical City Hall") was built in 1974. The Technisches Rathaus
22263-518: The old town development, similar to the committee that had been formed during the planning for the reconstruction of the row of houses built on the Romer Square in the early 1980s. It became clear that the competitors were largely able to agree on a common line: the most exact possible restoration of the historical floor plan with its alleys, squares and courtyards, as well as the reconstruction of individual, significant houses. In an interview with
22444-555: 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,
22625-502: The old town, housing 20,000 m of gross floor space within the property boundaries of the Technisches Rathaus , with overbuilding of the archaeological garden, but maintenance of it as an indoor museum, and a restoration of the old "coronation path" street layout between the cathedral and the Roman. The name "Coronation Trail", an alternative name for the alley market (also known as the Old Market ), which existed until 1945, arose from
22806-401: The particularly well-documented Goldene Waage . A creative reconstruction, "in which the street facade and the basic layout, in particular, could be rebuilt and possibly extended," seemed possible. The historical city plan could only be partially reconstructed; in particular, because the house by the cathedral, the Goldene Waage , could no longer be rebuilt on its original site. In order to keep
22987-452: The photograph). The arms of alliance coat-of-arms consisted of two men's shields directly next to each other. The right-hand shield displayed a vertical arrow with a barbed hook and three horizontal lines over the shaft. The arrow ended between two ovals, which formed the letter A(braham) with their curves and one linking line. The letters V(on) and H(amel) could be seen in the ovals themselves. The left shield displayed three stoat 's tails in
23168-422: The political powers presented key points for the future development of the old town: extensive restoration of the historical city plan, reconstruction of four buildings ( Haus zur Goldenen Waage, Neues Rotes Haus, Haus zum Esslinger and Goldenes Lämmchen ) at their historical locations, as well as design guidelines for the other houses. The archaeological garden was to be built over in small parts and remain open to
23349-507: The population were experiencing extreme poverty and famine due to the highest inflation in history. When Widow Hamel died on 25 July 1655, her outstanding debts were as high as 60,000 Gulden and her real estate properties were highly indebted too. As a consequence of these high debts, her heirs sold the Haus zur Goldenen Waage and the Alte Hölle for 8,500 Gulden to a tradesman from Frankfurt called Wilhelm Sonnemann. The owners changed many times over
23530-496: The possibility of safe escape routes. Stairwells had to be fire-proof and made of non-flammable materials. On 6 September 2007, the city council decided to rebuild the Dom-Römer area. The CDU, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, FDP and Freien Wählern (free voters) voted for this, the SPD and Die Linke against. The reconstruction of at least seven buildings, including the Goldene Waage was included in this decision. The Jourdan & Müller office
23711-412: The public. In September 2007, the city council approved a plan for the reconstruction of additional buildings, provided that private investors could fund them. The move of the city offices from the Technisches Rathaus was replanned for autumn 2009, and the demolition began in 2010. In July 2009, an architecture competition for the development of the archaeological garden, called "Stadthaus am Markt",
23892-484: The real estate industry. "Only then did a dynamic develop," in which the idea, tallest skyscrapers in continental Europe, building an "old" and "cozy" city suddenly became consensual". Santifaller advocates avoiding ideological blinkers and "risking a second look". Only through this was it possible to see, in addition to all banal re-creations and new creations, as well as detailed errors, the "subtle and not always legible references to breaks and discontinuity", for example in
24073-446: The reconstruction of individual houses significant for town-planning. In a newspaper interview, Mayor Petra Roth suggested the reconstruction of four historically significant buildings, including the Goldene Waage . In order to evaluate the technical possibilities of the reconstruction, the city set up a project to document the old town in 2006. The study found that none of the buildings could be historically reconstructed, not even
24254-534: The renovation was a detailed replica, while the original, which was exposed to the weather for nearly 400 years, was exhibited in the Museum for City History within the house. The market-facing, northwestern corner pillar of the upper floors was as elaborately carved as its counterpart facing the cathedral square; however, this was mostly lost under the shadow of the overhangs of the neighboring house Weisser Bock (white buck) (house address: Market 7). Finally, there
24435-643: The results of the architecture competition for the new buildings on the Dom-Römer area were presented. In April 2011, the designs were publicly exhibited in the Paulskirche in Frankfurt, while the planning services for the eight urban and nine optional reconstructions were put out to tender. In July 2011, Dom-Römer GmbH announced another competition for the two plots Markt 7 and Markt 40, which resulted in first and three second prizes in October 2011, plus two recognition's. On 24 January 2012, Dom-Römer GmbH presented
24616-542: The results of which architects were selected for the development of the Dom-Römer area and thus for the first time an overview of the future shape of the old town. In addition to the eight urban reconstructions, buyers were found for seven of the nine optional reconstructions. Only the builders of the Hühnermarkt 18 plots (Schildknecht house) and Braubachstraße 27 opted for new buildings. In total, 15 reconstructions and 20 new buildings were to be built. The chicken market as
24797-515: 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
24978-476: The sale of the apartments. Over €80 million was also transferred to the city's fixed assets, including the Stadthaus am Markt (€25 million), the refurbished underground car park (€35 million), the Goldene Waage and Neues Rotes Haus (€8 million and €3 million respectively). The value of the shops and restaurants from which the city generates ongoing rental income is around 12 million euros. About 15 to 20 percent of
25159-405: 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 the former West Germany , Frankfurt Airport became
25340-551: The slates were removed to make the old timber framing visible. Dividing walls that had been added later inside were demolished. A few years later, the buildings to the east of the narrow Höllgasse were knocked down to make the Domplatz bigger, so the Haus zur Goldenen Waage could now be seen more easily. In 1913 the city of Frankfurt gifted the historical museum with the building. In 1928 the Historical Museum furnished
25521-606: The spectrum of designs ranging from modern buildings with high proportions of glass to modern interpretations of half-timbered houses (similar to the houses built in Saalgasse in the 1980s). In June 2006 it was announced that the technical town hall would be demolished in 2008. In order to involve the citizens in the planning, a planning workshop with around 60 participants was carried out by the city in autumn 2006. Based on some basic points made at these events, in November 2006,
25702-537: The street were built with overhangs, which meant the first floor was on the property of the cathedral – much to the annoyance of the cathedral administration. The first legal case was recorded in 1299, when the goldsmith Colmann came into conflict with the clergy because his house was located on the eastern side of Höllgasse. The corner house Goldene Waage, as well as the Alte Hölle was bought by Andreas Gaßmann for 3,040 and 2,000 Guilders respectively in 1588. The confectioner and spice trader Abraham van Hamel bought
25883-420: The thesis that the reconstruction of the old town goes hand in hand with the erasure of history and guilt. The debate alone leads to more people thinking about the destruction and its background. On the other hand, "no one in Frankfurt felt reminded of the bomb war and Shoah when they saw the now demolished Technical Town Hall". Most critics mocked questions of taste. "It is often said that this type of architecture
26064-468: The time, the inventory was officially recorded, the inheritance had already been split (as was the custom). Hence, it reflects almost exactly the furnishings of the house when Hamel died. This made it possible for the museum to equip the rooms original. The first airstrikes that hit Frankfurt up to 1942 did not do much damage however the Union of Old Town Frankfurt decided to keep a written record with photos of
26245-480: 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
26426-411: The two buildings. On the ground floor the staircase was accessible via a wooden door in the northern wall of the yard opening to Hell's Lane . Via the staircase one could first reach the store of the Goldene Waage located on the same level. The Museum of City History used it as a shop, as well as for special exhibitions. It could also be reached via a door in the northern wall of the house opening onto
26607-676: The two new buildings. Best with the Three Romans (Markt 40) and Großer Rebstock (Markt 8); the least successful are the Goldene Schachtel (Markt 32) and her neighbor Alter Burggraf . Andreas Maier describes the New Old Town for the travel journal of the FAZ from the "most beautiful and useless place in Frankfurt", the Belvedere of the Haus zur goldenen Waage , "face to face with the cathedral tower". He knew Belvederchen, which
26788-482: The underground car park. At the same time bring only the 65 apartments on the site of a 90 million euro for the city. In December 2017, the externally completed reconstructions were presented at a press appointment. Originally, the Coronation Trail and Dom-Römer area were to be open to the public from the end of March 2018; ultimately happened on 9 May. From 28 to 30 September 2018, the new old town district
26969-440: The urban fabric for decades. In spite of its architectural quality, this was his doom. Dankwart Guratzsch points to the broad consensus in which the reconstruction was decided. "It is the will of a committed citizenry ... It is a piece of civic pride that manifests itself in these houses, and the best craftsmen, artists, monument experts and architects contribute to it ... The citizen of the almost digitally located society insures
27150-412: The use of materials. Only steeply pitched gable roofs with a minimum of 55 degrees were permitted. In August 2010 an open architecture competition for the new buildings on the Dom-Römer area was announced. A total of 56 architectural firms were selected to participate and were to develop new building designs for a total of 27 plots. Together with the eight plots that were planned for urban reconstructions,
27331-627: 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 )
27512-401: The western wall was open-worked here and led via a staircase to the slightly lower situated second floor above the storeroom of the Alte Hölle . In this area of the house, which was described as a workshop in an inventory in 1635, Hamel had once arranged cauldrons, pans and stoves for his original business. Via a staircase you could reach the attic of the Alte Hölle from this point. The attic
27693-500: The whole existing building stock from summer 1942 onwards. With the beginning of the Combined Bomber Offensive in 1943 Frankfurt became a target for airstrikes. The Haus zur Goldenen Waage remained undamaged at first, even though the attacks of 4 October 1943, 29 January 1944, and 18 March 1944, damaged big parts of the surrounding area. All parts of the old town between Frankfurt Cathedral and Römer including
27874-461: Was a wall dormer on the steeply sloping gable roof , typical of this type of houses covered with slate. The gable facing the market was curved in the typical renaissance fashion, which can also be seen on the stylistically related Salzhaus . The names of the carpenters responsible for the construction were recorded: Friedrich Stammeler and Barthel Hilprecht, who probably also prepared the blueprints, even though this could never be proven. The roofer
28055-447: 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
28236-430: Was a provocative man who reached his goals most of the time, sometimes even by ruthless means – either by using his assets or by filing a lawsuit. However, his readiness to take legal action quickly caused him to be considered an outcast by the citizens of Frankfurt, who soon claimed that "he had to quarrel with everyone, which would justify a special council of Schepen to deal with his actions." The dispute concerning
28417-630: 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
28598-410: Was also called "chamber slightly above" in the inventory. Beside indications that a very basic sleeping area was arranged here for Hamel's apprentices, the attic was mostly used for storing the materials used in the workshop below it. The rooms, as well as both upper top floors of the Goldene Waage are now mostly used for the museum administration. The caretaker's apartment was in the extended attic of
28779-481: 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 was home to 1,909 ultra high-net-worth individuals ,
28960-435: Was awarded 1st prize. This provided for a compact building above the archaeological garden, but the draft was to be revised in consultation with the planning office of the city of Frankfurt. The four winners of the competition for the "Stadthaus am Markt" were asked by the city to revise their designs. This made it clear that the design that won the first prize would not necessarily be implemented. Dom-Römer GmbH argued that all
29141-407: Was called Niclaus Gebhard. Two entrances led into the building: one was a door built in the southern arcade, as seen from Höllengasse (Hell's Lane ); the second door was located on the market square in the middle of the northern side of the building. Entering the first door of the building, you reached a small rectangular yard that was open to the sky to the rear. A trap door leading to the basement
29322-577: 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
29503-399: Was crafted as a beautifully designed, painted coffer . This consists of two medallions framed by two strips of stucco, the eastern one depicting a female statue, scales and a sword, the western another female figure holding two snakes. At the western wall it was again connected to the staircase. From this point, the first floor could be reached in just a few steps. Going there, one would pass
29684-743: Was created on territory that had formerly belonged to Seckbach and Ostend. On 1 April 1928 the City of Höchst became part of Frankfurt, as well as its city districts Sindlingen , Unterliederbach and Zeilsheim . Simultaneously the Landkreis Höchst was dispersed with its member cities either joining Frankfurt ( Fechenheim , Griesheim , Nied , Schwanheim , Sossenheim ) or joining the newly established Landkreis of Main-Taunus-Kreis . Haus zur goldenen Waage 50°06′38″N 8°41′04″E / 50.11069°N 8.68433°E / 50.11069; 8.68433 The Haus zur Goldenen Waage
29865-480: Was demolished in 2010–11, and the reconstruction of the old town core began. The project was built on top of a 1970s underground multi-storey car park and the U-Bahn Line B station. Civic engagement in particular led to the old town-oriented planning of the Dom-Römer project. The 35 designs of new buildings were determined in several architectural competitions with more than 170 participants. The foundation stone
30046-602: Was destroyed in 1944, from "illustrated books about old Frankfurt", which he studied as a young man, "the invocation of an era that is no longer imaginable, ... pure history ... Frankfurt as a possibility of total idyll". He then sits down First of all, basically with architectural reconstructions, using the example of the Dresden Zwinger, the Knochenhaueramtshaus and the Warsaw Old Town who kept
30227-537: Was impressed by the quality of the construction and also the architecture, and the enthusiasm of the craftsmen. He states: "Valuable materials, traditional craftsmanship, everything at its finest. With its new old town, which is also in the Manufactum Catalog, Frankfurt makes itself a gift. And there is the Belvederchen as praline on top". In addition to the Belvederchen, he is particularly impressed by
30408-434: Was intentional, as it provided plenty of room on the ground floor to display the goods on sale. Thus, the Goldene Waage was essentially a house built upon pillars, but only the reinforced pillar at the north-eastern edge could be seen from outside. The remaining seven pillars on the ground floor provided structural analysis of the building and were located between the arcades. However, the pillars were so well incorporated into
30589-564: Was laid in January 2012. At the end of 2017, all of the houses' exteriors were largely completed. On 9 May 2018, the fences were removed and the new district was made fully accessible to the public. From 28 to 30 September 2018, a three-day festival was held for the opening, which attracted between 250,000 and 300,000 visitors. In March 2019, the Frankfurt Dom-Römer project received the prestigious international MIPIM award. During
30770-468: Was launched. In addition, the Dom-Römer GmbH was founded as an urban company for the development of the Dom-Römer area. According to an initial estimate by Dom-Römer GmbH, the cost of building the old town was €95 million, of which €20 million was due to the demolition of the town hall. In December 2009, the design by the architecture firm Prof. Bernd Winking Architects for the "Stadthaus am Markt"
30951-418: Was located directly behind the main door. Furthermore, a pump could be seen straight ahead when facing the western wall, though it was not working at the time the house was bought by the city. In addition, a well was located in the basement of the house to guarantee a water supply. Two further doors led out of the yard: a heavy wooden door on the northern wall and an even more solid, riveted wrought iron door with
31132-532: Was offered the contract to reconstruct the Goldene Waage . The new Goldene Waage now connects to the townhouse to the south, and the Haus Weißer Bock to the west (Market 7), both of which are contemporary designs. Construction began in 2014. A specialist company in Lemgo was hired for the reconstruction of the half-timbered facade, for which around 100 cubic meters of old oak from historic buildings
31313-421: Was officially opened with an old town festival, in which more than 250,000 visitors took part. The actual total cost of the project will be available in spring 2020 when all buildings are occupied and identified deficiencies are resolved. According to the current economic plan, DomRömer GmbH anticipates total costs of "around 200, maximum 210 million euros". The city of Frankfurt raised around 75 million euros from
31494-408: Was once owned by Hammel just like the whole western row of houses on Hell's Lane . A further vaulted passage led from this point to the storage room of the Alte Hölle . The ceiling of this room was decorated with paintings that originated from the second half of the sixteenth century. All in all this part of the building was older than the Goldene Waage : a walled-up archway included a keystone with
31675-522: 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
31856-616: 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
32037-680: 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
32218-402: Was received with controversy. People criticised the layout of the "Coronation Trail" and the buildings were felt to be too massive, with flat roofs designs that did not harmonise with the gable roofs of the old town. The city council decided to revise the draft significantly and to lean more closely toward the historical model. In September 2005, the Frankfurt SPD proposed to leave the decision on
32399-406: Was reused. More than a dozen spolia were found in the rubble and reused. In December 2017, the facade of the new building (der äußerlich fertiggestellte Neubau) was completed, including the restored half-timbered facade, the Renaissance ceiling and the Belvedere, and presented at a press conference. In September 2018, the New Frankfurt Old Town was inaugurated with a two-day festival, although
32580-417: Was triggered by the "remarkably mediocre facade views" of the winning design from the 2005 competition, was decisive for the reconstruction project of the new old town. "Unlike the second-place design ... which u. a. Paying tribute to the place with a multi-angle roof landscape, in the historical center of Frankfurt the "architectural sin" of the Technical Town Hall was to be replaced by the usual dreary cough of
32761-414: Was used as a storage room for the kontor below, which was used as a salesroom. It was lit through the skylights in the arcade windows. Above the ground floor there were two cantilevering half-timber framed floors, their gable side facing the market with two gable floors above. However, in comparison to the first floor the second floor protruded only on the side facing the market. The eastern side, facing
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