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Frankfurt

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: European Geography

   Coordinates: 50°7′N 8°41′E
                            Frankfurt am Main
   Coat of arms of Frankfurt am Main Location of Frankfurt am Main in
                                     Germany
     __________________________________________________________________

   Country                           Germany
   State                             Hesse
   Administrative region             Darmstadt
   District                          urban district
   Population                        648,325 source (mid-2005)
   Area                              248.31 km²
   Population density                2,611 / km²
   Elevation                         112 m
   Coordinates                       50°7′ N 8°41′ E
   Postal code                       60001-60599,
                                     65901-65936
   Area code                         069, 06109, 06101
   Licence plate code                F
   Mayor                             Petra Roth ( CDU)
   Website                           frankfurt.de
   Main Station Frankfurt
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   Main Station Frankfurt
   Frankfurt International Airport
   Enlarge
   Frankfurt International Airport

   Frankfurt am Main  [ˈfraŋkfʊrt] is the largest city in the German state
   of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany after Berlin, Hamburg,
   Munich and Cologne, with an estimated mid-2005 population of 648,325.
   The Frankfurt urban area, which extends beyond the city boundaries, had
   an estimated population of 1,468,140 in 2000. The city is at the centre
   of the larger Frankfurt Rhine Main Area which has a population of 5
   million and is Germany's second largest metropolitan area.

   Situated on the Main river, Frankfurt is the financial and
   transportation centre of Germany. Frankfurt is the seat of the European
   Central Bank, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and is one of the two
   largest financial centres in continental Europe (the other one being
   Paris). According to the Liverpool University, Frankfurt is the
   wealthiest city in the European Union as measured by GDP per capita. It
   is also listed as one of nine Alpha world cities.

   Among English speakers the city is commonly known simply as
   "Frankfurt", though Germans sometimes call it by its full name to
   distinguish it from the other Frankfurt in the German state of
   Brandenburg, known as Frankfurt (Oder). It was once called
   Frankfort-on-the-Main in English, a translation of Frankfurt am Main.

   Panorama over Frankfurt am Main, the banking city of Germany
   Panorama over Frankfurt am Main, the banking city of Germany

Overview

   The skyline of Frankfurt at dusk
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   The skyline of Frankfurt at dusk
   The Twin Towers of the Deutsche Bank
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   The Twin Towers of the Deutsche Bank
   Commerzbank-Tower & Maintower at night
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   Commerzbank-Tower & Maintower at night

   Frankfurt has played a central role in the political history of Germany
   and the German states for centuries. From 855 to 1792 Frankfurt was the
   electoral city for the Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire of the German
   Nation. In the 1848-49 revolutions, it became a sort of revolutionary
   capital and was the seat of the first democratically elected German
   parliament, the Frankfurt Parliament, which met in the Frankfurter
   Paulskirche, or the St. Paul's Church.

   The three pillars of Frankfurt's economy are finance, transport, and
   trade fairs. Frankfurt has been Germany's financial capital for
   centuries, and it is the home of a number of major banks and
   brokerages. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is Germany's largest, and one
   of the world's most important. Frankfurt houses the European Central
   Bank, which sets monetary policy for the Eurozone economy, and the
   German Bundesbank. It also houses a number of major commercial banks,
   including Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Bank, and Commerzbank.

   Frankfurt has an excellent transportation infrastructure and a major
   international airport and European transportation hub, the Frankfurt
   International Airport. Frankfurt Airport ranks among the world's top
   ten airports and serves 304 flight destinations in 110
   countries.Depending whether total passengers or flights are used to
   measure, it ranks as the second or third busiest in Europe alongside
   London Heathrow Airport and Paris' Charles de Gaulle. Its central
   location at Europe's heart and its excellent accessibility by air, rail
   and road make Frankfurt Airport City especially attractive. In
   addition, many large trade fairs take place in Frankfurt each year,
   notably the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (Frankfurt Motor Show)
   and the Frankfurt Book Fair, which have far over 100,000 visitors each,
   but also important special interest fairs like the LinuxWorld
   Conference & Expo or Musikmesse Frankfurt.

   Frankfurt is often nicknamed "Bankfurt", "Mainhattan" (derived from the
   local Main River) or "The Big Äppel" (named for its apple wine
   industry). It is one of only four European cities that have a
   significant number of high-rise skyscrapers. With eleven skyscrapers
   taller than 150 m (492 ft) in 2004, Frankfurt is second behind Paris (
   La Défense and Montparnasse, with twelve skyscrapers taller than 150 m,
   not counting the Eiffel Tower), but ahead of London ( Canary Wharf and
   the City, with eight skyscrapers taller than 150 m) and Moscow (seven
   skyscrapers taller than 150 m). The city of Frankfurt contains the
   tallest skyscraper in the European Union, the Commerzbank Tower, which
   is also the second tallest on the continent (after the Triumph-Palace
   building in Moscow).

   Frankfurt is also home to many cultural and educational institutions,
   the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, many museums, most of them
   lined up along the Main river on the Museumsufer (museum embankment),
   and a large botanical garden, the Palmengarten. Frankfurt's second
   major university, Business School of Finance and Management, focuses on
   finance. The best-known museums are das Städelsche Kunstinstitut und
   Städtische Galerie, called Städel, and the Senckenberg Natural History
   Museum. Others include the Museum for Modern Art, the Schirn Art
   Gallery, museums for architecture, movies, communications and the
   Jewish Museum / Museum Judengasse.

   During World War II Frankfurt was heavily bombed and its medieval city
   centre was destroyed. The city recovered relatively quickly after the
   war, and its modern shape was formed. Part of the rebuilding process
   involved creating one of Europe's most efficient underground
   transportation systems in the 1970's. That system includes a subway
   train system ( S-Bahn) capable of reaching outlying communities as well
   as the city centre, and a deep subway with smaller coaches ( U-Bahn)
   also capable of traveling above ground on street rails.

History

   In the area of the Römer, Roman settlements were established, probably
   in the first century; some artifacts from that era are found to this
   day. The city district Bonames has a name probably dating back to Roman
   times — it is thought to be derived from bona me(n)sa. Nida
   (Heddernheim) was also a Roman civitas capital.

   The name of Frankfurt on the Main is derived from the Franconofurt of
   the Germanic tribe of the Franks; Furt ( cf. English ford) denotes a
   low point passage across a stream or river. Alemanni and Franks lived
   there and by 794 Charlemagne presided over an imperial assembly and
   church synod, at which Franconofurd (-furt -vurd) is first mentioned.
   However, since frank is also an old German word for frei ("free"),
   Frankfurt was a "free ford," an opportunity to cross the river Main
   without paying a toll.

   In the Holy Roman Empire, Frankfurt was one of the most important
   cities. From 855 the German kings and emperors were elected in
   Frankfurt and crowned in Aachen. From 1562 the kings/emperors were also
   crowned in Frankfurt, Maximilian II being the first one. This tradition
   ended in 1792, when Franz II was elected. He was crowned, on purpose,
   on Bastille Day, 14 July, the anniversary of the storming of the
   Bastille. The elections and coronations took place in St. Bartholomäus
   cathedral, known as the Kaiserdom (en: Emperor's Cathedral), or in its
   predecessors.

   The Frankfurter Messe (en: Frankfurt trade fair) was first mentioned in
   1150. In 1240, Emperor Friedrich II granted an Imperial privilege to
   its visitors, meaning they would be protected by the Empire. Since 1478
   book trade fairs have been held in Frankfurt, the Frankfurter Buchmesse
   being still the most important in Germany and, some might say, the
   world.

   In 1372 Frankfurt became a Reichsstadt (en: Imperial city), i.e.
   directly subordinate to the Holy Roman Emperor and not to a regional
   ruler or a local nobleman.

   Frankfurt managed to remain neutral during the Thirty Years' War, but
   it suffered from the bubonic plague that was brought to the city by
   refugees. After the end of the war, Frankfurt regained its wealth.

   In the Napoleonic Wars Frankfurt was occupied or cannonaded several
   times by French troops. It nevertheless still remainded a free city
   until the total collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in 1805/6. In 1806 it
   become part of the principality of Aschaffenburg under the Fürstprimas
   (' Prince-Primate', 25 July 1806 – 19 October 1813: Karl Theodor Anton
   Maria Kämmerer von Worms, Reichsfreiherr von Dalberg (b. 1744 – d.
   1817), 1803–1806 Prince-archbishop of Regensburg). This also meant,
   that Frankfurt was incorporated into the confederation of the Rhine. In
   1810 Dalberg adopted the title of a Grand Duke of Frankfurt. Napoleon
   intended to make his adopted son Eugène de Beauharnais, already prince
   de Venise (" prince of Venice", a newly established primogeniture in
   Italy) Grand Duke of Frankfurt after Dalberg's death (since the latter
   as a Catholic bishop didn't have legitimate heirs). The Grand Duchy
   remained a short episode lasting from 1810 to 1813, when military tide
   turned in favor of the Anglo-Prussian lead allies, which turns over the
   Napoleonic order of central Europe. Dalberg abdicated in favour of
   Eugène de Beauharnais, which of course was only a symbolic action, as
   the latter effectively never did rule after the ruin of the French
   armies and Frankfurt being taken by the allies!

   After Napoleon's final defeat and abdication, the Congress of Vienna
   (1812-1815, redrawing the map of Europe) dissolved the grand-duchy, and
   Frankfurt entered the newly founded German Confederation (till 1866) as
   a free city, becoming the seat of its Bundestag, the confederal
   parliament where the nominally presiding Habsburg Emperor of Austria
   was represented by an Austrian "presidential envoy".

   After the ill-fated revolution of 1848, Frankfurt was home to the first
   German National Assembly (Nationalversammlung), which resided in St.
   Paul's Church (Paulskirche) (see German Confederation for details) and
   was opened on 18 May 1848. The institution failed in 1849 when the
   Prussian king declared that he would not accept "a crown from the
   gutter". In the year of its existence, the assembly developed a common
   constitution for a unified Germany, with the Prussian king as its
   monarch.

   Frankfurt lost its independence after Austro-Prussian War as Prussia
   annexed in 1866 several smaller states, among them the free city of
   Frankfurt. The Prussian administration incorporated Frankfurt into its
   province of Hesse-Nassau. The formerly independent towns of Bornheim
   and Bockenheim were incorporated in 1890.

   In 1914 the citizens of Frankfurt founded the University of Frankfurt,
   later called Johann Wolfgang Goethe University. This is the only civic
   foundation of a university in Germany; today it is one of Germany's
   largest universities.

   After World War I Frankfurt was occupied by French troops as a means of
   reprisal, because the French found the German side guilty of having
   violated in some details the clauses of the peace treaty of Versailles
   concerning the demilitarisation of the Rhineland.^[Quote from source
   requested on talk page to verify interpretation of source] In 1924
   Ludwig Landmann became the first Jewish Mayor of the city, and led a
   significant expansion during the following years. However, during the
   Nazi era, the synagogues of Frankfurt were destroyed.

   The city of Frankfurt was severely bombed in World War II. About 5 500
   residents were killed during the raids, and the once famous medieval
   city centre, by that time the largest in Germany, was destroyed. The
   reconstruction after the war took place in an (often-simple) modern
   style, thus irrevocably changing the architectural face of Frankfurt.
   Only very few landmark buildings have been reconstructed historically,
   albeit in a simplified manner.

   After the end of the war Frankfurt became a part of the newly founded
   state of Hesse, consisting of the old Hesse-(Darmstadt) and the
   Prussian Hesse provinces. Frankfurt was the original choice for the
   provisional capital of West Germany — they even went as far as
   constructing a new parliament building that has never been used for its
   intended purpose, and is now a TV studio. In the end, Konrad Adenauer
   (the first post-war Chancellor) preferred the tiny city of Bonn, for
   the most part because it was close to his hometown, but also for
   another reason; many other prominent politicians opposed the choice of
   Frankfurt out of concern that Frankfurt, one of the largest German
   cities, and a former centre of the old German-dominated Holy Roman
   Empire, would be accepted as a "permanent" capital of Germany, thereby
   weakening the West German population's support for reunification and
   the eventual return of the capital city to Berlin.

Population

   Frankfurt is a multicultural city. Most immigrants are from Turkey, the
   former Yugoslavia, or Italy. The Frankfurt Area is also home to the
   largest Korean community in Europe. 180 different nationalities reside
   in Frankfurt.

   For a long time Frankfurt was a Protestant-dominated city. However,
   during the 19th century an increasing number of Catholics moved to the
   city. Today a narrow plurality of citizens are Catholic. Frankfurt has
   the second largest Jewish community (after Berlin) in Germany.

Geography

Geographic location

   The city is located on both sides of the Main River. The southern part
   of the city contains the Frankfurt City Forest (Frankfurter Stadtwald)
   Germany's largest urban forest. The centre of Frankfurt is located on
   the north of Main River.

Neighbouring communities and areas

   view from south, the "Taunus" as background
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   view from south, the "Taunus" as background

   To the West, Frankfurt borders the Main-Taunus district (Towns and
   Municipalities Hattersheim am Main, Kriftel, Hofheim am Taunus,
   Kelkheim (Taunus), Liederbach am Taunus, Sulzbach (Taunus), Schwalbach
   am Taunus and Eschborn); to the Northwest the Hochtaunuskreis (Towns
   Steinbach (Taunus), Oberursel (Taunus), and Bad Homburg v.d. Höhe; to
   the North the Wetteraukreis (Towns Karben and Bad Vilbel); to the
   Northeast the Main-Kinzig district (Municipality Niederdorfelden and
   the town Maintal); to the Southeast the city Offenbach am Main; to the
   South the Offenbach district (Town Neu-Isenburg); and to the Southwest
   the Groß-Gerau district (Towns Mörfelden-Walldorf, Rüsselsheim und
   Kelsterbach).

City divisions and districts

   The city is divided into 46 Stadtteile or Ortsteile which is again
   divided into 118 Stadtbezirke or city districts. The largest Ortsteil
   in area is Sachsenhausen-Süd. Most Stadtteile are incorporated suburbs,
   or Vororte, or previously separate cities. Some like Nordend arose
   during the rapid growth of the city in the Gründerzeit after the
   unification of Germany. Others were formed from settlements, which
   previously belonged to other city divisions, like Dornbusch (Frankfurt
   am Main).

   The 46 city divisions are combined into 16 area districts or
   Ortsbezirke, which each have a district committee and chairperson.

History of incorporation

   Until the middle of the 19th century, the city territory of Frankfurt
   consisted of the present-day Stadtteile of Altstadt, Innenstadt,
   Bahnhofsviertel, Gutleutviertel, Gallusviertel, Westend, Nordend,
   Ostend and Sachsenhausen. After 1877, a number of previously
   independent areas were incorporated into the city, see list of current
   districts of the city.

Sights

   Frankfurt Cathedral
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   Frankfurt Cathedral

Cathedral

   Saint Bartholomeus' Cathedral (Dom Sankt Bartholomäus) is a Gothic
   building, which was constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries on the
   foundation of an earlier church from the Merovingian time. It is the
   main church of Frankfurt. From 1356 onwards, kings of the Holy Roman
   Empire were elected in this church, and from 1562 to 1792, emperors
   were crowned here.

   Since the 18th century, Saint Bartholomeus' has been called "the
   cathedral" by the people, although it has never been a bishop's seat.
   In 1867, the cathedral was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt in its
   present style. The height of the cathedral is 95 m.

Römer

   Römer
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   Römer

   The name of the town hall means "Roman". In fact, nine houses were
   acquired by the city council in 1405 from a wealthy merchant family.
   The middle house became the town hall and was later connected with the
   neighbouring buildings. In the upper floor, there is the Kaisersaal
   ("Emperor's Hall") where the newly crowned emperors held their
   banquets.

   The Römer was partially destroyed in World War II, and later rebuilt.
   St. Paul's Church
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   St. Paul's Church

Saint Paul's Church

   St. Paul's Church (Paulskirche) is a national historic monument in
   Germany with great political symbolism, because it was the seat of the
   first democratically elected Parliament in 1848. It was established in
   1789 as a Protestant church but was not finished until 1833. Its
   importance has its root in the Frankfurt Parliament, which met in the
   church during the revolutionary years of 1848/49 in order to write a
   constitution for a united Germany. The attempt failed because the
   monarchs of Prussia and Austria did not want to lose power, and in 1849
   Prussian troops ended the democratic experiment by force of arms and
   the parliament was dissolved. Afterwards, the building was used for
   church services again.

   St. Paul's was partially destroyed in World War II, particularly the
   interior of the building, which now has a modern appearance. It was
   quickly and symbolically rebuilt after the war; today it is not used
   for religious services, but mainly for exhibitions and events.

Concert House Old Opera

   Opera House
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   Opera House

   Alte Oper, Frankfurt's famous opera house, was built in 1880 by the
   architect Richard Lucae. It was one of the major opera houses of
   Germany, until it was destroyed in World War II. It was not until 1981
   that the old opera was fully rebuilt and reopened. Today it functions
   as a concert hall, while operas are performed in the Oper Frankfurt.
   The inscription on the frieze of the Old Opera says: "Dem Wahren,
   Schönen, Guten" ("To the true, the beautiful, the good").

Frankfurt Opera

   The Oper Frankfurt is the leading opera company of Germany and one of
   the most important opera houses in the world.
   City Theater at night
   Enlarge
   City Theatre at night

20th century architecture

     * IG Farben Building
     * New Frankfurt, housing estates 1925-1930
     * Museum für angewandte Kunst, designed by Richard Meier

Skyscrapers

   Frankfurt is unique for its skyscrapers, and it is one of only a few
   European cities to allow skyscrapers within the old central part of
   town. Along with Paris and London, it also is one of the few European
   cities to have a significant number of skyscrapers.

   The major skyscrapers are:
     * Commerzbank Tower — Europe's tallest building (1997–2005), designed
       by Sir Norman Foster.
     * Silver Tower
     * MesseTurm — Europe's tallest building (1990–1997)
     * Kronenhochhaus (DZ-Bank) with its "statue of liberty" like roof
       structure.
     * Maintower, among others "Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen" (HeLaBa)
     * Trianon (Frankfurt am Main).

Other structures

   "Hammering Man" in front of the Messeturm skyscraper
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   " Hammering Man" in front of the Messeturm skyscraper

   Henninger Turm
          a grain silo owned by Henninger Brewery with observation deck
          and restaurant, offering a breath-taking view over downtown
          Frankfurt from its south shore. The tower has been closed to the
          public since October 31, 2002.

   Europaturm
          a telecommunications tower known as the "Frankfurt TV Tower".
          Until 1999, it was open to the public, with an entertainment
          establishment in the revolving top.

Culture

Festivals

   Frankfurt hosts several festivals, fairs, and carnivals throughout the
   year. The most famous is the Rheingau-Music-Festival with many (mostly
   classical) concerts at castles and under the open sky surrounded by
   vineyards. It's an annual festival, taking place in May. Another major
   festival in the city is the "Museumsuferfest";
   "Museum-Riverbank-Festival". It is one of the biggest cultural
   festivals in Germany, which offers the opportunity to see, buy, smell,
   taste and hear new things from all around the world. The festival takes
   place yearly at the end of summer and attracts an average of 3 million
   visitors. The festival goes over a period of 3 days and ends with a
   spectacular show of fireworks. Frankfurt is also known for having one
   of the largest red light districts in Germany in vicinity of the
   Hauptbahnhof (main railway station).

Museums

   "Staedel"
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   "Staedel"
     * Städel
     * Senckenberg Natural History Museum
     * The Museum for Modern Art (Frankfurt am Main)
     * Schirn Art Gallery
     * Deutsches Filmmuseum
     * Deutsches Architektur Museum
     * Museum für angewandte Kunst Frankfurt, Museum of Design
     * Deutsches Ikonenmuseum
     * Museum für Kommunikation

Culinary specialties

   "Bethmaennchen"
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   "Bethmaennchen"
     * Frankfurter Sausage
     * Frankfurter Rindswurst
     * Apfelwein
     * Grüne Soße
     * Bethmännchen
     * Frankfurter Kranz
     * Handkäs mit Musik
     * Rippchen mit Kraut

Transport

Airports

   The city is accessed from around the world via the Frankfurt
   International Airport. The airport has three runways and is one of the
   three busiest airports in Europe, along with London Heathrow Airport
   and Charles de Gaulle International Airport. Frankfurt can also be
   accessed via Frankfurt-Hahn Airport which is located approximately 120
   km from the actual city.

Railways

   Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof recently underwent a major development to allow
   trains from all over Germany to arrive at the station. Long distance
   trains run by Deutsche Bahn exit and arrive at the station everyday and
   less luxurious EuroCity and InterCity trains do the same. The Airport
   Long Distance Station is one a modern station for the ICE highspeed
   trains at the Airport beside the A3 Motorway.

   Local trains are integrated in the Public transport system
   Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV), second largest integrated public
   transport systems in the world. Only the Berlin integrated public
   transport system (VBB) is larger.

Public Transport

   Another tram in Frankfurt.
   Enlarge
   Another tram in Frankfurt.

   The city comprises of two underground railway systems which are U-Bahn
   and S-Bahn as well as an above-ground tram system known as the
   Straßenbahn. Information about the U and S Bahn can be found on the RMV
   website.

   The S-Bahn is a far more extensive rail network which is above ground
   for the majority of the journey, however become subterranean in the
   city centre. The S-Bahn accesses the suburbs of Frankfurt and the main
   airport, as well as cities and larger towns in close distance (like
   Darmstadt, Hanau and Wiesbaden) as well as most towns on the way.

   The U-Bahn has seven lines which serve the city centre and some larger
   suburbs. The trains that run on the line are in fact lightrails as many
   lines break to ground surface and travel along an own track in the
   middle of the street to the end. Just one line rns always in the
   underground.

   The Straßenbahn only operates within the direct city centre of
   Frankfurt and some smaller suburbs, making it a popular option for
   mid-day business commuting. It also provides extensive access to area
   of Sachsenhausen located on the southern bank of the Main river.

   A number of bus lines complete the public transportation system of
   Frankfurt. Night buses take over the service of the U-Bahn and
   Strassenbahn at 1:30 AM.to 3:30 AM on Friday and Saturday nights. (to
   be exact Saturday and Sunday morning)

   Fines of €40 are given by ticket controllers if people are found to
   travel on the tram services without a ticket. These controllers
   frequently go on the trams.

Taxis

   Most taxis can be found outside all S-Bahn and U-Bahn stations and can
   be hailed down however there is still the option of calling a taxi
   operator.

Bicycles

   Deutsche Bahn also rent out bicycles to the public. One finds them at
   many major road intersections and railway stations. All you do is make
   a phone call to hire them for €0.06/min or they can be hired per day
   for €15,-. The bicycles are a bit heavy but they do have shock
   absorbers to ensure a smooth journey. The silver- red colour of the
   bikes with their unique frame make them easily visible and difficult to
   steal.

   The public can now use a velotaxi which involves the operator using a
   tricycle with a sheltered capsule on top. There is room for two people
   and the operators cover all of the city centre.

   Frankfurt has also a network of modern "bike ways" or "bike streets" in
   the whole city.

Roads

   The roads and streets of Frankfurt city centre are usually congested
   and some areas are pedestrian-only streets. Despite these congested
   streets, there are numerous car parks located throughout the city.
   Frankfurt is also a traffic hub of the German Autobahn system. Within
   the direct city vicinity Frankfurt connects to the A 1, A 3, A 5, A 66,
   A 67, A 661 and A 45 Autobahns.

Buses

   Frankfurt has an extensive city bus system that augments the streetcar
   and U-Bahn system run by the RMV

Economy and Business

   Bull and Bear face-off in front of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
   Enlarge
   Bull and Bear face-off in front of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange

   Frankfurt am Main is a financial and service centre of global
   importance and, as the focal point of the dynamic Rhine-Main economic
   region, is one of the leading locations for companies in Europe. Its
   central location, its well-developed infrastructure with the largest
   airport on the continent, the concentration of internationally active
   companies (many of them have headquarters in the city) of various
   sectors provide Frankfurt with one of the top positions in Europe.

   As one of the leading financial centres, more than 300 national and
   international banks are represented in the Main metropolis. Amongst
   others, the European Central Bank and the German Bundesbank have their
   headquarters in Frankfurt. This is also where the Deutsche Börse Group
   is located.

   According to a ranking list produced by the University of Liverpool,
   Frankfurt is the richest city in Europe by GDP per capita. After
   Frankfurt are Karlsruhe, Paris and then Munich.

   With over 922 jobs per 1000 inhabitants, Frankfurt has the highest
   concentration of jobs in Germany. The high number of around 600,000
   positions with only 650,000 inhabitants of the city itself is explained
   by the high number of commuters who work in the city, which raises the
   per capital GDP of the resident population significantly. Furthermore,
   it is only on work days and certain Saturdays when shops are open that
   Frankfurt can claim to have a million inhabitants. On other days, the
   statistics regarding Frankfurt's wealth are reduced, in favour of the
   communities and towns of the so-called Speckgürtel (literally bacon
   belt), such as Bad Homburg v.d. Höhe, Königstein im Taunus, Kronberg im
   Taunus and Bad Soden am Taunus, many of whose inhabitants work in
   Frankfurt. Frankfurt has the highest concentration of lawyers in
   Germany, with one lawyer per 99 inhabitants, and also the highest
   per-capita level of debt in Germany (excepting Germany's three
   city-states), because of a set of massive public works projects in the
   1980s under CDU mayors Walter Wallmann and Wolfram Brück.

   Frankfurt also occupies the fifth position on another list ranking
   major cities according to list ranking major cities according to
   quality of life. Despite that, Frankfurt also had, as of 2003, the
   highest levels of crime per 100,000 inhabitants in Germany. However,
   this statistic is a result of the commuter population, for it is
   calculated based on the 650,000-inhabitant figure, and also includes
   crimes committed at the airport, such as smuggling. Frankfurt is
   therefore a very safe city, confirmed by surveys among the inhabitants.

   The Frankfurt Airport is the single largest place of work in Germany.

Electronic Communication

   Frankfurt is also an important location for the internet. Frankfurt is
   home to Germany's largest internet exchange point, DE-CIX, and is where
   domain names are registered for the top-level-domain .de.

Trade

   Fairs have a long tradition in Frankfurt, which, with the Frankfurt
   Trade Fair is recognized as the premier city for medieval fairs and
   modern-day trade shows. Even in the Middle Ages, traders could sell
   their goods in Frankfurt. Frankfurt was connected with Leipzig, the
   second most important location for fairs in the Holy Roman Empire, by
   means of the Via Regia.

   Alongside the Frankfurt Book Fair, Frankfurt hosts the International
   Automobile Exhibition, the Achema, and the Ambiente Frankfurt, the
   largest consumer goods trade show in the world.

Non-financial Businesses

   Despite its reputation, Frankfurt is home not only to financial
   companies. In hardly any other German city are there so many
   internationally oriented businesses with such diversity. Among others,
   Frankfurt is home to chemical industries, advertising, software
   business and call centers. Business development and other important
   departments of the Deutsche Bahn are located at the DB-Headquarters in
   Gallus. Because of Hoechst AG, Frankfurt has been considered for many
   years the "Apothecary of the World". Höchst's industrial park in
   Frankfurt is one of the three largest locations for the chemical and
   pharmaceutical industry in Europe. Frankfurt is also home to several
   large German industrial associations, such as the Chemical Industry
   Association; the Association for German Machine- and
   Equipment-building; the Electrotechnical, Electronic, and Information
   Technology Association e.V. with its affiliated electrotechnical
   standards commission; and the Association of German Automobile
   Producers, which is currently moving to Franfurt. The Union of German
   Automobile Producers meets in Frankfurt every two years to coincide
   with the International Automobile Exhibition, mentioned above.
   Furthermore, the Trade Association of German Booksellers has its
   headquarters in Frankfurt, and organizes the Frankfurt Book Fair. In
   terms of labor unions, Frankfurt is home to the headquarters of IG
   Metall and IG Bau, two of Germany's largest labor unions.

   A certain amount of economic power is given to Frankfurt by the German
   Football Association, which has its headquarters in Frankfurt.

   Frankfurt is also home to the German and European headquarters of
   several foreign automobile businesses, such as Fiat (including
   Alfa-Romeo and Lancia) and KIA. Jaguar is located outside of the city
   in [[Kronberg],]as is Opel (a subsidiary of General Motors) in
   Rüsselsheim.

Finance

   However, Frankfurt is above all known as a location of high finance.
   The headquarters of Germany's three largest banks are all located in
   downtown Frankfurt. The Deutsche Bank is located on the Mainzer
   Landstraße in the vicinity of the Taunus foothills. A few avenues
   further into the city, one can recognize the Commerzbank's skyscrapers,
   the highest of which is almost 300 meters tall.

   Despite what its name would suggest, the Dresdner Bank is also
   headquartered in Frankfurt. Dresdner Bank now belongs to Allianz Bank
   in Munich. Frankfurt is also the location of the largest Dutch "direct
   bank", ING. Several important non-public banks are also located in
   Frankfurt, such as Bankhaus Metzler, Hauck and Aufhäuser, Delbrück
   Bethmann Maffei (which belongs to the Dutch ABN Amro) and BHF-Bank.

   Among the largest non-public banks are the DZ Bank, the DekaBank, the
   Frankfurter Sparkasse (savings bank), and the Landesbank
   Hessen-Thüringen (HELABA). Most of the remaining 300 banks are small
   domestic businesses.

   With the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and XETRA, which belong to the
   Deutsche Börse, Frankfurt has the second largest stock exchange in
   Europe, and accounts for the largest proportion of trades in Germany.
   In terms of market capitalization, the Deutsche Börse is the largest
   stock exchange in the world.

Establishments and Organization

   Frankfurt am Main is a banking metropolis also with respect to
   state-owned banks. Alongside the Bundesbank (the German central bank)
   and the KfW Banking Group, the German office of the International
   Finance Corporation (part of the World Bank group) and the European
   Central Bank have their headquarters in Frankfurt.

   Beyond that, Frankfurt is the home to the German National Library, the
   Hessian State Supreme Court, and the Hessian State Employment Court,
   and has its own police academy. The fire department, founded in 1874,
   and the volunteer fire department have eight firehouses. Until their
   dissolution at the end of 2003, Frankfurt was the location of the
   Federal Disciplinary Court.

   Frankfurt also hosts 88 consulates. Only New York and Hamburg have more
   foreign representation, excluding capital cities. Russia and China have
   recently opened general consulates in Frankfurt. The General Consulate
   of the United States in Eckenheim is the largest American consulate in
   the world.

Education and Research

   In Frankfurt am Main, there are two universities and several specialty
   schools. The oldest and most well-known university in the city is the
   Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, with locations in Bockenheim,
   Westend, and Riedberg, and university hospital in Niederrad. Alongside
   the university is the banking academie HfB - Business School of Finance
   & Management, formerly known as the Hochschule für Bankwirtschaft
   (Institution of Higher Learning for Banking Economics), with its campus
   in the Ostend (Eastend) neighborhood, since 2001 a centre for the
   Specialty Institution for Economics and Management, or FOM.

   For art, Frankfurt has the State Institution of Higher Learning for
   Artistic Education known as the Städelschule, founded in 1817 by Johann
   Friedrich Städel, that was taken over by the city in 1942 and turned
   into a state art school. The other well-known artistic school is the
   State Instutution for Music and Performance Art, initially as a privat
   school known as Dr. Hoch's Konservatorium founded in 1878.

   The Fachhochschule Frankfurt am Main (Professional School of Frankfurt)
   was created out of several prior organizations in 1971, and offers
   courses in engineering and economics.

   Another important organization is the Philosophical-Theological
   Institution of Saint George ( Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule
   Sankt Georgen). This is a private institution with membership in the
   German Jesuit Association, and has been located since 1950 in
   Frankfurt's Sachsenhausen neighbourhood.

   Until 30 September 2003, Frankfurt was also home to a school for
   library science and administration, though that has since closed.

   Furthermore, there exist in Frankfurt three Max-Planck-Institutes: the
   Max Planck Institute for European History of Law (MPIER), Max Planck
   Institute for Biophysics, and the Max Planck Institute for Brain
   Research. Closely associated with the University is the Frankfurt
   Institute for Advanced Studies, an organization, sponsored by several
   institutional and private sources, involved in theoretical research in
   physics, chemistry, neurology, and computer science.

Sports

   Frankfurt hosts several sport teams, such as
     * Eintracht Frankfurt, football (soccer)
     * FSV Frankfurt, football (soccer)
     * Frankfurt Lions, icehockey
     * Deutsche Bank Skyliners — Basketball
     * Frankfurt Galaxy, American Football

Sister cities

   Frankfurt's sister cities are:
     * — Toronto, Canada
     * United Kingdom — Birmingham, United Kingdom, since 1966
     * Hungary — Budapest, Hungary, since 1990
     * Poland — Kraków, Poland, since 1991
     * Nicaragua — Granada, Nicaragua, since 1991
     * People's Republic of China — Guangzhou, China, since 1988
     * France — Lyon, France, since 1960
     * Italy — Milan, Italy, since 1971
     * Czech Republic — Prague, Czech Republic, since 1990
     * Israel — Tel Aviv, Israel, since 1980
     * India — Chennai, India, since 2005

Livecams

     * Frankfurt Webcam Links

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankfurt"
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