HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Innenstadt (''inner city'') is the central city district of
Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
. It is part of the ''
Ortsbezirk A ''Stadtbezirk'' (also called ''Ortsbezirk'' in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate) is an administrative division in Germany, which is part of a larger city. It is translated as " borough". In Germany, ''Stadtbezirke'' usually only exist in a me ...
Innenstadt I''. Its western part forms part of Frankfurt's
central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
, the Bankenviertel. Germany's most expensive shopping streets and real estate are found within the city district. The Innenstadt stretches in the north and east round the district of
Altstadt ''Altstadt'' is the German language word for "old town", and generally refers to the historical town or city centre within the old town or city wall, in contrast to younger suburbs outside. '' Neustadt'' (new town), the logical opposite of ''Al ...
. Other adjacent districts to the west are
Bahnhofsviertel The Bahnhofsviertel (; literally: ''train station quarter'') is a quarter of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is part of the ''Ortsbezirk Innenstadt I''. The Bahnhofsviertel was developed between 1891 and 1915. Along with the Westend, the Norden ...
, in the north west the
Westend Westend may refer to: * Westend (Trevilians, Virginia), an historic house in Virginia listed on the NRHP * Westend (Berlin), a locality of Berlin in Germany * Westend (Frankfurt am Main), a borough of Frankfurt am Main in Germany * Westend, Espoo, ...
,
Nordend Nordend (meaning ''north end'' in German) is a northern peak of the Monte Rosa Massif. Nordend is the fourth highest peak of the massif, after the Dufourspitze (4,634 m), the Dunantspitze (4,632 m) and the Grenzgipfel (4,618 m). See also *List ...
to the north and
Ostend Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerk ...
to the east. In the south, the Innenstadt is bordered naturally by the Main on the opposite bank of which stands the Applewine quarter known as
Sachsenhausen Sachsenhausen () or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a German Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used from 1936 until April 1945, shortly before the defeat of Nazi Germany in May later that year. It mainly held political prisoners ...
. The Innenstadt and Altstadt were formed within the borders made up of the ''Anlagen'' (stretches of grassy park land) lying to the right of the Main and are thereby clearly recognisable on the city plan. The enclosures of park land of a contrast to the skyscrapers and the banking quarter. The
Zeil The Zeil () is a street in the city centre of Frankfurt, Germany. The name, which dates back to the 14th century, is derived from the German word '' Zeile'' "row" and originally referred to a row of houses on the eastern end of the north side; t ...
, Frankfurt's most famous street, as well as the central squares Hauptwache and
Konstablerwache Konstablerwache is a central square in the centre of Frankfurt am Main and part of its pedestrian zone. It lies to the east of Hauptwache with both squares linked by the Zeil, the central shopping area of the city. History At the corner of th ...
, the
Frankfurt Stock Exchange The Frankfurt Stock Exchange (german: link=no, Börse Frankfurt, former German name – FWB) is the world's 12th largest stock exchange by market capitalization. It has operations from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm ( German time). Organisation Loca ...
and the Alte Oper, can be found in the Innenstadt. On the Freßgass the bankers and office workers from the nearby office blocks often have lunch.


Areas and quarter, streets and squares

The Innenstadt is divided, from west to east, in into the following parts:


Altstadt

The
Altstadt ''Altstadt'' is the German language word for "old town", and generally refers to the historical town or city centre within the old town or city wall, in contrast to younger suburbs outside. '' Neustadt'' (new town), the logical opposite of ''Al ...
is the historical old town district of Frankfurt. It was devastated in World War II, but parts of it are reconstructed, most recently at the Dom-Römer Project.


Bankenviertel

The Bankenviertel (banking district) lies on both sides of the Taunusanlage and is shared between the boroughs of the Innenstadt, Bahnhofsviertel and the Westend. Most credit institutes in the eastern banking quarter are situated in Neue Mainzer Straße, Große Gallusstraße, Junghofstraße and the surrounding streets. All these streets are locations for skyscrapers, whose highest is the 259-metre
Commerzbank Tower Commerzbank Tower is a 56-story, skyscraper owned by Samsung of Korea since September 2016 in the banking district of Frankfurt, Germany. An antenna spire with a signal light on top gives the tower a total height of . It is the tallest ...
. The southern part of the quarter shows a greater range of use, especially along Kaiserstraße and at Kaiserplatz. The Frankfurter Hof, one of the best known hotels in the city, is located here. In Großer Hirschgraben, the border with the Altstadt, lies one of the cultural highlights of the city, the
Goethe House The Goethe House is a writer's house museum located in the Innenstadt district of Frankfurt, Germany. It is the birthplace and childhood home of German poet and playwright Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It is also the place where Goethe wrote h ...
.


Opernviertel

The main axis of the north western part of the Innenstadt (opera quarter) is Große Bockenheimer Straße, running from Rathenauplatz to Opernplatz, as a result of the many places to eat better known as the Freßgass. The southern Goethestraße which runs parallel to the Freßgass is the most expensive shopping street in the city. To the north Kaiserhofstraße, another expensive street, borders Freßgass. The Opernplatz which lies within the parks of the old city walls is considered to be one of the most beautiful squares in the city. The
Frankfurt Stock Exchange The Frankfurt Stock Exchange (german: link=no, Börse Frankfurt, former German name – FWB) is the world's 12th largest stock exchange by market capitalization. It has operations from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm ( German time). Organisation Loca ...
lies in the shopping street called Schillerstraße. The successive squares Rathenauplatz, Goetheplatz and Roßmarkt form the intersection to the neighbouring quarters around the Zeil. The streets around the Freßgass are one of the focus points of Frankfurt's nightlife. In Kleine Bockenheimer Straße is the Jazzkeller (jazz cellar), an important cultural institution offering live
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
with local and internationally renowned musicians.


Zeil and surroundings

The pedestrian zone of the
Zeil The Zeil () is a street in the city centre of Frankfurt, Germany. The name, which dates back to the 14th century, is derived from the German word '' Zeile'' "row" and originally referred to a row of houses on the eastern end of the north side; t ...
and its end points of Hauptwache and Konstablerwache are the central point for shopping in the city. Between the large department stores are shopping centres like the Zeilgalerie (now demolished and being replaced) and
MyZeil MyZeil is a shopping mall in the center of Frankfurt, Germany. It was designed by Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas. It is part of the PalaisQuartier development, with its main entrance on the Zeil, Frankfurt's main shopping street. It ...
. Other important streets begin at Hauptwache such as the Roßmarkt, Steinweg, Schillerstraße and Große Eschenheimer Straße. In the latter of these the
Palais Thurn und Taxis The Palais Thurn und Taxis () in Frankfurt, Germany was built from 1731 to 1739 by Robert de Cotte and commissioned by the Imperial Postmaster, Prince Anselm Franz von Thurn und Taxis (1714–1739). The building was heavily damaged in World Wa ...
used to stand, which has now been reconstructed, as well as important buildings from the post-war years like the ''Fernmeldehochhaus'' and the '' Rundschau-Haus''. At its north end stands the
Eschenheimer Turm Eschenheimer Turm (Eschenheim Tower) was a city gate, part of the late-medieval fortifications of Frankfurt am Main, and is a landmark of the city. The tower, which was erected at the beginning of the fifteenth century, is at once the oldest an ...
, a relict of the city fortifications of the late Middle Ages. The Katharinenkirche, the main Protestant church of Frankfurt, stands at Hauptwache; on Bleichstraße the , with its preserved cemetery, is the only green space in the district. The area between Konstablerwache and Alte Gasse is the centre of the gay and lesbian community of Frankfurt.


Gerichtsviertel

The north eastern Innenstadt (courts quarter) is bordered by the eastern half of the Zeil, Konrad-Adenauer-Straße and the Friedberger Anlage. The law courts and its numerous buildings, including the higher regional court, the regional court, and an institute for remand can be found around this area in Heiligkreuzgasse. Several vocational colleges can be found in a noteworthy 1950s multi-story building on Seilerstraße. The courts are supposed to be moved to new buildings on Adickesallee in Nordend in the forthcoming years, the character of the courts quarter would therefore completely change and new uses would be found for the area. In Heiligkreuzgasse lies Frankfurts well known variety show, the Tigerpalast. The Odeon on the Anlagenring at Seilerstraße is a classic exhibition pavilion which was built for Simon Moritz von Bethmann. Nowadays this is used as a disco.


Allerheiligenviertel

The small quarter (All Saints quarter) between the Zeil and Battonnstraße forms a multicultural island in a city otherwise dedicated to commerce. The Breite Gasse forms a second
red light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are partic ...
after that of the Bahnhofsviertel. The city library is located close to the Zeil and on Lange Straße there are several city council departments. With the reconstruction of the newly laid Kurt-Schumacher-Straße these council offices overlap the
Frankfurter Judengasse The Frankfurter Judengasse ("Jews' Lane" in German) was the Jewish ghetto of Frankfurt and one of the earliest ghettos in Germany. It existed from 1462 until 1811 and was home to Germany's largest Jewish community in early modern times. At ...
, a
Jewish Ghetto In the Jewish diaspora, a Jewish quarter (also known as jewry, ''juiverie'', ''Judengasse'', Jewynstreet, Jewtown, or proto-ghetto) is the area of a city traditionally inhabited by Jews. Jewish quarters, like the Jewish ghettos in Europe, were ...
.


Fischerfeldviertel

The south eastern quarter of the Innenstadt was first built-up in the early 19th century, after the previous boggy area was drained out. The Börneplatz synagogue was located at Börneplatz up until the destruction of the synagogue during the
Kristallnacht () or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (german: Novemberpogrome, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's (SA) paramilitary and (SS) paramilitary forces along with some participation fro ...
programme in 1938 and it was a centre of
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
life in Frankfurt. The Jewish cemetery in Battonnstraße is one of the oldest in Europe. Besides this the central offices for public services and the local labour office can be found in the Fischerfeldviertel.


History


The settlement of the Neustadt

Today's Innenstadt was located outside the town walls until the 14th century. Other than the exposed parks the area was already built-up. Thus a row of houses developed from a cattle market to the north of the walled in town and this market lent its name to the new street: the Zeil. Highways ran to the east and west of that through the town gates into adjacent areas, such as the homes of Bockenheim and the Bockenheimer fort, in which there were already houses and gardens. The establishment of the Neustadt began in the year 1333, when Emperor Ludwig der Bayer of the free realm approved of an expansion which would provide three times the previous area to the town. In the time soon after, the town erected new fortifications with five towers: The Gallustor (also Mainzer or Galgentor) on the site of the modern day Willy-Brandt-Platz, the Bockenheimer Tor on the site of the current Opernplatz, the Eschenheimer Tor, the Friedberger Tor and the Allerheiligentor. In the course of the following years the town's new area was filled with streets and buildings, whereby above all rich cloth dealers used the opportunity to establish representative domiciles for themselves outside the narrow old parts of the town. The Eschenheimer Turm, the most glorious tower of the new fortifications, was finished in 1428. The first churches in Neustadt were two small chapels near Bockenheimer gate: the Heiligkreuz chapel of a poor hospital in 1346 as well as the neighbouring Kloster chapel of the Holy Katharina and Barbara in 1354. From the latter the larger seventeenth century Katharinenkirche developed. In the north of the Neustadt the Peterskirche was constructed in 1381, which has been the parochial church of the Neustadt since 1453. Aside from this a cemetery was laid out in this location in 1452, which became the only cemetery on the right side of the main after the closure of the cathedral in 1508. Until the opening of today's main cemetery in 1828 the Peterskirchhof (which was extended several times in the years between) remained the most important cemetery in the town. In 1453 another church was built in the Neustadt, the Maternkapelle at Roßmarkt. In the 15th century there were still numerous areas of undeveloped land and many gardens in the Neustadt. The Altstadt was, at this time, still the preferred quarter of the city, and the Neustadt was settled mainly by immigrants flowing from the country into the increasing city. In the 16th century the old city ditch (which was the last deer ditch in 1584) between Altstadt and Neustadt was filled in.


Grand bourgeois buildings

In the following era gradually the weight of the city shifted between the old and the new town, the new town houses of rich citizens were now built in the Neustadt. These served as accommodation for the royal delegations of emperors who held their coronations in the city. The best known city palace was the Palais Thurn und Taxis of 1737 in Große Eschenheimer Straße. A few years prior to this in 1730 the still preserved police headquarters were built in the heart of the Neustadt. On the Zeil, in particular, a number of representative community centres and the palace of Barckhausen developed in the 18th century. The palace was used for three years as an imperial residence due to Wittelsbacher Karl VII's war with
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
preventing him from moving back into his
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...
residence. In the active developmental period of the classic era, the best known house of the time is the Goethe House in the Großer Hirschgraben of the Neustadt. In 1755 an urban horse stable was set up at Roßmarkt. In 1782 the Komödienhaus (comedy house), the first definite sign of the future of theatres in Frankfurt, was built on today's Rathenauplatz. Land development of the Fischerfeld in the southeast of the new city began in 1792 from the plans of the architect general, Johann George Christian Hess. The most important of the buildings developed there was municipal library on the bank of the Main, sketched by Hess, which opened in 1825. In 1804, during continuing occupation by
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
troops in the Coalition Wars, the city council decided upon the removal and replacement of the city walls. In the course of the following years a barrier of plants was put in place which is still there as the Anlagen (parks) of today. The plants were placed under the protection of a decree in 1807 which prevented further land development on the now natural barrier. The Neustadt became the scene of revolutionary events in 1833: particularly the watch towers at Hauptwache and Konstablerwache. The national assembly in Frankfurt met in 1848/9 in the Paulskirche, the largest and most modern hall of the city located in the Altstadt. However, the different political and parliamentary groups met in accommodation and cafés throughout the Neustadt. A monument to
Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...
was erected at Roßmarkt in 1844, which was moved to the Gallusanlage where it has stood since 1952. 1858 saw the erection of a monument for
Johannes Gutenberg Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (; – 3 February 1468) was a German inventor and craftsman who introduced letterpress printing to Europe with his movable-type printing press. Though not the first of its kind, earlier designs ...
which was also placed in Roßmarkt, and another for
Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friendsh ...
in 1864 which initially stood at Hauptwache but was moved to Goetheplatz in 1878 and then to the Taunusanlage in 1955. It was late in the city's history before it decided on the construction of a monument to Bismarck, which was set up in the Gallusanlage but later melted down in 1940. The citizens of Frankfurt established a venue in Junghofstraße as a festival and concert hall in 1859. The new main synagogue was inaugurated in Börnerstraße in 1860, and in 1882 another synagogue followed at Börneplatz.


The Neustadt as a large modern city

After the
Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...
, Frankfurt quickly developed into one of the more modern cities of Germany. Until that point the wide, meshed road system of the Neustadt had been consolidated by tearing down houses and other areas to allow for splendorous boulevards. After 1870, Kaiserstraße and Kaiserplatz became the main connection between Hauptwache and the western train stations. In 1876, the hotel Frankfurt Hof opened on Kaiserplatz, from which point on it was known as the "First House on the Square". After further demolition the new Zeil, Schillerstrasse and Goethestrasse were laid. The extension of the Neue Mainzer Straße was finished in 1874 with a bridge named Untermainbrücke. The newly built home of the stock exchange was opened in 1879 close to Hauptwache. The opera house was established and inaugurated in 1880 following the donations of Frankfurt's citizens. The new law courts were opened in Heiligkreuzstrasse in 1889 and followed by the theatre in Untermainanlage in 1902. The rapid process of growth in the new city led to the formation of a town centre. The previous residential districts developed into a commercial and business centre and the residents were soon ejected from the area. The trams were changed to electrical operation from 1899, whereby the city had a modern and efficient traffic service. The central traffic node of the trams was situated at Hauptwache, numerous lines lead through the Zeil, which developed into a road of large department stores. In the years after the first world war the emphasis of the development concerning town construction shifted more towards the outside quarters. The medieval parts of the city centre fell victim, as those in the Gothic Altstadt did, to the numerous allied air raids of 1943-44. Above all the reconstruction considered the needs of urban traffic and accepted modern town planning. Thus, completely new traffic axles were laid, for instance, Konrad-Adenauer-Strasse and the Zeil were considerably widened during their reconstruction. The redevelopment of the city centre brought the Innenstadt into the 1960s. The building of the underground system changed and from 1963, after intense construction measures, a large underground rapid-transit station was built underneath Hauptwache and Konstablerwache. The Zeil and the Freßgas were turned into pedestrian zones and until 1986 most tram lines were shut down. In the western part of the Innenstadt a banking quarter formed around the model of the American Central Business Districts. Since the 1970s this western part has seen numerous new skyscrapers, the best known of which include the Eurotower at Willy-Brandt-Platz and the
Commerzbank Tower Commerzbank Tower is a 56-story, skyscraper owned by Samsung of Korea since September 2016 in the banking district of Frankfurt, Germany. An antenna spire with a signal light on top gives the tower a total height of . It is the tallest ...
at Kaiserplatz.


Economy

All Nippon Airways , also known as ANA (''Ē-enu-ē'') or is an airline in Japan. Its headquarters are located in Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area of Minato ward of Tokyo. It operates services to both domestic and international destinations and had m ...
and
Japan Airlines , also known as JAL (''Jaru'') or , is an international airline and Japan's flag carrier and largest airline as of 2021 and 2022, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport, as w ...
have their Frankfurt offices in Innenstadt.ネットワーク(会社情報)-海外旅行・ツアーならJALPAK
" JALPAK. Retrieved on 9 November 2011. "本社Rossmarkt 15, 60311 Frankfurt/M Germany"


References


External links


Frankfurt Innenstadt
at City of Frankfurt {{Authority control Districts of Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...