FRM – The magazine on the FrankfurtRhineMain metro by Hessen Agentur

The magazine on the FrankfurtRhineMain metropolitan region

PEOPLE How newcomers discover FrankfurtRhineMain

LOCATION What makes Hessen so attractive

PERSPECTIVE Where e-mobility is heading in FRM

EXCURSIONS What you need to have seen

EXCELLENCE What Albert Speer values about the region DISCOVERIES Where good ideas are born

EVENT How German unity is being celebrated

INTERVIEW How Taunus Sparkasse is getting involved

>glish

En ion Edit

New in FrankfurtRhineMain

How newcomers discover the region

Issue 2015

Metropolitan area FrankfurtRheinMain creates future

Editorial A STRONG COMMUNITY FOR OUR FUTURE

A GOOD ARGUMENT FOR OUR WORK

It is a well-known fact that above all the larger

Sometimes it helps to take a look from the out

cities in Germany face the challenge of combat

side and this prompts you to notice things you

ting the shortage of skilled professionals. To

take for granted as a local: FrankfurtRhineMain

this end they seek to promote immigration plans, supply ade

is a great place to live. A new study on the quality of life in major

quate living space to accommodate the influx of people, and

international cities puts Frankfurt/Main in the top ten.

further raise the urban quality of life in manifold ways. Yet there is no silver bullet for overcoming future challenges. Each metro

US consulting company Mercer went to the effort of comparing

politan region makes use of different tools and structures here.

230 cities worldwide according to a yardstick of 39 criteria. They surveyed the staff of companies and organizations who had been

The formal structures in the FrankfurtRhineMain metropolitan

posted abroad. The evaluation included political, social, eco

region are outdated. It is no longer contemporary let alone

nomic and environmental aspects, as well as factors such as per

expedient to realize key projects only within city and district

sonal safety and health, educational and transport infrastructure

boundaries. Fortunately recent years have seen a noticeable

and other public services. Frankfurt placed seventh. A strong

change in the awareness of politicians as well as important

argument for the FrankfurtRhineMain region – and for our con

players from all walks of life. The debate on the future of our

tinued work. Indeed, the results of the study serve governments

metropolitan region has rapidly picked up pace and the process

and international firms as decision-making aids when posting

towards improved cooperation has developed a desirable mo

staff abroad. Needless to say, these kinds of studies always leave

mentum.

room for interpretation. Would we not be even higher up the ranking had it not included customs offences at the airport in

People are not just talking now, but taking action – together. One

the statistics on safety? How are those people seen who work in

example is the apartment construction project by ABG Frankfurt

the cities but have their “house in the countryside” in the wider

Holding in Friedberg. More than 100 apartments are to be built

region? The short links in our region are a quality-of-life factor

on the former site of the US Housing Area. There are similar pro

that is very difficult to put into statistical terms. Yet it renders a

jects in Offenbach, for instance on the Hafeninsel. Other projects

considerable contribution to the fact that FrankfurtRhineMain is

that are modelled on these two could likewise be realized in

a great place to work AND live.

coming years. Consequently, we wanted to get an even more accurate picture.

House oF FInanCe

House oF LogIsTICs & MobILITy

House oF IT

House oF PHarMa & HeaLTHCare

This is not only a key to resolving the housing shortage in the

For the current issue of FRM magazine we therefore went

major cities of our region, but also an opportunity to revitalize

in search of people who are new to the region. In the report

underdeveloped areas. Naturally to this end we need to extend

“Arrived” you can read about how newcomers live in Frankfurt

the necessary infrastructure, public transport and the number of

RhineMain – and how they see the region. I wish you an enjoy

childcare places, to name just two aspects. Here too the motto is:

able read.

We are stronger together! Let’s shape the future of our metropolitan region Frankfurt

Cutting-edge research for the future: The metropolitan area FrankfurtRheinMain has set itself the goal to take over a leading position in science and research for important future related topics. Well-known local companies as well as universities and research institutes have joined together to face the challenges of the future. Together with the “House of Finance”, the “House of Logistics & Mobility”, the “House of IT”, and the “House of Pharma & Healthcare”, centres of excellences are developed that allow networked and interdisciplinary research. These centres provide an open forum of encounter and co-operation for science, politics and practice. Furthermore, they include comprehensive and modern education and training centres for future scientists and researchers. Future begins – in FrankfurtRheinMain!

RhineMain together! Eric Menges

Managing Director of FRM GmbH

Peter Feldmann

Mayor of Frankfurt/Main PARTNERS OF THIS ISSUE OF FRM GOLD

www.wifrm.de

SILVER

BRONZE

Content

Location

The prime infrastructure and central location in Germany and in Europe paired with the region’s cosmopolitan outlook are key factors in its favour

The business development agency Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH reports a new record of international companies locating to Hessen

Dr. Rainer Waldschmidt Director Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH

Superb collaboration: Dr. Rainer Waldschmidt (on the left) and Dr. Benno Bunse, Managing Director of Germany Trade and Invest

HTAI

HESSEN RANKS TOP AMONG INVESTORS In 2014, more international companies than ever before opened for busi-

A breakdown by sector shows that the fields of Software/IT Services, Services,

ness in Hessen. In total, 144 companies opted to move here or expanded

Biotechnology/Medical Technology/Health Management and Engineering are

their existing investments in the state. Up from 119 such undertakings in 2013,

represented most.

this constitutes a 21-percent increase, placing Hessen among the leaders in the annual rankings of German states – and actually at no. 1 relative to its size.

Among the top investments in Hessen in 2014 are various internationally renow-

ned players. Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics GmbH, the German subsidiary of When it comes to international firms locating here, the federal and state of Hessen

the Swiss Novartis AG, has opened a new production facility for modern vaccines

business promotion agencies work closely together and also collaborate with

in Marburg. While Dymax Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of the Dymax Corporation,

schmidt, Managing Director of Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH, the business deve-

Film GmbH has established an Alpolic aluminium composite production facility

tax laws, rights of residence, and labour law, advises on subsidy programmes and financing facilities, devises customized location offers in close consultation with regional and local players, organizes site visits and assists with licensing procedures.

lopment agency. “We are delighted that so many international companies decided

in the Kalle-Albert industrial estate in Wiesbaden.

www.hessen-trade-and-invest.com

the companies marketing Hessen. “Record figures for international companies locating here for the first time and a host of expansion plans in 2014 in addition to excellent local conditions and services are the result of the superb collaboration of everyone involved in business promotion in Hessen,” says Dr. Rainer Wald-

Novartis Vaccines

a leading US manufacturer of advanced light-curable adhesives, light-curing equipment and fluid dispense systems that combine to optimize assembly processes, has opened a new R&D lab at its headquarters in Wiesbaden. Hessen has been further strengthened as a chemicals industry hub now that Mitsubishi Polyester

to locate or relocate here and are likewise proud of the outstanding professional support they received in Hessen,” adds Dr. Benno Bunse, first Managing Director of Germany Trade and Invest - Gesellschaft für Außenwirtschaft und Standortmarketing mbH. “As the Federal Agency for the Promotion of Economic Development we rely strongly on efforts at the state level. And I’m happy to say that collaboration with our colleagues in Hessen has always been superb.”

Wipro Technologies now manages its European business from its new head office

in Frankfurt. The company is domiciled in India and is one of the globally leading services providers for IT and consultancy. Moreover, US pharmaceutical company Pharm-Allergan is likewise managing its German operations from Frankfurt. Pharm-Allergan specializes in research, development and marketing of innovative pharmaceutical products, among others in the fields of opthalmology

In 2014, the majority of the firms, namely 37, came from the US, followed by Key investment: Novartis has committed EUR 240 million to a new production facility for vaccines in Marburg

China with 32, the UK with 13, and France and India with nine each. In other

“The prime infrastructure and central location in Germany and in Europe paired

with the region’s cosmopolitan outlook are key factors in favour of Hessen as

ment projects into the bargain. “Thanks to the FrankfurtRhineMain region,

6 7

(eye care), neurology, urology and medical aesthetics. Internationally the company is known as the inventor of Botox.

words, the US continues to be the key source of foreign direct investments. Hessen’s International Office in New York assisted 18 out of the 37 corporations in question in opening for business here and developed four Canadian invest-

a business location,” says Dr. Rainer Waldschmidt. “In addition, we excel with

Hessen is definitely Germany’s most international location,” adds Eric Menges,

outstanding research facilities, highly skilled professionals and not least a very

MD of Frankfurt RheinMain GmbH International Marketing of the Region.

high quality of life.”

FRM 01 I 15

People

Kelkheim Wiesbaden Mainz

Friedberg Frankfurt Aschaffenburg Darmstadt

ARRIVED An ever greater number of people are attracted to FrankfurtRhineMain. So with what projects and hopes do the newcomers start out in the region and how do they see FRM? Five portraits BY MARTIN ORTH (TEXT) AND JONAS RATERMANN (PHOTOS)

Frankfurt, Nordend. With a smile on her lips, Amol steers the stroller

through the flocks of people on Berger Strasse. She likes spending Satur-

day afternoon wandering and shopping with her husband Jan. A “hallo” here, a coffee there. “We’re gradually getting to know people in the district. Which is pretty unusual for a large city.” In fact, Amol is swiftly enthusiastic when talking about Frankfurt. “The city’s so colourful, so vibrant, you hear so many different languages,” she says. She clicks her fingers: “Frankfurt buzzes”. The couple have found what they were looking for.

Amol Kahlon was born in India, Jan Strömer comes from Thuringia. Both studied in

Oxford, which is where they met, and yes they’ve been a couple ever since. After six joint years in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, they sought a new challenge and started hunting for a new focus in life. And they also wanted to live in a big city. The final choice was Frankfurt, for professional reasons. Jan Strömer was hired by Bruker, a US high-tech company with German roots. And Amol Kahlon, who holds a Ph.D. in History, got a job at the Indian Consulate General in Frankfurt. Two discerning jobs: Jan Strömer is Deputy Director of R&D at Bruker. The

company is active in the field of instrumental analytics and supplies superconductors to research institutions such as the Max Planck institutes. Bruker hightech materials were also part of the equipment used for the exhilarating discovery of the Higgs particle in 2012 at CERN in Geneva. Amol Kahlon likewise soon found herself facing exciting challenges in her new job. She organized the events and festivities relating to the 60th anniversary of German-Indian relations in Frank-

Amol Kahlon and Jan Strömer

furtRhineMain. At the moment she is busy looking after the couple’s son Markus Angad, “a little Frankfurter”, as she proudly calls him.

8 9

The German-Indian couple lives on the doorstep of Bethmannpark

FRM 01 I 15

LOCATION > RECORD IN HESSEN

PEOPLE > NEW IN THE REGION

Which companies are settling in FRM

How newcomers discover FRM

Excursions

41 PLACES TO BE A Roman fort and art nouveau villas, dunes and the Felsenmeer sea of rocks, kiosks and variety theatre – discover FrankfurtRhineMain off the beaten track. 41 places that are must-sees.

Frankfurt 1/3/4/5/6 2

4 5

28 29

Hohe Strasse Anyone wanting to plan a really great Cycle-Highway trip should definitely consider the old trade route between Frankfurt and Leipzig. › regionalpark-rheinmain.de Grube Messel Those wanting to beam themselves back 50 million years will no doubt really enjoy a tour of the pit at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Grube Messel. The highlight: the two skeletons fossilized in oil slate – of the horse-like proalaeotherium and the eurohippus. › grube-messel.de Arboretum If you want to see some 600 different types of tree and shrub from all the northern hemisphere’s vegetation zones in the course of but a 2-hour walk, then head for the Arboretum between Sulzbach, Schwalbach and Eschborn. › regionalpark-rheinmain.de Grüne Sosse Monument Should you want to duly pay your respects to the seven-herbed Grüne Sosse, then waste no time and make your pilgrimage to the Grüne Sosse Monument in Oberrad. › frankfurt.de Schwanheimer Dunes If you suddenly feel the need to walk along the coastline, then head for the sparse sandy world south of the Main, dunes complete with hair-grass and pines – it can’t get better › frankfurt.de

6 dpa/Frank Rumpenhorst

Regionalpark RheinMain Those wanting to escape civilization and the city, enjoy unadulterated nature and idyllic isles of countryside, will be swept off their feet by Regionalpark RheinMain. An absolute regional highlight, and soon with a network of cycle routes totalling 1,250 (!) kilometres. › regionalpark-rheinmain.de

FRM 01 I 15

Discoveries

FASHION DISTRICT FRM FrankfurtRhineMain was not previously considered a fashion hot spot. But that is fast changing. A quite unique fashion district has emerged in Sachsenhausen’s Brückenviertel

Fashion and more: Design and taste meet in the Brückenviertel

BY JULIA SÖHNGEN (TEXT) AND TIM WEGNER (PHOTOS)

What’s the first thing you associate with Sachsenhausen? In a random

survey conducted amongst passers-by the most frequent answer was,

surprise, surprise, Apfelwein. And after that air traffic noise. Not a joke, sadly. But the next suggestion is more cheering: The Brückenviertel, Frankfurt’s fashion idyll. Acknowledged on both sides of the Main as as a hip place-to-be. Here in southern Sachsenhausen, where Brückenstrasse meets Wallstrasse, a normal residential district has morphed into a vibrant creative district, which is

Stylish Hessen: pottery Maurer offers handmade, painted stoneware and ceramics related to the cider or Apfelwein known locally as “Schobbe” www.keramik-maurer.de

Colorful: At “Ookoko” Vanesa Galassi presents international designers, unusual accessories, art and furniture www.ookoko.eu

hard to match – and not only in Frankfurt. It is precisely this juxtaposition of the traditional and the modern that goes to make the Brückenviertel such a magnet. Trendy and cool, yes! But never arrogant or snobby, and urban in the best sense of the word. The topic of fashion sets the tone here. However, it is not only thanks to their original creations that the numerous young labels and designer stores which have opened here draw attention, but also to their lovingly designed boutiques. Whether timelessly elegant, classic, original, experimental, daring or clean and chic – it would be hard to find a better snap-shot of Frankfurt’s fashion scene. The first person to recognize the district’s charm was Myriam Beltz, who has her

store “Lieblingsstücke” at Brückenstrasse 50, where she presents purist fashion and accessories with a touch of the ironic about them, mostly created by Scandinavian designers. She has done this for over ten years. “I not only sell fashion here but consciously set up consumer traps, which question and caricature the whole thing,” she says describing her overall idea. In the beginning she

42 43

FRM 01 I 15

EXCURSIONS > PLACES TO BE

DISCOVERIES > THE FASHION DISTRICT

What you need to have seen

Where good ideas are born

03 Editorial 04 Contents, imprint 06 Location

> Which firms are settling in FRM

LIMBURG

08 People

BAD HOMBURG

> How newcomers discover FRM

18 Perspective

> Where e-mobility is heading in FRM

22 Excellence

FRANKFURT WIESBADEN

> What Albert Speer values about the region

HANAU

OFFENBACH

MAINZ

ASCHAFFENBURG

26 Projects

> What Gateway Gardens could look like

DARMSTADT

28 Excursions

> What you need to have seen

40 Interview

> How Taunus Sparkasse is getting involved

HEPPENHEIM

42 Discoveries

> Where good ideas are born

50 Event

> How German unity is being celebrated

IMPRINT Publisher FRM – The magazine on the FrankfurtRhineMain metropolitan region is published by FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH International Marketing of the Region in cooperation with Societäts-Medien, Frankfurt/Main. For Frankfurt RheinMain GmbH: Eric Menges, President & CEO Publishing house Frankfurter Societäts-Medien GmbH, tel. +49 69 75 010, Managing Director: Oliver Rohloff Address of publisher and Editorial Office Frankenallee 71–81, 60327 Frankfurt/ Main. This is also the service address for all responsible parties and authorized persons mentioned in the imprint.

4 5

FRM 01 I 15

Editorial Office Editor-in-Chief: Peter Hintereder, Martin Orth (Managing Editor) tel. +49 69 75 01 43 52, fax +49 69 75 01 43 61 Art Direction Martin Gorka Production André Herzog Distribution Klaus Hofmann, tel. (069) 75 01-42 74, fax (069) 75 01-45 02 Notes Articles by named contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editorial desk. Reprints only with the publisher’s authorization. Printed in Germany, Copyright © by Frankfurter Societäts-Medien GmbH 2015. The magazine’s paper is eco-friendly. It has been produced with chlorine-free bleached pulp. Cover illustration dpa/Frank Rumpenhorst

Location

The prime infrastructure and central location in Germany and in Europe paired with the region’s cosmopolitan outlook are key factors in its favour

HESSEN RANKS TOP AMONG INVESTORS

The business development agency Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH reports a new record of international companies locating to Hessen

Superb collaboration: Dr. Rainer Waldschmidt (on the left) and Dr. Benno Bunse, Managing Director of Germany Trade and Invest

In 2014, more international companies than ever before opened for busi

A breakdown by sector shows that the fields of Software/IT Services, Services,

ness in Hessen. In total, 144 companies opted to move here or expanded

Biotechnology/Medical Technology/Health Management and Engineering are

their existing investments in the state. Up from 119 such undertakings in 2013,

represented most.

this constitutes a 21-percent increase, placing Hessen among the leaders in the annual rankings of German states – and actually at no. 1 relative to its size.

Among the top investments in Hessen in 2014 are various internationally renow

Novartis Vaccines

ned players. Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics GmbH, the German subsidiary of When it comes to international firms locating here, the federal and state of Hessen

the Swiss Novartis AG, has opened a new production facility for modern vaccines

business promotion agencies work closely together and also collaborate with

in Marburg. While Dymax Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of the Dymax Corporation,

the companies marketing Hessen. “Record figures for international companies

a leading US manufacturer of advanced light-curable adhesives, light-curing

locating here for the first time and a host of expansion plans in 2014 in addition to

equipment and fluid dispense systems that combine to optimize assembly proces

excellent local conditions and services are the result of the superb collaboration

ses, has opened a new R&D lab at its headquarters in Wiesbaden. Hessen has been

of everyone involved in business promotion in Hessen,” says Dr. Rainer Wald

further strengthened as a chemicals industry hub now that Mitsubishi Polyester

schmidt, Managing Director of Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH, the business deve

Film GmbH has established an Alpolic aluminium composite production facility

lopment agency. “We are delighted that so many international companies decided

in the Kalle-Albert industrial estate in Wiesbaden.

to locate or relocate here and are likewise proud of the outstanding professional support they received in Hessen,” adds Dr. Benno Bunse, first Managing Director

Wipro Technologies now manages its European business from its new head office

of Germany Trade and Invest - Gesellschaft für Außenwirtschaft und Standort

in Frankfurt. The company is domiciled in India and is one of the globally leading

marketing mbH. “As the Federal Agency for the Promotion of Economic Develop

services providers for IT and consultancy. Moreover, US pharmaceutical company

ment we rely strongly on efforts at the state level. And I’m happy to say that colla

Pharm-Allergan is likewise managing its German operations from Frankfurt.

boration with our colleagues in Hessen has always been superb.”

Pharm-Allergan specializes in research, development and marketing of inno vative pharmaceutical products, among others in the fields of opthalmology

Key investment: Novartis has committed EUR 240 million to a new production facility for vaccines in Marburg

6 7

FRM 01 I 15

Director Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH

HTAI

Dr. Rainer Waldschmidt

In 2014, the majority of the firms, namely 37, came from the US, followed by

(eye care), neurology, urology and medical aesthetics. Internationally the com

China with 32, the UK with 13, and France and India with nine each. In other

pany is known as the inventor of Botox.

words, the US continues to be the key source of foreign direct investments. Hessen’s International Office in New York assisted 18 out of the 37 corporations

“The prime infrastructure and central location in Germany and in Europe paired

in question in opening for business here and developed four Canadian invest

with the region’s cosmopolitan outlook are key factors in favour of Hessen as

ment projects into the bargain. “Thanks to the FrankfurtRhineMain region,

a business location,” says Dr. Rainer Waldschmidt. “In addition, we excel with

Hessen is definitely Germany’s most international location,” adds Eric Menges,

outstanding research facilities, highly skilled professionals and not least a very

MD of Frankfurt R heinMain GmbH International Marketing of the Region.

high quality of life.” \\

Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH provides consultancy services to foreign companies wishing to locate to Hessen for the first time, or wishing to relocate or extend their operations. It is the one-stop shop for investors in the state, provides information about tax laws, rights of residence, and labour law, advises on subsidy programmes and financing facilities, devises customized location offers in close consul tation with regional and local players, organizes site visits and assists with licensing procedures. www.hessen-trade-and-invest.com

People

Friedberg Kelkheim Frankfurt Wiesbaden Aschaffenburg Mainz Darmstadt

Frankfurt, Nordend. With a smile on her lips, Amol steers the stroller

through the flocks of people on Berger Strasse. She likes spending Satur

company is active in the field of instrumental analytics and supplies supercon ductors to research institutions such as the Max Planck institutes. Bruker hightech materials were also part of the equipment used for the exhilarating discovery of the Higgs particle in 2012 at CERN in Geneva. Amol Kahlon likewise soon found herself facing exciting challenges in her new job. She organized the events and festivities relating to the 60th anniversary of German-Indian relations in Frank furtRhineMain. At the moment she is busy looking after the couple’s son Markus Angad, “a little Frankfurter”, as she proudly calls him.

8 9

FRM 01 I 15

Amol Kahlon and Jan Strömer The German-Indian couple lives on the doorstep of Bethmannpark

People

An international city that brings together people from all over the world // Kevin Milas,

US Consul General

Kelkheim in the Taunus hills. In the garden of the pretty detached home, Antonia

and Leander are playing happily in the sandbox. Their parents, Uta and Michael Kadow, relocated from Berlin to the Main-Taunus district only a year ago. The reason: Their employer, logistics corporation DB Schenker, which combines Deutsche Bahn’s various international transport and logistics activities, moved its headquarters in 2013 from Berlin to Gateway Gardens, next to Frankfurt Airport. Uta and Michael Kadow followed the company to Frankfurt. DB Schenker sup ported the relocation professionally by launching a project called “New place to be” offering the staff countless opportunities to find out all about Frankfurt RhineMain – locally. DB-Schenker Management Board member Karl-Friedrich Rausch, who himself comes from Hessen, personally gave Michael some invalu able tips on which areas to check out as regards a new family home. Which is how

The US Consulate General in Frankfurt is the largest such consulate worldwide. It is responsible for the Americans living in the region and thanks to its prime strategic location handles major service and support functions for over 100 other US diplomatic missions internation ally. At present, about 1100 people work at the Consulate General, and growing .

they ended up in Kelkheim. Uta Kadow works in the Marketing section at DB Schenker Rail, the leading rail cargo company in Europe, while Michael Kadow was Head of Business Excellence at DB Schenker. They met at DB Schenker and lived for ten years in central Berlin. Michael Kadow was recently appointed Managing Director of the House of Logistics and Mobility (HOLM). They also found what they were looking for. Since they had children, they defi

nitely did not want to live in the city. In Berlin that would have involved far more travelling. “Things are quite different here,” says Michael Kadow. “150 metres to the woods, double that to the swimming pool, 6 minutes to the shops or cinema at Main-Taunus-Zentrum and 25 minutes to work. The childcare centre is halfway to work. A perfect fit,” he comments, a logistics man through and through. “In Berlin we’d step out of the flat and were surrounded by the city,” Uta continues. “Here, we live close to a big city, but surrounded by greenery, and can see the city skyline from the garden.” The Kadows are but four of the countless newcomers to FrankfurtRhineMain.

“Location pressures” is the word most used to describe the fact that the region is constantly attracting new companies, institutions and people. In 2013, Frankfurt alone welcomed more than 15,000 new inhabitants, or about 300 a week. It’s fairly simple to guess what makes the region with its 5.5 million inhabitants so appealing. In business terms, it’s the highly interesting, dynamic labour market, in urban terms it’s the region’s relatively small footprint. Many consider FRM the region where distances are ideally short. And it scores high as regards prime infrastructure, international schools, scientific excellence, outstanding cultural offerings, lots of greenery and a high quality of life.

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FRM 01 I 15

Kevin Milas The US Consul General does not just reside, but actively lives in Frankfurt

People

Every month, at least one member of my family comes to visit // Eleni Kouveletsou, ECB staff member

The European Central Bank is based in Frankfurt and has the mission of guaranteeing the purchasing power of the euro and thus Euroland price stability. Its brief covers the 19 member states of the European Monetary Union. The ECB employs some 1,100 staff members. Hundreds more will be arriving to staff the new bank supervisory agency. In 2014 the ECB relocated from Frankfurt city centre to its new Ostend high-rise.

Frankfurt, Ostend. We meet Eleni Kouveletsou where Frankfurt as a European

city is at its most European. In 2014 the European Central Bank (ECB) hired some 1,000 highly qualified staff to work for the new European Banking Authority. Since last year, the ECB has directly supervised the 123 largest banks in the Euro pean Monetary Union, among them 21 banks in Germany. The European Banking Authority staff work downtown, while all the other ECB staff moved in November 2014 to the new high-rise on Sonnemannstrasse. Eleni Kouveletsou is one of them. A native of Greece, she has since September 2014 been part of the Sovereign Issues team on the eighth floor of the new ECB Tower, the huge glass high-rise that consists on the inside of twin towers. Together with her colleagues from various European countries her working world is that of government bonds. Eleni is a scion of a family of bankers in Athens, gained an MBA in Glasgow and had “absolutely no idea” what awaited her in FrankfurtRhineMain. “I then researched things on the Internet and saw the skyline and the river banks. Greeks love the water,” she comments. “On the day I arrived here I was really surprised. It was the last day of the Museum Embankment. What better reception could one want? And now? Well every month, at least one member of my family comes to visit.” Frankfurt, Giessener Strasse. Kevin Milas is in FrankfurtRhineMain for profes

sional reasons. He is the US Consul General and thus head of the largest US con sulate the world over – it has a payroll of over 1,100. Milas is a well-travelled career diplomat who has worked on five continents and in nine embassies, the last being in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where he was First Consul. Only a month after his arrival in Frankfurt he confided to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that “the city is far more interesting than I had imagined. I now notice how great it is to live here.” Milas had until then only known Frankfurt from passing through it. “I now have to say, it’s a place to go to. An international city that brings together people from all over the world,” he tells us. “As a point of fact, here you don’t even need to know German.” And it’s not just his fellow countrymen whom he tells to discover the various Frankfurt “villages” by walking round them on foot and trying the different “flavors”. And Kevin Milas has also happily grown accustomed to regional specialties such as Grüne Sosse and apple cider. Although he does draw

Eleni Kouveletsou The young Greek works at the European Central Bank

the line at curd cheese with vinegar and onions. On that one “the jury is still out”, he says with a laugh. He tells us about his two now grown-up children, who were raised in various countries and visited him in Frankfurt. “My son grew up in Turkey. And he soon found the great Turkish restaurants here where he could practice his language skills.”

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FRM 01 I 15

People

View of the skyline from the garden

Uta Kadow, DB Schenker Rail

For the Consul General in Frankfurt things have come full circle. His father, a

naval officer, fell ill en route to a new posting in Spain in 1969 and was treated in the military hospital in Frankfurt. Kevin visited him there. Today, the self-same building complex on Giessener Strasse is where he works. “Back then, the ratio of US military personnel to US civilians in FrankfurtRhineMain was about 50:50. Today, in the broader FrankfurtRhineMain region there are about 100,000 US inhabitants and about 25,000 military with their families. That ratio says a lot about the development of American-German relations.” The region’s appeal is also creating huge challenges for politicians and local

authorities alike: Where to house all the new citizens attracted to Frankfurt RhineMain? Building plots are now scarce and it’s not just new apartments that are needed, but childcare centres, schools and infrastructure. This has led to closer cooperation within the region and to innovative solutions. The housing association ABG, for example, is now building new homes in Friedberg and Offenbach. Originally it had budgeted only 400 million euros for residential construction, but now the plan is to create over 6,000 new apartments by the year 2019 for more than two billion euros. There are likewise new trends in the private sector. Residential high-rises, residential complexes for students, and the trans formation of office premises into homes are all on the cards. In Frankfurt’s Bürostadt Niederrad, such conversions are expected to yield 3,000 new apart ments, and the label Bürostadt (“office district”) will become a thing of the past.

E-Port An Electromobility at Frankfurt Airport

Environmentally friendly hybrid propulsion – now available for aircraft too. Uta and Michael Kadow The family relocated to Frankfurt RhineMain with their employer, DB Schenker

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FRM 01 I 15

At least when you take off or land at Frankfurt Airport. Aircraft normally use their jet power to roll between terminal and take-off runway – a not inconsequential distance of up to five kilometres. The TaxiBot was developed as a hybrid-powered tug so that in future, this can be done quietly and cleanly in many cases. Just one of many steps on the road to electromobility at Frankfurt Airport. The E-PORT AN project is a collaboration between

www.e-port-an.de

People

Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof, Frankfurt am Main

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Shiva Adhikari Cargo City Süd. Shiva Adhikari is busy with a dismantling project. To enable

A native of Nepal, he is a construction engineer at Frankfurt Airport

the expansion of Frankfurt Airport chemical company Ticona has had to relocate. The Nepalese has now worked for Fraport for 12 years and is currently an engineer in the Real Estate and Facility Management section at Cargo City Süd. His first port of call in Germany was Hanover, where he gained a Master’s in Geotechnology and Infrastructure. He then headed back to Nepal – only to return to Germany in 2002 – to Offenbach. There, along with six other families he founded the “Nepali Samaj” (Nepalese Society), of which he is now chairman. He got to know the re gion better above all thanks to the Nepali community. “The members and friends come from all the different corners of FrankfurtRhineMain.” Together, they seek to create a greater awareness of the Himalayan country and forge new links. Only recently they outfitted a school in Shiva’s hometown of Siraha close to the border with India with a new computer lab. In Frankfurt, the association initiated a Nepali course at the Volkshochschule, one of only very few in Germany. Shiva Adhikari has his own stories to tell about learning languages. “When I arrived here from Hanover, I found myself asking: How on earth do they speak here?” and he laughs. “The amount of local idioms and dialect was overwhelming. I simply had to relearn my German.” Today, he lives with his German wife and three children in Friedberg – and speaks with a slight Hessen-cum-Nepalese accent. \\

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Airport operating company Fraport is one of the world’s leading corporations in the airport business and with Frankfurt Airport operates one of the world’s most import ant air travel hubs. The airport is home to a total of 500 companies and institutions, the total payroll coming to 78,000 persons, of whom 21,000 alone work for Fraport. Making Frankfurt Airport the single largest place of work in Germany.

For the Future of the Region. Listening and exchanging ideas: This is the foundation of success. We offer ﬁnancing to people who stimulate development and chart the course, keeping the region attractive and sustainable.

www.taunussparkasse.de · serviceteam@taunus-sparkasse.de · toll-free hotline 0800 51250000

Perspective

10 %

TRAILBLAZING

OF THE VEHICLE FLEET AT FRANKFURT AIRPORT IS ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN

FrankfurtRhineMain wants to take the lead in advancing e-mobility. Several initiatives have already set things in motion BY JOACHIM HEPPNER

J ür g e n M a i

You can’t hear it, but it has already arrived: the future of electric mobility.

Ten percent of the transport fleet at Frankfurt Airport is already powered

by electricity – and it bears mentioning that the fleet encompasses 3,000 vehicles: 150 small tractors, almost all of the airport’s conveyor belt vehicles, eight pallet trucks for aircraft loading, a prototype for passenger airstairs equipped with solar panels, and 20 cars used mainly in the Fraport corporate car pool, as well as two minivans for crew transport are electrically powered.

12,000

PURELY ELECTRIC CARS WERE ON THE ROAD IN GERMANY AT THE BEGINNING OF 2014

Using electric vehicles on and around airports is an ideal solution. After all, at Frank

furt Airport there’s more driving than flying. Passengers, luggage, freight and catering have to be transported to and from the aircraft; planes have to be towed to the runway or gate. In fact, converting the transport fleet to electricity is paying off for Fraport. According to Andreas Eibensteiner, coordinator of alternative drives at Fraport, there are many benefits both for the company and for its emplo yees – despite the higher purchase cost of an electric vehicle. Because that gets offset by lower energy consumption levels, lower maintenance and servicing costs, lower CO2 emissions and less noise on the ground. In addition, electric drives are much better suited to the stop-and-go traffic at the airport, as Eiben steiner points out. And he is firmly convinced that ten percent is but the beginn

Fraport and Lufthansa have decided to advance electric mobility out of convic

tion. The project goes by the name of “E-PORT ON” and enjoys German govern ment support in the form of a grant of close to EUR 8 million as part of the “Model Region for Electromobility Rhine Main” and has already won the GreenTec Award. The State of Hessen supports the project logistically.

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M a r t i n L ei s s l

ing of greater things to come.

VEHICLES WERE DELIVERED TO SKILLED CRAFTS AND TRADES BUSINESSES IN FRANKFURT AND WIESBADEN AS PART OF THE PROJECT “ERSTER! DAS HANDWERK FÄHRT EMOBIL”

Perspective

These charging stations are just for e-cars, and an e-loader (pallet truck) is charged

Ansgar Roese, head of the competence centre for logistics and mobility at Frank

at the existing charging stations on the airport apron. It takes the whole night to

furt Economic Development GmbH concludes that developments to date have

recharge its battery – but then it’s set for an entire shift. Fraport freight subsidiary

been positive. “50 vehicles were delivered to tradespeople in Frankfurt and Wies

FCS’s forklifts have their own battery-changing point. The E-PORT ON project

baden – and all those involved were delighted.” One or two participants hesitated

also includes three hybrid TaxiBot aircraft tugs operated by Lufthansa subsidiary

at first, Roese recalls, but after the initial period everyone responded favourably,

LEOS. Usually the aeroplanes taxi up to five kilometres from the terminal to their

convinced by the smooth and quiet driving experience the powerful electric

take-off position under the power of their own engines. Now pilots can instead

drives provide. Now everyone agrees that small, electric cars are ideal for driving

move the planes out to the runway without starting the aircrafts’ engines using

around the city. The higher price tag is offset over time by lower maintenance

TaxiBots. This translates into nothing less than 63 percent lower energy costs,

and servicing costs.

ELECTRIC CARS ARE IDEAL FOR TRADESPEOPLE DRIVING IN THE CITY //

F rap or t AG

50 percent lower maintenance efforts, 73 percent lower CO2 emissions, and half the ground noise. When spread over a year, the kerosene saved would completely

“In this respect, the grant was an important stimulus,” states Roese. “You have to

fill an entire A380’s tank.

start somewhere, after all.” The project logo on a sticker affixed to the cars was also an effective marketing tool. Werner Backes of the Wiesbaden Business and

ELECTROMOBILITY PAYS OFF FOR FRAPORT

In the immediate vicinity of the airport, namely in the House of Logistics and

Real Estate Authority agrees: “There were major reservations in the beginning.

Mobility (HOLM), the initiative “DieMo Rhein-Main” was recently launched,

But everyone swiftly started embracing the new technology. Participants were

whereby the service industry seeks to promote e-mobility. Various partners want

especially pleased with the passenger comfort and considerably lower energy

to push for a more effective use of electric drives in FrankfurtRhineMain in every

costs the e-cars offered.”

day life. The research project has a practical thrust and aims to compile action guidelines for local authorities and end-consumers on how best to expand exis ting offers and foster new ones. This includes a map of the charging infrastructure as well as an online cost calculator that enables comparisons of buying and operat ing electric cars as opposed to cars with a combustion engine. Partners in the ini tiative include Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability (LBF), ivm GmbH and Kassel Uni versity. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research also supports the project. Mathias Samson, State Secretary in the Hessen Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport and Regional Development, suggests that “mobility patterns will change fundamentally. To this end, we must set ourselves ambitious goals.” An example of an initiative already successfully realized is “Erster! Das Handwerk

fährt emobil” (First! The trades go e-mobile), a joint project by the State of Hessen, the Cities of Frankfurt and Wiesbaden, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and the FrankfurtRhineMain and Wiesbaden Crafts Chambers. The initiative pro vided financial support to tradespeople buying electric cars and vehicles with a plug-in hybrid drive. The pilot project, which ran for three years, encompassed a variety of industrial sectors ranging from building contractors to orthopedic

M ar t i n L ei s sl

technicians and car service outlets to opticians.

Wirtschaftsförderung Frankfurt - Frankfurt Economic Development - GmbH Wir sind Ihr kompetenter Ansprechpartner bei Standortangelegenheiten und Fragen der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung in Frankfurt am Main. Nutzen Sie unser Service- und Informationsangebot. Ob ansässiges Unternehmen oder interessierter Investor aus dem In- oder Ausland, ob Einzelunternehmer oder Konzern, ob lokal oder global im Geschäft, wir stehen Ihnen zur Verfügung. Durch unser hervorragendes Netzwerk in Stadt, Verwaltung und Wirtschaft sowie unsere umfassenden Kenntnisse der Frankfurter Branchen können wir Sie bei Ihren Herausforderungen und Plänen unterstützen. Unser Service ist kostenfrei.

Wirtschaftsförderung Frankfurt - Frankfurt Economic Development - GmbH Hanauer Landstr. 126–128 · 60314 Frankfurt Phone: +49 69 212 36209 · Fax: +49 69 212 9800 E-Mail: info@frankfurt-business.net · Internet: www.frankfurt-business.net

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We are your competent contact partner for location matters and economic development issues in Frankfurt am Main. Take advantage of our services and information. No matter if you are a resident company or interested investor from here or abroad, a sole trader or a company, a local or a global business – we are here for you. Thanks to our outstanding network in the city, administration and business world as well as our comprehensive knowledge of industries in Frankfurt, we can assist you with your challenges and plans. Our service is free of charge.

Excellence

FRM CAN BE A MODEL FOR OTHERS Albert Speer is one of the major German architects and urban planners. He tells us why the future of the FrankfurtRhineMain region is so exciting BY MARTIN ORTH (INTERVIEW) AND JONAS RATERMANN (PHOTO)

Prof. Speer, Frankfurt doesn’t have any glorious and gleaming historical buildings as do Berlin, Hamburg or Munich. So what’s the region’s secret?

The region stands out for its diversity and history. Frankfurt RhineMain is not a new model, but a long-standing one with a strong tradition of city burghers. The region thrives on its mix of cities and sections of countryside, none of which are large, but all of which have their own unique histories. FrankfurtRhineMain is flourishing. Frankfurt attracts over 15,000 new inhabitants a year. There’s a strong need for new housing. What makes the region so appealing?

No other German city can rival its relatively small footprint, in ternational reach and strong networks.

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Excellence

So where should all the newcomers to the region live?

You once said FrankfurtRhineMain was an urban planning model

We must put a lot of effort into residential construction and

that would make a good export. How so?

work together within the region to handle the influx. The con

The region is a successful model for others to copy given its decen

version of existing spaces, of commercial areas into residential

tralized nature and the fact everything is close at hand. Strengths

estates, is key. And I also believe residential high-rises are

other regions lack. Each city has its own strengths, be they in cul

called for, in the right locations. I’m sure the Henninger Tower

ture, business, politics or science. Take Frankfurt, for example.

will be great. Downtown will then attract people who pre

Draw a circle with a diameter of one kilometre round Alte Oper, and

viously would have put down roots in the Taunus. I really wel

you’ll find everything inside it: Expensive flats, cheap apartments,

come this, as it will bring more life into the city.

culture, sports, stores, banks, medical practises, restaurants and

No other German city can rival its relatively small footprint, international reach and strong networks //

parks. That’s what makes a city a city! We use the example of Are there limits to the region’s growth, is free space gradually run-

FrankfurtRhineMain when lecturing in China, for example, as this

ning out?

decentralized diversity of the individual cities can definitely be a

I don’t think so, especially if one looks beyond Frankfurt’s city

model for urban development in China, albeit on a different scale.

limits, at the Main-Taunus district, Offenbach and Hanau. There are quite large fall-back areas there.

Can FrankfurtRhineMain ever compete with megacities such as Shanghai or Singapore?

In the Gallus district alone, thanks to the new Europaviertel in

FrankfurtRhineMain is small on an international scale, but in re

2013 over 2,000 people moved into new apartment. Isn’t there a

cent years we’ve placed high in international rankings in terms of

danger of covert gentrification?

quality of life. Thanks to our diversity and the fact that everything

No, I have no concerns in that regard. It’s normal for a city

is close at hand. And thanks to everyone’s open-mindedness.

to change over time. And just as normal that basic social con ditions likewise change. We have hitherto had a very healthy

If you had a day off to show someone from outside your favourite

mix of different things in each quarter, and it will stay that

places in Frankfurt where would you go?

way in the future. Such as owner-occupied dwellings and

I would most certainly walk across Holbeinsteg, along the

council housing, of which there is a lot in Frankfurt.

museum-lined south bank, and perhaps go into the one or other museum. The Städel with its great underground extension is a real

Frankfurt and the region are very cosmopolitan. Almost 30 per-

highlight. I’d certainly also show the guest our marvellous down

cent of the people who live here have a migrant background. Is

town uni campus, sensational with the former IG Farben building,

that an issue for the town planners?

world class. I’d travel out to Römerstadt to show a bit of history and

I’ve always said that Frankfurt is too small to form ghettos. And

social acceptance, and then it would be a matter of his interests:

there are no gated communities here, either. We all live peace

Theatre, opera, there are countless opportunities. Or simply a

fully together in a spirit of tolerance. And if someone turns up

drink in Sachsenhausen.

who looks different, then that’s the way it is. No one worries, it’s not of any significance, we’re open-minded.

One last question: What will Frankfurt look like in 20 years’ time?

There’ll be new buildings, there’s much happening in countless

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The trend is urbanization, worldwide. What opportunities and

respects at the moment. But the urban fabric will remain rela

prospects remain for rural regions?

tively stable. Only life in the city will change radically thanks

That trend will persist in the medium term if only because

to networks, mobility, multimedia. Cars won’t play such a big

cities offer a great quality of life for all types of people. But

role anymore. Internet shopping will impact. But the outward

the rural regions also play a key role for rest, recreation and as

appearance will be pretty similar. After all, we’re proud that

a climate resource. And our region is marvellously diverse in

our city has a history and that unlike American or new Chinese

this regard. The Odenwald forest is unlike the Taunus woods,

cities we can tell it. That’s a strong suit. As the growing number

the Rheingau vineyards quite unlike the Rhön meadows.

of visitors shows.

Profile Albert Speer, born in 1934, was a carpenter’s apprentice, completed his high school cer tificate at night school, and then studied Architecture in Munich, before going freelance in Frankfurt in 1964. In 1984, together with colleagues Albert Speer founded “AS&P – Albert Speer & Partner” in Frankfurt, one of today’s renowned major German companies for ar chitecture and urban planning. The office has realized countless projects, above all in China and the Arabian world. AS&P also devised the master plan for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Projects

Individual floors rotate around a fixed core: the entry by Meixner Schlüter Wendt, Frankfurt dpa/Guillau me Bonnefont

Zaha Hadid Born in Iraq, the British ar chitect was the first woman to win the “Nobel Prize for Ar chitecture”, the Pritzker Prize – in 2004. In Germany, she has among others designed the Phaeno, the Science Centre in Wolfsburg. The powerful building mainly consists of reinforced concrete, but is compellingly dynamic. Her design for Gateway Gardens is lighter in touch, reminiscent of wings or a propeller.

NEW LANDMARKS Gateway Gardens

(4)

International architects present visions for the new Frankfurt district: Gateway Gardens

Zaha Hadid’s high-rise boasts wings. Coop Himmelb(l)au

The architectural competition featured 16 renowned inter

envisages a Flying Garden Tower at the airport. And

national firms, and eight of them were short-listed. The

the architects at Meixner Schlüter Wendt have staggered the in

master plan foresees four locations for high-rises. “A second

dividual floors around a fixed core shaft. Almost all the proposals

skyline will arise, in the southwest of the city,” comments

are inspired by the location, namely the airport and Airport City.

Frankfurt’s Mayor Peter Feldmann, “a perfect calling card

They are entries in the high-rise competition organized by

for corporations.” Two towers are planned for the northern

Grundstücksgesellschaft Gateway Gardens, the property deve

entrance to the quarter, with another two facing the Frankfurt

lopers seeking to create one of the most appealing new quarters

cloverleaf. The towers can in part be as much as 80 metres high.

in FrankfurtRhineMain.

The specifications for all the designs are such that they can be realized so close to the airport.

Gateway Gardens was until 2005 the housing area for the

Twin towers around a central atrium, and a spiralling tower: the proposals by Behnisch Architekten, Stuttgart, and Coop Himmelb(l)au, Vienna

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members of the US Air Force who worked at the former US Rhine

The key feature of the competition: The investor can choose

Main Air Base. It consists of a full 35 hectares of land located

which design to realize, or adapt it to his needs as long as this is

between the airport and the Frankfurt cloverleaf. The plan is for

in line with the building permit. The first structure to be built

the new quarter to be home to as many as 18,000 jobs, whereby

will be the new LRT connection which is scheduled to open in

4,500 people already work there. The first high-rise, the 68-metre-

2019. All the high-rise designs will be on show thru 19 April 2015

high Alpha Rotex, towers over the district. Logistics corporation

at Deutsches Architekturmuseum Frankfurt in its exhibition

DB Schenker relocated its headquarters there a good year ago now.

entitled “Skyward – Highrise City Frankfurt”.

Excursions

Frankfurt 1/3/4/5/6 2

1 Hohe Strasse Anyone wanting to plan a really great Cycle-Highway trip

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6 Regionalpark RheinMain Those wanting to escape civilization and the dpa/Frank Rumpenhorst

should definitely consider the old trade route between Frankfurt and Leipzig. › regionalpark-rheinmain.de 2 Grube Messel Those wanting to beam themselves back 50 million years will no doubt really enjoy a tour of the pit at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Grube Messel. The highlight: the two skeletons fossilized in oil slate – of the horse-like proalaeotherium and the eurohippus. › grube-messel.de 3 Arboretum If you want to see some 600 different types of tree and shrub from all the northern hemisphere’s vegetation zones in the course of but a 2-hour walk, then head for the Arboretum between Sulzbach, Schwalbach and Eschborn. › regionalpark-rheinmain.de 4 Grüne Sosse Monument Should you want to duly pay your respects to the seven-herbed Grüne Sosse, then waste no time and make your pilgrimage to the Grüne Sosse Monument in Oberrad. › frankfurt.de 5 Schwanheimer Dunes If you suddenly feel the need to walk along the coastline, then head for the sparse sandy world south of the Main, dunes complete with hair-grass and pines – it can’t get better › frankfurt.de

city, enjoy unadulterated nature and idyllic isles of countryside, will be swept off their feet by Regionalpark RheinMain. An absolute regional highlight, and soon with a network of cycle routes totalling 1,250 (!) kilometres. › regionalpark-rheinmain.de

Excursions 13 Döner Boat Anyone desperate for that Bosphorus feeling is best off 7 Frankfurt 11/12/13 10 9 8

visiting Ramiz Meral – between the Untermainbrücke and Eiserner Steg. A kebab with lots of garlic and pepper – simply great. › meral-event.de

7 Kempinski Falkenstein Gaze on the land as once Kaiser William II did and

dpa/Kempinski

enjoy possibly most spectacular view in the region from the ensemble of villas he had built. A majestic panorama. › kempinski.com

a summer’s walk beneath plane trees, this is the place to go. And there’s an impressive wedding tower thrown into the bargain. › mathildenhoehe.eu 9 Neroberg Wanting to hit the heights of Wiesbaden in the old-fashioned way? Then buy a ticket for the Neroberg Railway, built in 1888. You’ll be rewarded at the summit not just by the view, but also by the opportunity to have a quick refreshing dip in the beautiful Opelbad pool. › wiesbaden.de 10 Flörsheimer Warte For that super-cool Sunday brunch in the midst of vineyards, and what could be more compelling, head for Wicker and find your wish fulfilled. › floersheimer-warte.de 11 Kleinmarkthalle If you don’t know the Kleinmarkthalle, you’re missing out. A paradise for amateur chefs, gourmets and gourmands alike – closed only on Sundays. › kleinmarkthalle.com 12 Kiosks Anyone wishing to give visitors an undiluted view of life as it really is will find plenty of philosophizing here on an everyday basis. › frankfurt.de

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dpa/Marius Becker

8 Mathildenhöhe For art nouveau at its best, romantic artists’ houses, and

Excursions

15 17 Frankfurt 14/19/20 16 18

15 Golf in the Schlosspark Ready for a great 18 holes in decidedly dignified

Schlosshotel Kronberg

surroundings that are nothing less than “very British”? Well in Kronberg you can enjoy a stylish cup of tea after the last putt. › schlosshotel-kronberg.de

16 Kaiser Friedrich Thermal Baths The world can be quite unlike the late-modern

know much about skateboarding, ignore this tip. The 5,500 square-meter complex at the base of the ECB Tower is one of the most challenging skateparks in Germany. › frankfurt.de

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Jan-Peter Boening/laif

14 Skatepark Assuming you don’t

wellness boom – as the ornamented columns and elaborately decorated baths in this ancient spa complex show: an ideal place to relax. › wiesbaden.de 17 Schloss Philippsruhe This is well worth a visit if you want to experience three things at once, namely culture (Baroque manor house), nature (the view of the slow-flowing Main) and cuisine (tempting patisserie in the museum café). › hanau.de 18 Opelvillen Opel is definitely not just about cars, eas a glance at the Opelvillen on the banks of the Main in Rüsselsheim swiftly reveals. You’ll find great modern art there, and no cars at all. › opelvillen.de 19 Tigerpalast If you haven’t heard of Johnny Klinke’s variety theatre complete with starred restaurant in Frankfurt’s Heiligkreuzgasse, then maybe you simply haven’t lived over the last 25 years. › tigerpalast.de 20 Campus Westend Anyone wanting to see what “sharp minds” are up to in Frankfurt should wander round Germany’s most beautiful campus – you’ll certainly be amazed, and leave enthusing about it. › uni-frankfurt.de

Excursions 27 Schloss Johannisburg A forever rewarding end to a day trip to the

21 Rheingau Head here to discover those unforgettable moments in life. And the perfect trio is quite simply: the Rheingau Riesling route, the Rheingau Music Festival and the Rheingau Gourmet & Wine Festival. › rheingau.de

22 Fürstenlager Bensheim-Auerbach In spring, when the fruit trees start to

Frankfurt 23 26 21 24 27 25 22

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blossom on the Bergstrasse, it’s time to stop the car and take a guided tour of the beautiful park, landscaped in the English tradition, and then try your hand at baking bread. › bensheim-auerbach-bergstrasse.de 23 Kloster Eberbach Haven’t you always wanted to know how the old Cistercian monks lived and where “The Name of the Rose” was filmed – it starred Sean Connery. Find out here. › kloster-eberbach.de 24 Main confluence For that slightly different view of Mainz Cathedral go to the confluence of the Main and Rhine rivers, and dip your feet in the water, too. › regionalpark-rheinmain.de 25 Rhine isle of Langenau Interested in bird-watching, specifically in storks? View them quietly on the isle of Langenau on the Rhine. Drive to Ginsheim- Gustavsburg. › hofgut-langenau.de 26 Frankfurt Municipal Forest Not sure what to do? Well head out to the municipal forest for any number of things. Such as hiking (there are 450 kilometres of trails), jogging, cycling, guessing tree names, listening to the woodpeckers, or clambering up Goetheturm. › frankfurt.de

Georg Knoll/laif

Hendrik Holler/Getty Images

Lower Main in Franconia: Stop off in Aschaffenburg and gasp at the beauty of Renaissance castle Schloss Johannisburg, a true masterpiece. › aschaffenburg.de

Excursions

28 The Celtic World on the Glauberg That magic mix of early history, myths, wind and sun-rises. The fascinating Celtic Museum in the midst of the Wetterau Highlands offers profound insights into the early history of civilization in FrankfurtRhineMain, incl. Celts, who seem to have huge ears. › keltenwelt-glauberg.de

29 Hafen 2 All the local creative minds tend to gather here at least

schmidtbild.de

once a month. No longer as trashy as the former location in Offenbach, and yet still inspiring – with cherry cake, rhubarb spritzer and a great view of the Main. › www.hafen2.net

30 Roman Fort Saalburg Anyone wanting to track down the ancient Romans

Georg Knoll/laif

will find plenty of evidence on the Saalburg, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Always worth a visit. › saalburgmuseum.de 31 Schloss Johannisberg One of the homes of the tangy Riesling grape and replete with cultural and musical attractions (such as the Rheingau Music Festival). While away some pleasant hours in the long-standing vineyards at Geisenheim. › schloss-johannisberg.de 32 Kurpark Bad Homburg If you want to visit the “Blickachsen 10” outdoor sculpture show between 31 May and 4 October 2015 then head straight for the Kurpark. The large sculptures offer all manner of new perspectives, as they do elsewhere in the region, too. › bad-homburg.de 33 Old Airstrip Bonames Want to in-line on an old runway? This is the place, but make sure when you blast down the 750 metres you don’t end up taking off. Other highlights: the Tower Café with a view out over the “apron”, the adventure playground and the “Grüngürteltier”. › frankfurt.de 34 Drive-in movie theatre Gravenbruch Like those 1950s American cars, road movies and to lean back in your car seat and enjoy the cool panorama screen with its 540 square metres? Then get in gear and travel to Germany’s oldest “drive-in movie theatre”. › autokinos-deutschland.de

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30 32 28 Frankfurt 29 33 31 34

Excursions 41 Palmengarten Anyone wanting to

38 39 Frankfurt 36/41 40 37

Berthold Steinhilber/laif

wander in a tropical rainforest but who has no time to head to Brazil or Indonesia can simply stop by the Palm House for a floral expedition. › palmengarten.de

35 Felsenmeer If you can’t make Ayers Rock in Australia this afternoon, you could instead drive to the Sea of Rocks (Felsenmeer) in the Odenwald; an ideal outdoor recreation spot, with lots for the kids to clamber around on, and geological marvels all around you. › felsenmeer.org

greatest son” and breathe in a bit of the genius of the place at the house where JWG was born – in Grosser Hirschgraben. › goethehaus-frankfurt.de 37 Ivory Museum If you’re in the Odenwald, you simply must stop in Erbach. The town hall and the Ivory Museum are an absolute “must”. Today, only artificial materials are used in what is Germany’s ivory capital. › erbach.de 38 Ronneburg Want to see what it was really like in Medieval times, complete with jousting knights at Whitsun? There’s chivalry all round in this ancient fortress, now over 750 years old. › burg-ronneburg.de 39 Opel-Zoo Elephants in a habitat to suit them? Just outside Frankfurt?! In the Opel Zoo between Königstein and Kronberg - for good family fun. › opel-zoo.de 40 Benedictine Abbey If you’re searching for peace and quiet, then bask in it in Seligenstadt. The former abbey with its marvellous herb gardens is a small “wonder of the slow life”. › seligenstadt.de

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Berthold Steinhilber/laif

36 Goethe House Pay your respects to the man who was definitely “Frankfurt’s

Interview

Oliver Klink is CEO of Taunus Sparkasse and a member of the IHK plenum

PRIME ADDRESS AS REAL-ESTATE FINANCER The Taunus Sparkasse plays a special role in the FrankfurtRhineMain property market. We talked to CEO Oliver Klink about why that is.

How do you respond to the trend in housing?

A study by the Frankfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce underlines what we experience every morning when stuck in a traffic jam: More than half a million people work in Frankfurt alone – and of that number, over 335,000 commute to the city every day. And that number is rising. Those with no inclination to commute need an apartment perhaps in addition to their reg ular home – you might say as a home for “the working week”. Five years ago, Dr. Rudolf Muhr, who is one of our clients, had the right feel for this topic. His children were starting to study and Dr. Muhr told us that when he looked at the student apartments he thought: ‘You can make them more attractive!‘ He designed apartments for students, which can equally be used by com muters or those wanting short-term accommodation. Two years ago his micro-apartments on Adickesallee, known as “The Flag”,

When the talk turns to project development and real-estate

new real-estate developments. This lets us maintain our

were completed. They are small but comfortably equipped apart

financing in the metropolitan region, your name is mentioned

competitive edge, and we can convince with our performance.

ments – roughly 20 to 30 square metres each: with a bathroom,

with amazing frequency: Taunus Sparkasse. Why is that

Incidentally, you can realize exciting projects in all market

kitchen area and combined living/sleeping area. Dr. Muhr is cur

Herr Klink?

phases – as we have proved.

rently realizing two other projects including the Philosophicum

Quite simply – because we have been successfully active in the

on the university campus in Bockenheim.

Parkstadt Unterliederbach. The KEG is a joint venture between

business for over 20 years. During that period, our real-estate

Is that how you came to be involved in Offenbach?

the City of Frankfurt and a private engineering office. Some 300

clients have seen for themselves how we have supported excel

Yes, exactly! A specific example is Hafeninsel Offenbach – now

How do you see the development in commercial property?

new apartments will be built across around 11 hectares. They are

lent projects in a wide variety of market cycles and have mastered

one of the most exciting district developments in the region. We

There is immense demand for really modern, state-of-the-art

being realized by various investors on the basis of a coordinated

difficult situations together. That defines a reputation. And we

received the first inquiries three and a half years ago, but were

offices in inner-city locations. The situation is identical for retail

plan. There will be single-family dwellings and duplex houses in

know how valuable a good name is.

initially somewhat reluctant. However, the waterside location

properties when they are truly core real-estate. One example

addition to publicly subsidized rental apartments.

and the proximity to both Frankfurt and the new European

where things are really being shaken up in Frankfurt is the

What do you do differently from the others? After all, there are

Central Bank were all aspects that appealed to us. Our clients

area around Goethestrasse and Opernplatz. There, we are busy

The Taunus Sparkasse was even active as a project developer.

bigger players around…

and teams then talked with the Hafengesellschaft and with vari

financing Luginsland, a building with offices and businesses

Yes. And that presented us with huge challenge. It took years

Our passion for good real-estate projects is not just a passing

ous municipal decision-makers in Offenbach. In the end, it was

affording views of the Goethestrasse. And directly adjacent to

before we found a developer willing to take on the historical

fad but has strong roots in our strategy. And for us as a savings

almost logical we should finance the Lyson Group’s local mall,

the project “ma’ro-opera district” in Frankfurt, which is being

locomotive shed in Bad Homburg. And it would not be in our

bank a strategy is not about paying lip service to ideals, but tak

which is indispensable for the overall development. Add to that

realized by developers Groß & Partner and Peakside in a joint

nature to simply stand by and watch such a marvellous edifice at

ing a serious, long-term approach, one that is not influenced by

the first large construction phase with Deutsche Wohnwerte, a

venture. It offers superlative retail spaces close to Goethestrasse

one of our main locations falling into disrepair. So we assumed

fashions and arbitrary matters. Our clients appreciate this. What

subsidiary of the Zech Group.

and high-quality offices – a perfect combination.

responsibility for revitalizing the listed building and added a

qualified in areas relating to “real-estate”. This is only possible

Mr. Klink, that makes it all sound very simple, doesn’t it? After

Do you also have experience when it comes to supporting cli-

partners, whose projects we normally support as financers – take

because these staff members really know their special know-

all, we’re talking about Offenbach…

ents revitalizing industrial wastelands or brownfield conversion

Groß & Partner as a project manager, for example. We have

how is always appreciated and will not lead them into a dead-end

If you look from Bad Homburg at Frankfurt’s skyline and the new

in the affluent belt round the city?

learned a lot in the process – above all, that our great respect for

tomorrow. As a result, we can offer the classic advantages of

European Central Bank building, you soon realize that Offenbach

Yes. Take the former Sarotti chocolate factory in Hattersheim.

our clients, who realize such developments every day, is more

a savings bank, operate effectively, make decisions quickly

is very close and certainly nowhere near as far away as the one or

After Nestlé abandoned the site the complex was converted into

than justified. Although we managed the project successfully, we

and provide a highly capable team of experts who our clients

other Frankfurt resident might think. And that is precisely the

a mixed-usage area. Various contractors built modern town

still feel much more at ease in the role of financier.

often recommend to others. Not to forget that we have detailed

way many people who are flocking into the region see it, and

houses and owner-occupied apartments. Moreover, suitable in

knowledge of the region.

above all, it is how international investors see it. Indeed, when

frastructure is provided through a local amenities centre and a

What do you wish for the metropolitan region?

my colleague Guido Braun, CEO of Sparkasse Offenbach, tells me

kindergarten. We successfully acted as the financer supporting

The aim must surely be for the region to grow ever closer into a

how much the city has achieved, I’m very impressed.

these projects for years – working on behalf of the developers

single entity. That is also the reason why we have joined forces

through to supporting the final home buyers.

with the Frankfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce to

is more: Over the years we have assembled a team of 60 experts

How do you manage to identify exciting projects and even new

new building. A key reason for our success was our network of

potential areas?

We don’t – our clients do! And they’re really good at it! But our

support the planned metropolitan public transport system

Hafeninsel in Offenbach (l.) and the locomotive shed in Bad Homburg

clients know we are a partner, who ventures to embrace new

Do you also cooperate with housing development firms?

“Regionaltangente West”. On an international comparison we

trends and developments before others do. Which is why we

Of course. Our client Konversions-Grundstücksentwicklungs

will remain competitive in the long term if we exploit the advan

are involved at an early stage in the ideas our clients have on

gesellschaft (KEG), handled the residential development of

tages of the entire region and adopt a holistic approach. \\

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Discoveries

FASHION DISTRICT FRM FrankfurtRhineMain was not previously considered a fashion hot spot. But that is fast changing. A quite unique fashion district has emerged in Sachsenhausen’s Brückenviertel

Fashion and more: Design and taste meet in the Brückenviertel

BY JULIA SÖHNGEN (TEXT) AND TIM WEGNER (PHOTOS)

What’s the first thing you associate with Sachsenhausen? In a random

survey conducted amongst passers-by the most frequent answer was,

surprise, surprise, Apfelwein. And after that air traffic noise. Not a joke, sadly. But the next suggestion is more cheering: The Brückenviertel, Frankfurt’s fashion idyll. Acknowledged on both sides of the Main as a hip place-to-be. Here in southern Sachsenhausen, where Brückenstrasse meets Wallstrasse, a normal residential district has morphed into a vibrant creative district, which is

Stylish Hessen: pottery Maurer offers handmade, painted stoneware and ceramics related to the cider or Apfelwein known locally as “Schobbe” www.keramik-maurer.de

Colorful: At “Ookoko” Vanesa Galassi presents international designers, unusual accessories, art and furniture www.ookoko.eu

store “Lieblingsstücke” at Brückenstrasse 50, where she presents purist fashion and accessories with a touch of the ironic about them, mostly created by Scandi navian designers. She has done this for over ten years. “I not only sell fashion here but consciously set up consumer traps, which question and caricature the whole thing,” she says describing her overall idea. In the beginning she

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Discoveries

You can’t find anything like this in Berlin any longer //

Jutta Heeg

Hand-made: Frank Harling surprises his customers with his work on the sewing machine www.frank-harling.com

considered opening a store in which you could not buy anything at all. “But natu rally that’s not on.” So Myriam Beltz goes about it differently. Say, by repeatedly installing mirror foil – although her customers cannot see themselves in it. Yet who likes admitting that? Or when she expresses her repugnance of the English word “sale” rather than the German equivalent “Schlussverkauf” and in her legendary window designs – maybe they should be called installations? – where a dummy, for example, gets buried beneath a dozen packets of salt – “sale”. Her neighbor, Jutta Heeg can also look back this year on a 10-year anniversary for

her boutique “ichwareindirndl”. Amongst other things, she dreams up contem porary clothing with a certain twist using original fabrics from the 1950s to 1970s. The frequent tendency to compare the Brückenviertel with Berlin is not to her liking: “You can no longer find anything like this in Berlin,“ she says. What’s more, “Berlin has a glamour factor, which also rubs off on the fashion makers,

Ironic twist: Myriam Beltz was the first to recognize the charm of the Brückenviertel. Her store is called “Lieblingsstücke” www.myriambeltz.com

Down-to-earth: Between design and parapher nalia the traditional bakery Hanss relies on local classics www.baeckerei-hanss.de

whereas we are less sensational.” Something Elena Zenero can confirm. The fashion designer who has received the “Bread&Butter Award” for Street Couture in Berlin and the “International Fashion Award” in Paris decided ten years ago that alongside her store “goyagoya” in Stiftstrasse she would open another boutique, the “Freud” at Brückenstrasse 42. Here she presents her femi nine, elegant collection, which fluctuates between classic and circus. “For me the comparison with Berlin is untenable. We are Frankfurt. We have our own style.” That’s how it is.

One-offs: Jutta Heeg designs wonderful, unusual creations. Her boutique “ichwareindirndl” is definitely a “gesamtkunstwerk” www.ichwareindirndl.de

It is wonderful that with many designers you can be there while an item

is created, because studio and store are one. Say, with fashion designer Frank Harling, whose shop by the same name is at Wallstrasse 26. Harling finds it incred ibly amusing how amazed the one or other new customer is to hear his sewing machine clattering away behind a curtain and then to see that each of the inef fably wonderful and highly varied skirts hanging in his store were actually made by his own hand.

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Home-made: Silke Gehrig and Birgit Hütt show people how to sew. They run courses and workshops in “nähemain”. www.naehemain.de

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Discoveries

VINCENT Mr. Vincent, you are at home in the big wide world of fashion, between Paris, London and New York. Your agency is based in Frankfurt. How does that fit the facts? As a hub for Germany and Europe, Frankfurt offers a massive advantage as a location both nationally and internationally at our fashion & event productions. In less than 4.5 hours you can be in Milan, Berlin, Munich and Hamburg – irrespective of how you travel. And the advant ages of direct flights to New York or London from Frankfurt’s international airport are obvious. We have customers and firms the world over who are envious of our infrastructure.

Time and time again you can embark on a journey of discovery between Alter

You also support the Frankfurt Style Award. What is possible in Frankfurt with regard to fashion? Frankfurt is fashion – not only as a coveted location for the fashion trade and super brands, but also as a fashion hub. With the Frankfurt Style Award a platform has been established here, which bundles innovation, communication and craftsmanship. Here we bundle what belongs together – economic power and creativity. You have experience as a model, as a party organizer and are now the person pulling the strings behind the scenes as an event & show producer. With regard to lifestyle how does the Frankfurt RhineMain region compare internationally? Frankfurt need not shy any comparisons, but it does have its own identity. Frankfurt is not interchangeable. Guests put up with the rough edges of Germany’s smallest metropolis, because Germany’s secret capital plays in the premier league. You don’t get a lifestyle just through fashion; you also need culture, hospit ality, art and business. And we have all of those in many variations. That makes Frankfurt fam ous worldwide as a brand – from New York to Singapore, from Brazil to Australia. I’d like to see someone top what we have. Tyrown Vincent is a fashion show producer and owner of the Front Row Agency, Frankfurt

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Brücke and Diesterwegplatz and always discover new things, be amazed or startled. Perhaps by the “retro fashion” in “Peggy Sue Frankfurt” at Wallstrasse 20, or you suddenly imagine you are in the UK when standing in front of the window of Lars Eisinger. But it is far from easy to make a go of it, says Vanesa Galassi from “Ookoko” at Brückenstrasse 33. Even though the rents here are still lower than elsewhere in the city. For four years now, the native Argentine has run a store with items spanning fashion, furniture and art. She had been looking for somewhere for nine months, before finding this by chance. A happy coincidence.

Retro: Angela Henn likes fashion in the style of the 1950s. In “Peggy Sue Frankfurt” there’s also jewelry, bags and stockings www.peggysuefrankfurt.de

Distinguished: Fashion designer Elena Zenero has already won international prizes. Two of her stores are in Frankfurt – the “Goyagoya” in the city and the “Freud“ in the Brückenviertel www.goyagoya.com

As far as rental prices go Frankfurt is one of the most expensive cities in Germany.

How are up-and-coming labels able to afford that? Markus Frank, Head of the Municipal Business Department, says the city has recognized the development potential that fashion and design offer. And wants to strengthen it with various measures: “With the support of ‘CLUK’, a cluster of the creative industry in Hessen located in Frankfurt, we are initiating a new key topic, which expresses a further facet of our city: ‘Frankfurt is fashion’. After all, we have brilliant players in the city. Leonidmatthias, for example, have made it onto the covers of several hip fashion magazines,” explains Frank. “We seek to establish a platform that will stimulate new things with the economic power and diversity of Frankfurt’s fashion and creative scene.”

By the letter: Product designer Fabian Thiele is committed to type. You can find unique typographical items and objects in “Noneon” www.noneon.de

People shouldn’t go on about Frankfurt not being a fashion city, says Nina Hollein,

who makes and presents her creations from rustic, industrial-quality fabrics not far from the Brückenviertel at Laubestrasse 26. “Frankfurt can be proud of its strong art and lively fashion scene,” claims the architect. Moreover, the scene is Elated: In the record and sneaker store “Freebase” owned by Carsten Schuchmann and Christopher Holz you can try on the shoes to music www.freebaseshop.com

being shaken up – with museums focusing on fashion, new young designer awards or the “Stilblüten Festival for Fashion and Design”, where in 2009 Hollein’s collec tion came out the winner.

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Refreshing: Enjoy delicious organic ice-cream creations at “BizziIce“; the Saturday market “Markt im Hof“ in Wallstrasse is a must for city fans www.bizzi-ice.com, www.facebook.com/marktimhof

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Discoveries

M IE STITZ-K RÄ

Ms. Stitz-Krämer, you have been organizing the Frankfurt Style Awards since 2008, and since 2014 it has included international players. How much publicity has that generated for you so far? To date, the catwalk appearance at the Texworld & Apparel Sourcing Fair in February 2015 in Paris has been our greatest success on an international platform. It placed Frankfurt RhineMain firmly in the spotlight as a magnet for young fashion. Things culminated in the attention that our “Outstanding Talent 2014”, Melissa Schulz, received on her tour of the Parisian haute couture houses. How are the preparations for the Frankfurt Style Award 2015 going? The Frankfurt Style Award 2015 will break all records. In total, we’ve received 314 applications from 31 countries, half of them from Germany, half from abroad. That is more than twice the number for 2014 and the quality has also improved dramatically. We are well on the way to making it into the top league of renowned distinctions and festivals for fashion newcomers. Every year the Frankfurt Style Award has a different motto and invites a guest nation. What can we expect in 2015? This year the motto for the Style Award is “Pioneering Destiny”, and Italy is the guest nation. The top 60 nominees can already count themselves winners. They will be received with honors under the patronage of the City of Frankfurt and on September 4, 2015 will be celebrated at the gala with a glamorous final in what is arguably the most international event location the world has to offer young fashion designers – the Fraport Forum at Frankfurt Airport. In addition, from September 4–6 Frankfurt Airport will host the 1st Frankfurt Airport Fashion & Art Weekend. And this could pave the way for other similar fashion events in Paris and Milan. Hannemie Stitz-Krämer is initiator of the Frankfurt Style Award.

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Attractive: Nina Hollein makes appealing apparel for women and children from rustic industrial-quality fabrics from Mühlviertel in Upper Austria www.ninahollein.com

Frankfurt not a fashion city? Hardly a point you can really make // Nina Hollein

Nonetheless, it is difficult to nurture this tender young plant that is fashion. “The

potential is there, but sadly not the attention,” believes Stella Friedrichs. It was she who launched the “Stilblüten” trade fair in 2005. What began as a fringe event “for fun” with eight designers has meanwhile evolved into a “Festival for Fashion and Design” with 100 exhibitors and 5,000 visitors. “Promotional booths Trendy: Leonid and Matthias have long been an established brand. As “leonid matthias” they have made it onto the covers of hip fashion magazines www.leonidmatthias.com

for designers at the Stilblüten Festival, that would be a start,” she says, describing one of her wishes for the future. Another idea would be concept stores where young designers from the region can present their creations, either as a longterm location at affordable rents or as a pop-up store within a certain period, as with the “Höchster Designparcours”: “After all, there are more than enough vacant premises in Frankfurt.” Back to the Brückenviertel. There are empty stores here, too, Colekt has left behind

a large empty space. But that’s how it goes. Some leave – like the well-known pro duction “Affentor”, which following the restructuring of “Werkstatt Frankfurt” was sold to Berlin. And others take their place: Such as “BizziIce” or the “Markt im Hof”, Frankfurt’s most recent weekly market. A “good-food market” initiated by traders from the district, it attracts curious visitors and gourmets on Saturdays. Who not only consume delicacies from the market but also visit the shops and boutiques. “People always say it’s the young designer district,” Frank Harling, says and sounds surprised. “But the designers were already here ten years ago. We are no longer young.” He winks at his reflection in the mirror and grins, “and that seems to be a fact!” Fishing for compliments?

Event

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Hessen – Your Gateway to Europe

Volker Bouffier The Minister President with the Unity mascot

CELEBRATING UNITY Germany is hosting a major celebration in Frankfurt marking the 25th anniversary of German Reunification

“The spotlight will be on Frankfurt,” says Mayor Peter

a nk Ru m p en

25th anniversary of German Reunification. In November 2014,

h or

Minister President Volker Bouffier accepted the rotating presi

dency of the German Federal Council for one year, which is linked to the organization of the national holiday.

Alte Oper Venue of the ceremony

dp a/a k g-i m a ge s

d p a /F r

Feldmann with a view to 3 October 2015, for then the

State of Hessen will be hosting a major celebration marking the

3 October will begin with a celebratory mass at Frankfurt Ca

thedral. It will be followed by a ceremony at Alte Oper. The Pauls kirche, “the cradle of German democracy”, will also be included in the festivities. In addition to German Federal President

Paulskirche Cradle of democracy

Joachim Gauck, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and the cab inet, the Minister Presidents of all 16 German states and numer ous guests of honour will be attending. Parallel to the official programme, a public festival will be held from 2 to 4 October, at which around one million visitors are

expected in Frankfurt. Over the three days the 16 German states will present themselves in the city centre on the so-called “state mile”. Stages and stands will be set up in the pedestrian zones and principal squares as well as along the riverbank offering a diverse pro Ha ns -Pe t

er M ert e

n/ Ge tt y

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gramme of activities. The Bundestag, Federal Council and Federal Government will also be offering citizens

“first-hand” information. \\

Fall of the Berlin Wall Milestone on the path to unity

Hessen – Your first choice for International Business in Germany and Europe: ▪ Maximum 3 hours to all major European cities from Frankfurt International Airport ▪ Global financial center and logistics hub ▪ Leading ICT region in Europe ▪ Highest number of international headquarters in Germany ▪ Top location for innovation, research & development Let us support you! www.invest-in-hessen.com

The Economic Development Agency for Hessen Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH Konradinerallee 9 65189 Wiesbaden Germany +49(0)611 9 50 17 – 85 info@htai.de www.hessen-trade-and-invest.com

Discover our diversity as your recipe for success.

FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH | International Marketing of the Region

As the individual needs of industries and cultures increasingly forge the parameters of any investment, the diversity present in FrankfurtRheinMain is certainly an asset. But here, you’ll not only profit from the unique mixture of international atmosphere and multicultural society during business hours – you’ll also find a quality of personal life much to your liking. Discover how to make the most of your business. Join the network of FrankfurtRheinMain. FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH International Marketing of the Region is the key contact for international companies looking to establish a presence in the FrankfurtRheinMain area.

For more information go to www.frm-united.com