GUTEN TAG FRANKFURT

The historical and contemporary German city

Words Khursheed Mistry

Frankfurt am Main conjures up images of banks, nancial institutions and the stock exchange. e city fuses old-world charm and ultra-modernity to create an unrivalled wealth of history and a rich heritage. Frankfurt is not only a modern city but also the largest nancial hub in Continental Europe, home to several businesses, skyscrapers and Europe’s thirdlargest airport; all of which are state of art.

History

e name Frankfurt was derived from the Franconofurd of the Germanic tribe of the Franks and furt or ford is where the river Main was shallow enough to be crossed on foot. By the 19th century, the name Frankfurt had been established as the o cial spelling. e city’s full name Frankfurt am Main means ‘Frankfurt on the Main’ since Frankfurt is located on an ancient ford on the river Main. Until World War II, Frankfurt’s old town was the largest medieval city still intact in Germany. e old town was mostly destroyed by Allied bombing in 1944 and was subsequently rebuilt with multi-storey o ce buildings and other modern structures.

e stock exchange was rst established in the city in 1585.

Modern Frankfurt

International trade fairs have been held in Frankfurt since 1240, and it is now a leading commercial, nancial, and hightechnology centre. e city is also the home of the European Union’s central bank. annual book, automobile, and computer fairs are popular events, and there are many other fairs held throughout the year. Frankfurt is renowned for manufacturers of automobiles, machinery, chemical and pharmaceutical products, and printing materials. No visit is complete without a stop at the Kleinmarkthalle for an array of fresh produce, groceries, meats, owers, wines and much more! For memorable immersive experiences, visitors can take a 3-hour gin-tasting tour, tour a winery or enjoy a sharing plate food tour; the choices are plenty. Explore this vibrant and historic city with Business Traveller India’s curated list of some of the most iconic attractions of the city, luxury hotels to stay in and events to attend during a visit.

is located in the inner city, within the banking district. Many important musical works were performed for the rst time, including Schreker’s Der Ferne Klang and Carl Or ’s Carmina Burana in 1937. e concert hall was built in 1880 but was destroyed by bombs during the Second World War in 1944. Even though the opera house was extensively damaged by bombing raids many of its outside walls and façades survived. In the 1960s the city magistrate proposed to build a modern o ce building on the site. e Minister of Economy in Hessen at that time was Rudi Arndt, who earned the nickname Dynamite Rudi when he suggested blowing up Germany’s most beautiful ruin with a little dynamite. Arndt later changed his mind and ended up saving the Alte Oper and the building was later reopened on August 28, 1981, to the sounds of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 or the Symphony of a ousand. e square in front of the building is known as Opernplatz or Opera Square.