Thesaurus

Frankfurt am Main is the largest city in the state of Hessen in western Germany, lying some 19 miles upstream on the Main River from the city of Mainz. Celts and Germanic people occupied the site in the first century BCE and by the Romans in the first and second centuries CE. The Franks took it over around 500, when if probably gained the name Frankfurt, meaning "ford of the Franks, but was first mentioned as such by Charlemagne's biographer in the late 8th century. In 1356 it was designated the official site of the election of the German kings. It was a free imperial city from 1372 to 1806, then Napoleon I made it first the seat of government for the Confederation of the Rhine, then the capital of the Grand Duchy of Frankfurt. From 1816 to 1866 it was the seat of the Germann Federal Diet and thus de facto the capital of the German states. Following the Seven Weeks' War in 1866, it fell under Prussian rule where it remained until after World War I. It suffered heavy damage from bombardment in World War II, and most of its medieval Old City was destroyed. Historic structures that survived include the 8th-century Benedictine monastery, the Römer or medieval city hall, the 155-foot Eschenheim Tower, St. Bartholomew's Cathedral dating from 1239, and the Church of St. Paul. Modern Frankfurt am Main is a commercial and industrial center, famous for its many trade fairs, including the international book, car, and computer fairs. It is known for the manufacture of motor vehicles, pharmaceuticals, printing materials, and processed foods, especially sausages. It is a transportation center with a busy railway hub and the largest airport in Germany. The 2004 estimated population was 646,000.