FRANKFURT 
History

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This city on the banks of the Main river is somewhat controversial.  Frankfurt has a population of about 700.000 people. However, most Germans admit they wouldn't want to live here. The city is nicknamed Mainhattan or Bankfurt because, since the Middle Ages, it has played an important role in international finance. More than 350 national and international banks have their seat there. Frankfurt also is home to the federal German Bank, the Bundesbank, and the European Bank has been installed here. Therefore, the cityscape is increasingly dominated by towers, skyscrapers and neon lights. This modernism, of course, constitutes somewhat of a threat to the old-town charms of Frankfurt.

Frankfurt was mentioned for the first time in the 8th Century, when Charlemagne's court made a stop there. In the next century Frankfurt became an important city. Between 855 and 1792, 36 German emperors were elected in the city and as from 1502 these emperors were crowned in Frankfurt's magnificent cathedral.  A lot of  this rich past can still be admired during a walk that is not longer than 1,5 hours.

Frankfurt has also been a center of " Ideology Studies", often ideologies that have nothing in common with capitalism. In 1923, the philosopher Max Horkheimer and the sociologist Theodor Adorno founded the Institute of Social Sciences Research to study and develop the theories of Marx and Freud. The result was the "Frankfurt School", which gained international acclaim. The School was forced in exile to Geneva (1933 - 1934) and later to New York, but Horckheimer and Adorno returned to Frankfurt in 1950.

In 1944 the city is heavily bombed which results in the destruction of a large part of the historical centre.

Today, Frankfurt is still a very busy student centre, hence the many bars and cafés.