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Celtic and Germanic tribes originally settled Frankfurt am Main during the 1st century BC. Also known as Frankfurt, or Frankfurt on the Main, the city stands on the banks of the Main River, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from where the river joins the Rhine. Because it was so near a natural crossroads, it became a center of trade. After the Main was dredged, barge traffic made Frankfurt a vital inland port. It also became a center of rail and air transportation. Few cities have played a more important part in Germany's history. Charlemagne had a palace there, and imperial councils met within the city's fortified walls. There, too, in 1152 Frederick I was elected ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. This historic event set a precedent that became a law in 1356 when Charles IV issued the Golden Bull, a constitutional document declaring Frankfurt the place of election of the German emperors. After 1816 the German Diet, or Bundestag, met there. One of the free cities of Germany, Frankfurt lost its independence when it was annexed by Prussia in 1866. History was made again in the old city on May 10, 1871, when the Treaty of Frankfurt was signed, ending the Franco-Prussian War. When printing was developed in Europe, the city became a publishing center. The Gutenberg Monument in the Rossmarkt city square honors early printers with statues of Johann Gutenberg, Johann Fust, and Peter Schoffer. The city also became a financial center. From Mayer Amschel Rothschild's small Frankfurt moneylending shop, called Zum Rothen Schilde (At the Red Shield), grew Europe's biggest private bank, the House of Rothschild (see Rothschild Family). Hochst Centennial Hall is used as a concert hall, theater, convention hall, and sports arena. Manufacturing industries rose in Frankfurt in the late 19th century. Many factories were built to make heavy machinery, clothing, rubber, and electrical equipment. In the 20th century the I.G. Farben chemical and dye industry set up headquarters there. Frankfurt was heavily bombed by Allied aircraft in World War II because of its importance as a center of transportation and industry. Almost nothing of the medieval heart of the city was left standing. Many beautiful buildings were destroyed. Among them was the house where the poet Goethe was born and spent his childhood. The original furnishings were saved, however, and the house was rebuilt after the war. The Goethe House and Goethe Museum are tourist attractions in the city. The Stadel Art Institute, in the suburb of Sachsenhausen, also was ruined, but its large collection of engravings was saved and it was later rebuilt. It houses an extensive collection of European paintings. The Senckenberg Museum of Natural History is a world famous establishment. During the Allied occupation after the war Frankfurt was included in the United States zone. (See also Germany.) Population (1990 estimate), 641,300.
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