Free City of Frankfurt: Map & History
Frankfurt was a major city of the Holy Roman Empire, serving as the seat of imperial elections since 885 and as the site of imperial coronations from 1562 until 1792.
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Frankfurt was a major city of the Holy Roman Empire, serving as the seat of imperial elections since 885 and as the site of imperial coronations from 1562 until 1792. Frankfurt was declared an Imperial Free City in 1372, giving it the status of Imperial immediacy, meaning it was directly subordinate to the Holy Roman Emperor rather than to any territorial prince.
Free City of Frankfurt in Depth
History
Next to the main street Zeil, at the Roßmarkt, along the city ring and at the banks of the River Main, the wealthy population of the city had spacious houses erected by architects such as Salins de Montfort and Friedrich Rumpf. They also endowed several scientific societies, for example the Polytechnische Gesellschaft and the Physikalischen Verein. In 1819 Freiherr vom Stein founded the Gesellschaft für ältere deutsche Geschichtskunde (Monumenta Germaniae Historica). In 1825, municipal architect Johann Friedrich Christian Hess built the representative city library. At the same time, the new construction of the Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft was developed at the Eschenheimer Turm. This is where Eduard Rüppell started his extended research expeditions to Africa.
Military
The military in the Free City of Frankfurt of which the city placed 579 men to the federal contingent, consisted of a 700-strong line battalion under the command of a lieutenant colonel. The line military consisted of mercenaries from southern Germany. Its six companies stayed in their barracks and guard rooms when Frankfurt was occupied on 16 July 1866. In the evening, the main guard passed on the line battalion to the Prussian Army with full military honors. Ten days later, on 26 July 1866, the battalion was dissolved after a last muster and the soldiers were released from duty. Depending on their term of service they received a gratuity between 50 and 250 guilders. Many of them let themselves be recruited by the French Foreign Legion afterwards.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Free City of Frankfurt (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Free City of Frankfurt: Key Facts
| Official language | German |
|---|---|
| Currency | South German gulden |
| Founded | 1372 |
| Dissolved | 8 October 1866 |
Succeeded by
- Kingdom of Prussia
- Wiesbaden Government Region
Facts from Wikidata Q704300 (CC0).
Free City of Frankfurt Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Free City of Frankfurt appears, with the other states of the time.
Free City of Frankfurt: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Free City of Frankfurt exist?
Free City of Frankfurt is dated to 1820 CE – 1865 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of Free City of Frankfurt?
The capital of Free City of Frankfurt was Frankfurt am Main.
How large was Free City of Frankfurt at its peak?
At its peak in 1865 Free City of Frankfurt covered about 178 km².
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