French occupation of Frankfurt

Römerberg, also spelled as "Roemerberg" (lit., "Roman Mountain") is a public space in Frankfurt, Germany. It is located in front of the Römer building complex, seat of the Frankfurt city administration since the 15th century. As the site of numerous Imperial coronations, trade fairs and Christmas markets, the square is the historic heart of the medieval Altstadt (old town) and today a popular tourist destination. Paulsplatz, another historic square, is to the north. The Old St Nicholas Church and Historical Museum are to the south. Beyond that is Mainkai on the River Main. On the west side of the square is the reconstructed Römer medieval building. To the east is the Dom-Römer Project and beyond that is Frankfurt Cathedral. Römerberg is a major location for the outdoor Frankfurt Christmas Market.It was the site of a Nazi book burning in 1933.

For almost five centuries, the German city of Frankfurt was a city-state within two major Germanic entities: The Holy Roman Empire as the Free Imperial City of Frankfurt (German: Freie Reichsstadt Frankfurt) (until 1806) The German Confederation as the Free City of Frankfurt (Freie Stadt Frankfurt) (1815–66)Frankfurt was a major city of the Holy Roman Empire, being the seat of imperial elections since 885 and the city for imperial coronations from 1562 (previously in Free Imperial City of Aachen) until 1792. Frankfurt was declared an Imperial Free City (Freie und Reichsstadt) in 1372, making the city an entity of Imperial immediacy, meaning immediately subordinate to the Holy Roman Emperor and not to a regional ruler or a local nobleman. Due to its imperial significance, Frankfurt survived mediatisation in 1803. Following the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, Frankfurt fell to the rule of Napoleon I, who granted the city to Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg; the city became known as the Principality of Frankfurt. The Catholic cleric Dalberg emancipated Catholics living with the city boundary. In 1810 Dalberg merged Frankfurt with the Principality of Aschaffenburg, the County of Wetzlar, Fulda, and Hanau to form the Grand Duchy of Frankfurt. After the defeat of Napoleon and the collapse of the Confederation of the Rhine, Frankfurt was returned to its pre-Napoleonic constitution via the Congress of Vienna of 1815 and became a sovereign city-state and a member of the German Confederation. During the period of the German Confederation, Frankfurt continued to be a major city. The confederation's governing body, the Bundestag (officially called the Bundesversammlung, Federal Assembly) was located in the palace of Thurn und Taxis in Frankfurt's city centre. During the Revolutions of 1848, the Frankfurt Parliament was formed in an attempt to unite the German states in a democratic manner. It was here that Prussian king, Frederick William IV refused the offer of the crown of "Little Germany". In 1866 the Kingdom of Prussia went to war with the Austrian Empire over Schleswig-Holstein, causing the Austro-Prussian War. Frankfurt, remaining loyal to the German Confederation, did not join with Prussia, but remained neutral. Following Prussia's victory, Frankfurt was annexed by decree of the King of Prussia on 20 September, and became part of the newly formed Province of Hesse-Nassau.

The Salzhaus (English: Salt House) is a historic building in the German city Frankfurt am Main. It forms the northeastern part of the Frankfurt City Hall complex, on the Römerberg square in the centre of the Altstadt (old town). The Salzhaus was originally built around 1600. It had a rich carved façade on the gable side, making it not only the most important artisan-produced civil building in the city, but also one of the greatest achievements of the Renaissance in the German-speaking world. This building was largely destroyed in World War Two by aerial bombing in March 1944. The base of the old building was preserved, but the floors above it were rebuilt in 1951/52 in a simple post-war architectural form. The reconstruction of the historic facade is still under discussion; it was considered in the 1980s along with a row of houses on the other side of the square (the Ostzeile) but was not carried out. Since then, the organisation Friends of Frankfurt have continued this discussion.

The Old St Nicholas Church (in German: Alte Nikolaikirche) in Frankfurt, Germany, is a medieval Lutheran church. It is located near the Römer city hall in Frankfurt's old town called Altstadt. It has 51 bells; 4 are used for peals and 47 are used for carillons. The first chapel on its site was built in the mid-12th century, the current in the mid-15th. Its congregation forms part of today's Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau, comprising Lutheran, Reformed and United Protestant congregations. Despite major destruction in the surrounding old town owing to the bombing of Frankfurt am Main in World War II, the Old St Nicholas Church had only minor damage. Nearby, the Dom-Römer Project aims to bring back parts of the old town between the Römerberg square and Frankfurt Cathedral.

The Frankfurt Art Association (German: Frankfurter Kunstverein) is an art museum founded in 1829 by a group of influential citizens of the city of Frankfurt, Germany. The aim of the institution is to support the arts in the city, which was an important center of trade and business. Works of art were bought and exhibitions organized in order to open access to art and culture for the public. Among the founders were Johann Gerhard Christian Thomas, a senator and later mayor of the city, historian Johann Friedrich Böhmer, and art historian Johann David Passavant. Soon after the establishment of the museum, many important and influential citizens and artists became members. Today, the museum is situated in the center of Frankfurt, in a gothic building from 1464 called the Steinernes Haus ('Stone Building'), near the city's town hall. There are around 1,700 members who support the activities and enable the museum to reach its aim today, more than 150 years after its establishment. Although the museum has no permanent collection, as art is not purchased any more, its exhibitions of contemporary art are internationally renowned. Furthermore, guided tours, symposia, film programs, and excursions are organized. So even in the neighbourhood of important museums, such as the Museum of Modern Art (Museum für Moderne Kunst) and Schirn Gallery (Schirn Kunsthalle), the museum manages to assert itself as an important meeting point not only for Frankfurt's art scene. Especially young artists of the state-run art school (Städelschule ) and the well-known design school HFG are closely connected with the museum and cooperation is common.

The Römer (German surname, "Roman") is a medieval building in the Altstadt of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and one of the city's most important landmarks. The Römer is located opposite the Old St. Nicholas church and has been the city hall (Rathaus) of Frankfurt for over 600 years. The Römer merchant family sold it together with a second building, the Goldener Schwan (Golden Swan), to the city council on March 11, 1405 and it was converted for use as the city hall. The Haus Römer is actually the middle building of a set of three located in the Römerberg plaza. The Römer is not a museum as it is occasionally used by the city for various purposes, for example as a Standesamt or civil registration office; the wedding rooms are located in the first and second floor of the Haus Löwenstein. The former old town quarter between the Römer and St. Bartholomew's Cathedral has been redeveloped as the Dom-Römer Quarter until 2018, including several reconstructions of historical buildings that were destroyed during World War II.

The Stone House (German: Steinernes Haus), also known as Haus Bornfleck in older literature, is a historic building in the old town of Frankfurt am Main. Its front faces the Markt, which connects the cathedral with the Römerberg. It stands out from other buildings in the old town, primarily due to its medieval architecture and its well-documented history. During the Second World War, the Steinerne Haus was almost completely destroyed by explosive bombs during air raids on Frankfurt am Main in March 1944. Nevertheless, it was reconstructed in the early 1960s as one of only a few Frankfurt architectural monuments, at great expense and relatively true to the original, distinguishing it from the simpler post-war buildings surrounding it. Today, the house is home to the Frankfurter Kunstverein.

The Five-Finger Square (German: Fünffingerplätzchen) was a small place in the old town of the German city of Frankfurt am Main, which was formed by the meeting of five narrow streets. It was east of the east line of the Römerberg market square, south of the market street, west of the Langen Schirn and north of Bendergasse. The popular postcard motif and tourist destination was destroyed in an air raid on March 22, 1944. Instead of a possible reconstruction, the city decided after the war to remove the rubble. The area was built over in the early 1970s and with the construction of the Römerberg-Ostzeile from 1981 to 1983 and the Kunsthalle Schirn from 1984 to 1986. The western entrance to the Schirn Rotunda is located on the site of the former Five-Finger Square, making reconstruction impossible.

The Bendergasse was a former major street in the old town of Frankfurt. It ran from near Frankfurt Cathedral to the Römerberg square. From the Middle Ages till the destruction in the air raid on 22 March 1944, it formed one of the main streets in the old town centre. It was a densely built street with gabled, multi-level and multi-cantilevered half-timbered houses in Gothic and Baroque architectural styles. It was one of the most picturesque streets in the old town and served as a motif for numerous artists from the 19th century till its destruction. After a long period of wreckage after the war, Bendergasse was built over in 1986 with the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt. The footpath along the north facade of the Schirn is listed as Bendergasse in today's city maps. A nearby area of the old town was rebuilt in 2016 in the Dom-Römer project which brought back nearby streets that are reminiscent of the Bendergasse.

The Historical Museum (German: Historisches Museum) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, was founded in 1878, and includes cultural and historical objects relating to the history of Frankfurt and Germany. It moved into the Saalhof in 1955, and a new extension was opened in 1972. The 1970s extension is currently being replaced by a modern new exhibition building and a small administration building which are expected to be completed by 2015.

Paulsplatz (in English: St Paul's Square) is a historic square in the heart of Frankfurt, Germany.St Paul's Church is located here, dominating the square. The Römerberg, another square, is to the south. Berliner Strasse is immediately to the north. Paulsplatz is a major location for the outdoor Frankfurt Christmas Market.

Berliner Straße is a major street in the city centre of Frankfurt am Main. It was built after the Bombing of Frankfurt am Main in World War II along the route of the old Schnurgasse.