Frankfurt

an important city of western Prussia. It is situated on the Main, about twenty miles from the Rhine. From its situation, it is known as Frankfurt-on-the-Main. It is the capital of a district of the same name. Like other medieval cities, it was once surrounded by massive stone walls, now removed to make place for promenades and public gardens. There are many public squares adorned with monuments. Gutenberg, the printer, Goethe and Schiller, the poets, have been remembered. There are many buildings of historical interest, including the cathedral and the imperial palace where the emperors were elected. Numerous museums, the town library, the art institution, and the zoological garden are of interest. The city dates from the time of Charlemagne. It was for centuries an imperial city authorized to hold an autumn fair. Its horse and leather fairs are still of importance. It early became an important commercial city and was for a long time the financial center of Europe. The Rothschild family rose to fame in Frankfurt. When we know that during the nineteenth century this firm of Jewish bankers placed loans for the various governments of the world to the amount of not less than $12,960,000,000, and remember that their parent office has been maintained at Frankfurt we can realize the importance of this city to the financial world. Population, 335,000. See Goethe; Rothschild