Frankfurt: Where Germany Meets the World

Frankfurt is at the crossroads of Europe. It is where for a thousand years the major trade routes between Amsterdam-Milan and Paris-Moscow have intersected. Today it is where thousands of people arrive, depart and change flights every day. Trade, transport and finance have been the lifeblood of Frankfurt. But it has also been the home of an amazing series of people who have made their mark in Frankfurt, in Germany and if not the whole world. They include Johann Wolfgang von Goethe the Shakespeare of German culture, Sibylla Merian the pioneer of botanical art, Alois Alzheimer who gave his name to the degenerative illness, Käthe Paulus who invented the modern parachute and the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. The most famous citizen of Frankfurt has been the banker Mayer Amschel Rothschild, whose rags to riches story is one of the most astounding in all human history. Hajdu interweaves the life and work of these people with the history and present features of Frankfurt. The result is a rich tapestry of a fascinating and very colourful city.

Joe Hajdu is a cultural geographer and writer with a special interest in cities. He has researched extensively in Australia, Germany, Hungary and the United Kingdom. His books include Samurai in the Surf (2005) about the Japanese presence on the Gold Coast in Australia, Berlin Today (2010), and Budapest: A History of Grandeur and Catastrophe (2015). Joe has been an observer of Frankfurt since his first visit there in 1965. Since then, he has researched the city at length, and visited it on numerous occasions. Most recently, he has lived in Frankfurt for longer periods in each of three consecutive years. When not visiting Frankfurt, Joe lives in Melbourne, Australia.