The fifth biggest city in Germany, Frankfurt on Main (Frankfurt am Main) has gained enormous economic power (both within Germany and abroad) thanks to its position as a key transport hub and its status as a major venue for international trade fairs and other business events.Located in the middle of the highly productive Rhine-Main region, right at the centre of Europe, the city is the financial heart not only of Germany but also of the European Union, pumping euros into the world economy.

A settlement since at least 3000BC, Frankfurt's long and successful history of commerce stemmed initially from its central geographical location on the Main River and the Frankfurt Messe (fair). The Messe has been going since the 12th century (it is mentioned in a Jewish manuscript dating from 1160) and the city received its official Imperial privilege to hold an annual trade fair in 1240. Frankfurt got its name around AD500, when the Franks ruled the area and the settlement along the Main Fort transportation route became known as ‘Franconovurd'.