Frankfurt – from “Kaiserpfalz” to “Golden bull”

It has seen quite a few changes of government: Franconofurd, the Ford of the Franks. This name is first mentioned in medieval documents from 794. You might get a glimpse of what Frankfurt looked like in medieval times beneath the Stadthaus.

Imperial Palace franconofurd

There you will find the remains of the old imperial palace, the “Kaiserpfalz Franconofurd”. In walking distance directly opposite the Stadthaus, sits St. Bartholomew’s Church. It is better known by its nickname as Frankfurt Cathedral. It was the place where the election of many kings of the Holy Roman Empire took place.

The Golden Bull

Frankfurt is particularly famous for one crucial document of medieval history, the Golden Bull. It is named after the golden seal it carries. The Golden Bull put rules into writing that concerned the election of the king. Today the Golden Bull is safely stored in the city’s historical archive in the former Carmelite Monastery. While the original is kept in a safe there, you may discover more about the Golden Bull on an interactive media station. As a part of UNESCO’s World Heritage the Golden Bull was included in the digital preservation program ”Memory of the World” in 2013.