Frankfurt (Oder), also known as Frankfurt an der Oder (), is a city in the German state of

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 sq ...

. It has around 57,000 inhabitants, is one of the easternmost cities in Germany, the fourth-largest city in Brandenburg, and the largest German city on the river Oder. Frankfurt sits on the western bank of the river, opposite the Polish town of

Słubice Słubice is a border town in the Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland. Located on the Oder river, it lies directly opposite the city of Frankfurt (Oder) in Germany, which it was a part of as ''Dammvorstadt'' until 1945. As of 2019, the town ha ...

, which was a part of Frankfurt until 1945, and called ''Dammvorstadt'' until then. The city is located about east of

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

, in the south of the historical region

Lubusz Land Lubusz Land ( pl, Ziemia lubuska; german: Land Lebus) is a historical region and cultural landscape in Poland and Germany on both sides of the Oder river. Originally the settlement area of the Lechites, the swampy area was located east of Branden ...

. The large lake Helenesee lies within Frankfurt's city limits. The name of the city makes reference to the

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...

, and means ''

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

of the Franks'', and there appears a

Gallic rooster The Gallic rooster (french: le coq gaulois) is a national symbol of France as a nation, as opposed to Marianne representing France as a state and its values: the Republic. The rooster is also the symbol of the Wallonia region and the French Commu ...

in the coat of arms of the city. The official name ''Frankfurt (Oder)'' and the older ''Frankfurt an der Oder'' are used to distinguish it from the larger city of

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

. The city's

recorded history Recorded history or written history describes the historical events that have been recorded in a written form or other documented communication which are subsequently evaluated by historians using the historical method. For broader world his ...

began in the 13th century as a West Slavic settlement. During its history, it was successively part of the

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exi ...

, the

Margraviate of Brandenburg The Margraviate of Brandenburg (german: link=no, Markgrafschaft Brandenburg) was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe. Brandenburg developed out ...

, the Bohemian Crown,

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

and Germany. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the eastern part of Frankfurt became part of Poland under the terms of the Potsdam Agreement and was renamed to

, while the western part of Frankfurt became a border city of the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **G ...

in 1949. During the communist era, Frankfurt reached a population peak with more than 87,000 inhabitants at the end of the 1980s. Following German reunification, the population decreased significantly, but has stabilized in recent years at about 58,000 inhabitants. As of 2020, the city plays an important role in German–Polish relations and European integration. Frankfurt is home to the

European University Viadrina European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) (german: Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)) is a university located at Frankfurt (Oder) in Brandenburg, Germany. It is also known as the University of Frankfurt (Oder). The city is on th ...

, which has a campus in

, the

Collegium Polonicum The Collegium Polonicum in Słubice is a joint academic unit of the Adam Mickiewicz University (Polish: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza) in Poznań and of the Viadrina European University (German: Europa-Universität Viadrina) in Frankfurt ...

Name

''Frankfurt an der Oder'' literally means 'Frankfurt on the Oder'. It is abbreviated as '. In Central Margravian (Brandenburgisch dialect), the city's name is ''Frankfort an de Oder''.

History

Prior to 1249, a West Slavic settlement named ''Zliwitz'' along with the

was part of the

. The

Piast The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir III the Great. Branche ...

duke

Henry the Bearded Henry the Bearded ( pl, Henryk (Jędrzych) Brodaty, german: Heinrich der Bärtige; c. 1165/70 – 19 March 1238) was a Polish duke from the Piast dynasty. He was Dukes of Silesia, Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1201, Seniorate Province, Duke ...

granted Zliwitz

staple right The staple right, also translated stacking right or storage right, both from the Dutch ''stapelrecht'', was a medieval right accorded to certain ports, the staple ports. It required merchant barges or ships to unload their goods at the port and to ...

s in 1225. In 1226, construction of the St. Nicholas Church (today's ''Friedenskirche'') began. In 1249, the settlement became part of the

. The town of Frankfurt received its charter in 1253 at the Brandendamm. The early settlers lived on the western banks of the Oder; later the town was extended to the eastern bank. After a war broke out over control of the region in 1319, the town came under the control of the

Duchy of Pomerania The Duchy of Pomerania (german: Herzogtum Pommern; pl, Księstwo Pomorskie; Latin: ''Ducatus Pomeraniae'') was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania (''Griffins''). The country ha ...

. In 1319, Wartislaw IV, Duke of Pomerania, granted new privileges to the town. The town fell again to Brandenburg in 1324. In the

Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...

, the town dominated the river trade between

Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...

and Szczecin. From 1373 to 1415, along with Brandenburg, it was part of the

Lands of the Bohemian Crown The Lands of the Bohemian Crown were a number of incorporated states in Central Europe during the medieval and early modern periods connected by feudal relations under the Bohemian kings. The crown lands primarily consisted of the Kingdom of ...

. In 1430, Frankfurt joined the Hanseatic League. In April 1631, during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...

, Frankfurt was the site of the

Battle of Frankfurt an der Oder The Battle of Frankfurt an der Oder on 13 April 1631 was a battle of the Thirty Years' War. It was fought between the Swedish Empire and the Holy Roman Empire for the strategically important, fortified Oder crossing Frankfurt an der Oder, Brande ...

between the

Swedish Empire The Swedish Empire was a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries ( sv, Stormaktstiden, "the Era of Great Power"). The beginning of the empire is usually ta ...

and the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

. After a two-day siege, Swedish forces, supported by Scottish auxiliaries,Mackillop (2003), p.64 stormed the town and destroyed many buildings, e.g. the Georgen Hospital.Bröckling (1998), p.57 The result was a Swedish victory. By the end of the Thirty Years' War, the town's population had decreased from 12,000 inhabitants to 2,366 inhabitants. In the 16th century the oldest church of the town (today's ''Friedenskirche'') was secularized and was even used as a

granary A granary is a storehouse or room in a barn for threshed grain or animal feed. Ancient or primitive granaries are most often made of pottery. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals ...

, and from the 17th century it served as the church of the French

Huguenots The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

. The city was briefly occupied by the

Russian Imperial Army The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...

during the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (175 ...

, in August 1759, in the prelude to the battle of Kunersdorf. With the dissolution of the

during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, Frankfurt became part of the

Province of Brandenburg The Province of Brandenburg (german: Provinz Brandenburg) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1945. Brandenburg was established in 1815 from the Kingdom of Prussia's core territory, comprised the bulk of the historic Margraviate of Brandenburg ...

in 1815. In the 19th century, Frankfurt played an important role in trade. Centrally positioned in the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918. Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. ...

between Berlin and Posen (Poznań), on the river Oder with its heavy traffic, the town housed the second-largest annual trade fair (''Messe'') of the

German Reich German ''Reich'' (lit. German Realm, German Empire, from german: Deutsches Reich, ) was the constitutional name for the German nation state that existed from 1871 to 1945. The ''Reich'' became understood as deriving its authority and sovereignty ...

, surpassed only by that in

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

. In 1842, the Berlin–Frankfurt (Oder) railway was opened. The '' Einsatzgruppe VI'' was formed in the town before it entered several Polish cities, including

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint Joh ...

Kalisz (The oldest city of Poland) , image_skyline = , image_caption = ''Top:'' Town Hall, Former "Calisia" Piano Factory''Middle:'' Courthouse, "Gołębnik" tenement''Bottom:'' Aerial view of the Kalisz Old Town , image_flag = POL Kalisz flag.svg ...

and

Leszno Leszno (german: Lissa, 1800–1918 ''Lissa in Posen'') is a historic city in western Poland, within the Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the seventh-largest city in the province with an estimated population of 62,200, as of 2021. Previously, it ...

, to commit various crimes against Poles during the German

invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...

, which started

. During World War II the Germans brought numerous forced laborers, both men and women, from Poland and the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

to the town. There was no fighting for the town in 1945 during

even though the town was declared a fortress (''

Festung ''Festung'' is a generic German word for a fortress. Although it is not in common usage in English, it is used in a number of historical contexts involving German speakers: * For historical fortresses in Austria, Germany or Switzerland * As par ...

'') in an attempt to block the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...

's route to Berlin. The nearly empty town was burned down by the Red Army. The postwar German–Polish border ran along the Oder, separating the ''Dammvorstadt'' on the eastern bank – which became the Polish town of Słubice – from the rest of Frankfurt. While part of communist

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

, Frankfurt was administered within

Bezirk Frankfurt (Oder) The Bezirk Frankfurt, also Bezirk Frankfurt (Oder), was a district (''Bezirk'') of East Germany. The administrative seat and the main town was Frankfurt (Oder). History The district was established, with the other 13, on 25 July 1952, substituting ...

. It became part of the reconstituted state of Brandenburg with German reunification in 1990. In the post-communist era, following the collapse of its main employer VEB Halbleiterwerk, Frankfurt has suffered from high

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refere ...

and low economic growth. Its population has fallen significantly from around 87,000 at the time of German reunification in 1990. Today, the towns of Frankfurt and Słubice have friendly relations and run several common projects and facilities. Poland joined the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

on 1 May 2004, and implemented the

Schengen Agreement The Schengen Agreement ( , ) is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe's Schengen Area, in which internal border checks have largely been abolished. It was signed on 14 June 1985, near the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, by five of the t ...

on 21 December 2007 leading to the removal of permanent border controls. In March 2008, the Jewish community of Frankfurt celebrated its first

Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...

dedication since

the Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...

. The procession of the new Torah scroll began from the spot where the town's Frankfurter Synagogue stood prior to World War II, 500 meters from Germany's current border with Poland. Celebrants marched with the scroll into the town's

Chabad Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic grou ...

-Lubavitch centre, where they danced with the

, which had been donated by members of the Chabad-Lubavitch community in Berlin.

Demography

File:Bevölkerungsentwicklung FrankfurtOder.pdf, Development of population since 1875 within the current boundaries (blue line: population; dotted line: comparison to population development of Brandenburg state) File:Bevölkerungsprognosen FrankfurtOder.pdf, Recent population development and projections (population development before Census 2011 (blue line); recent population development according to the

Census in Germany A national census in Germany (german: Volkszählung) was held every five years from 1875 to 1910. After the World Wars, only a few full population censuses have been held, the last in 1987. The most recent census, though not a national census, wa ...

in 2011 (blue bordered line); official projections for 2005–2030 (yellow line); for 2017–2030 (scarlet line); for 2020–2030 (green line)

European university

The Margraviate of Brandenburg's first university was Frankfurt's Alma Mater Viadrina, founded in 1506 by

Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg Joachim I Nestor (21 February 1484 – 11 July 1535) was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1499–1535), the fifth member of the House of Hohenzollern. His nickname was taken from King Nestor of Greek mythology. Biography Th ...

. An early chancellor, Bishop

Georg von Blumenthal Georg von Blumenthal (1490 – 25 September 1550) was a German Prince-Bishop of Ratzeburg and Bishop of Lebus. He also served as a Privy Councillor of the Margraviate of Brandenburg and Chancellor of the University of Frankfurt (Oder), common ...

(1490–1550), was a notable opponent of the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and ...

, as he remained a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. Frankfurt also trained the noted archbishop Albert of Brandenburg around 1510, who also became a vocal opponent of the Reformation. The university was closed in 1811, and its assets divided between two new universities founded under King

Frederick William III Frederick William III (german: Friedrich Wilhelm III.; 3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840) was King of Prussia from 16 November 1797 until his death in 1840. He was concurrently Elector of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire until 6 August 1806, wh ...

: Frederick William University of Berlin, presently

Humboldt University Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiati ...

; and the Silesian Frederick William University in Breslau, presently the

University of Wrocław , ''Schlesische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität zu Breslau'' (before 1945) , free_label = Specialty programs , free = , colors = Blue , website uni.wroc.pl The University of Wrocław ( pl, Uniwersytet Wrocławski, U ...

. The university was refounded in 1991 with a European emphasis as the

Viadrina European University European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) (german: Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)) is a university located at Frankfurt (Oder) in Brandenburg, Germany. It is also known as the University of Frankfurt (Oder). The city is on the ...

, in close cooperation with the

Adam Mickiewicz University Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...

in Poznań; they jointly run the

in Słubice.

Transport

The Frankfurt (Oder) Bahnhof is a station served by the Berlin-Warszawa-Express and has regular regional connections to

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river. Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebu ...

and

Cottbus Cottbus (; Lower Sorbian: ''Chóśebuz'' ; Polish: Chociebuż) is a university city and the second-largest city in Brandenburg, Germany. Situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree, Cottbus is also a major railway junction with exte ...

. Within the city, there is a network of five tram lines.

Sport

1. FC Frankfurt 1. FC Frankfurt is a German football club based in Frankfurt (Oder), Brandenburg. The club was founded as the army club SV VP Vorwärts Leipzig in Leipzig in East Germany in 1951. The club won six East German championships as ASK Vorwärts Berl ...

is the town's local football team.

International relations

2006-10 Slubice Frankfurt(O) panorama 01

Frankfurt (Oder), being located on the border to Poland, plays a special role in connection with German–Polish relations and European integration. The

has one of its buildings in Poland, in the neighbouring town of Słubice. The university also has a number of projects and initiatives dedicated to bringing Poland and Germany together, and offers its students pro bono Polish courses. Another project that contributes to German–Polish integration in Frankfurt (Oder) is the Fforst House, a German-Polish student project, which has been granted support by the town's administration and by the Viadrina, having been described by the former president of the university,

Gesine Schwan Gesine Schwan (née ''Schneider'', 22 May 1943) is a German political science professor and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. The party has nominated her twice as a candidate for the federal presidential elections. On 23 May 2004, ...

, as the place where "Europe begins".

Twin towns – sister cities

Frankfurt (Oder) is twinned with: * Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland (1975) * Heilbronn, Germany (1988) * Kadima-Zoran, Israel (1997) * Nîmes, France (1976) *

, Poland (1975) *

Vantaa Vantaa (; sv, Vanda, ) is a city and municipality in Finland. It is part of the inner core of the Finnish Capital Region along with Helsinki, Espoo, and Kauniainen. With a population of (), Vantaa is the fourth most populated city in Finland ...

, Finland (1987) *

Vitebsk Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest c ...

, Belarus (1991) *

Vratsa Vratsa ( bg, Враца ) is the largest city in northwestern Bulgaria and the administrative and economic centre of the municipality of Vratsa and Vratsa district. It is located about 112 km north of Sofia, 40 km southeast of Montana. ...

, Bulgaria (2009) * Yuma, United States (1997)

Notable people

Public service & commerce

* Aaron ben Samuel (c. 1620–1701), a rabbi *

Wilhelm Christian Benecke von Gröditzberg Wilhelm Christian Benecke von Gröditzberg (12 December 1779 - 4 June 1860), né Wilhelm Christian Benecke, was a German banker, merchant, estate owner and art collector. He was ennobled in 1829 as Benecke von Gröditzberg, after he had bought t ...

(1779–1860), a German banker, merchant, estate owner and art collector * Robert von Puttkamer (1828–1900), a Prussian statesman, he also introduced reforms in German

orthography An orthography is a set of conventions for writing a language, including norms of spelling, hyphenation, capitalization, word breaks, emphasis, and punctuation. Most transnational languages in the modern period have a writing system, and ...

. *

Hermann Wissmann Hermann Wilhelm Leopold Ludwig Wissmann, after 1890 Hermann von Wissmann (4 September 1853 – 15 June 1905), was a German explorer and administrator in Africa. Early life Born in Frankfurt an der Oder, Wissmann was enlisted in the Army in 18 ...

(1853–1905), a German explorer and administrator in Africa *

Georg Michaelis Georg Michaelis (8 September 1857 – 24 July 1936) was the chancellor of the German Empire for a few months in 1917. He was the first (and the only one of the German Empire) chancellor not of noble birth to hold the office. With an economic ba ...

(1857–1936), was Chancellor of Germany for a few months in 1917, grew up in Frankfurt (Oder). * Lucie Hein (1910–1965), an East German politician (SED), she served as the senior mayor of Frankfurt 1960 to 1965. *

Gerhard Neumann Gerhard Neumann (October 8, 1917 – November 2, 1997) was an American aviation engineer and executive for General Electric's aircraft engine division (which today is called GE Aviation). Born and raised in Germany, he went to China shortly be ...

(1917–1997), a German-American aviation engineer and executive for

GE Aviation GE Aviation, a subsidiary of General Electric, is headquartered in Evendale, Ohio, outside Cincinnati. GE Aviation is among the top aircraft engine suppliers, and offers engines for the majority of commercial aircraft. GE Aviation is part of t ...

* Zvi Aharoni (1921–2012), an Israeli Mossad agent instrumental in the capture of Adolf Eichmann * Dieter Sauberzweig (1925–2005), a prominent commentator on German cultural politics (''Kulturpolitiker'') * Karl-Heinz Schröter (born 1954), a German politician (Social Democratic Party) *

Alexey Gordeyev Alexey Vasilyevich Gordeyev (russian: Алексей Васильевич Гордеев; born 28 February 1955) is a Russian politician who served as Member and Deputy Speaker of the State Duma. Previously he was the Deputy Prime Minister of ...

(born 1955), a Russian politician, served as the Governor of

Voronezh Oblast Voronezh Oblast (russian: Воронежская область, Voronezhskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Voronezh. Its population was 2,308,792 as of the 2021 Census. Geography V ...

from 2009. *

Manuela Schwesig Manuela Schwesig (' Frenzel, born 23 May 1974) is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party serving as Minister President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern since 4 July 2017. She is the first woman to serve as head of government of this state. P ...

(born 1974), a German politician (SPD), fifth Minister‐President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern *

Franziska Giffey Franziska Giffey (, Süllke, born 3 May 1978) is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who has been serving as Governing Mayor of Berlin since December 2021, the first woman elected to this position. She previously served as ...

(born 1978), a German politician, Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth in the Fourth Merkel Cabinet * René Wilke (born 1984), a German politician, mayor of Frankfurt (Oder)

The arts

* Bartholomäus Ringwaldt (1532 – c. 1599), a German didactic poet and Lutheran pastor * Juste Chevillet (1729–1802), a French engraver, e.g. ''

Histoire Naturelle The ''Histoire Naturelle, générale et particulière, avec la description du Cabinet du Roi'' (; en, Natural History, General and Particular, with a Description of the King's Cabinet, italic=yes) is an encyclopaedic collection of 36 large (qu ...

'' of

Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (; 7 September 1707 – 16 April 1788) was a French naturalist, mathematician, cosmologist, and encyclopédiste. His works influenced the next two generations of naturalists, including two prominent ...

Heinrich von Kleist Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist (18 October 177721 November 1811) was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, short story writer and journalist. His best known works are the theatre plays '' Das Käthchen von Heilbronn'', ''The Broken Jug'', ''Amph ...

(1777–1811), a German poet, dramatist, novelist, short story writer and journalist * Anton von Werner (1843–1915), a German painter of notable political and military events in the

* Marie Goslich (1859–1936), a German journalist, photographer and magazine editor * Herbert Bohme (1907–1971), a German poet who wrote poems and battle hymns for the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...

* René Pawlowitz (born 1975), a German electronic music producer and DJ *

Claudia Hiersche Claudia Hiersche (born 22 February 1977 in Frankfurt (Oder), German Democratic Republic (now Federal Republic of Germany)) is a German host and actress and is well known for her portrayal of the lesbian fictional character Carla von Lahnstein in ...

(born 1977), a German host and actress, known for her portrayal of a lesbian TV soap opera character * Anne Pätzke (born 1982), a German illustrator and writer *

Finch The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where they are usua ...

(born 1990), a German rapper, battle rapper,

YouTuber A YouTuber is an online personality and/or influencer who produces videos on the video-sharing platform YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006. Influence Influe ...

and

Twitch streamer An online streamer or live streamer is a person who broadcasts themselves online through a live stream to an audience. History Streaming arose in the early 2010s, originating on sites like YouTube where users could upload videos of themselves i ...

Military

Konstantin Schmidt von Knobelsdorf (1860-1936)

Konstantin Schmidt von Knobelsdorf Konstantin Schmidt von Knobelsdorf (Frankfurt (Oder), 13 December 1860 – Glücksburg, 1 September 1936) was a Prussian military officer, and a general in the First World War.Erich Kassing, ''Schlacht um Verdun – Schmidt von Knobelsdorf, Konsta ...

(1860–1936), a Prussian military officer and a general in WWI * Vizeadmiral

Hubert von Rebeur-Paschwitz ''Vizeadmiral'' Hubert von Rebeur-Paschwitz (14 August 1863 Frankfurt (Oder) – 16 February 1933 (Dresden)) was a German admiral. In 1899 he served as the German Naval attaché to Washington and later in 1912 commanded a flotilla of German ves ...

(1863–1933), a German admiral, German Naval attaché to Washington * Franz von Rintelen (1878–1949), a German

Naval Intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...

officer in the United States during WWI. * Erich Hoepner (1886–1944), a German officer, served in both World Wars, executed for his role in the 20 July Plot *

Fritz-Hubert Gräser __NOTOC__ Fritz-Hubert Gräser (3 January 1888 – 4 November 1960) was a German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Awards * Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class ...

(1888–1960), a German general in the Wehrmacht *

Theodor Busse Ernst Hermann August Theodor Busse (15 December 1897 – 21 October 1986) was a German officer during World War I and World War II. Early life and career Busse, a native of Frankfurt (Oder), joined the Imperial German Army as an officer ca ...

(1897–1986), a German Army officer during WWI and WWII * Karl-Jesko von Puttkamer (1900–1981), a German admiral, naval adjutant to Adolf Hitler during WWII * Rudolf Brandt (1909–1948), German Nazi SS officer, executed for war crimes * Paul-Heinrich Dähne (1921–1945), a German Luftwaffe

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

* Günter Kießling (1925–2009), a German general in the Bundeswehr

Science

Erdmann Copernicus Erdmann Copernicus (born in the 1520s in Gransee, Margraviate of Brandenburg; † 25 August 1573 in Frankfurt (Oder)) was a German poet, composer and jurist mainly active in the ''Margraviate'' or ''Electorate of Brandenburg'', a precursor to P ...

(died 1573 while head of the university), German scholar, not related to the astronomer *

Johann Sigismund Elsholtz Johann Sigismund Elsholtz (August 26, 1623 – February 28, 1688), (some sources mention his day of birth as August 28, and his death on February 19) was a German naturalist who was a native of Frankfurt an der Oder. Biography Johann Sigism ...

(1623–1688), a German naturalist, pioneer in hygiene, nutrition and

holistic health Alternative medicine is any practice that aims to achieve the healing effects of medicine despite lacking biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence from clinical trials. Complementary medicine (CM), complementary and alt ...

Bernhard Siegfried Albinus Bernhard Siegfried Albinus (originally Weiss; 24 February 16979 September 1770) was a German-born Dutch anatomist. He served a professor of medicine at the University of Leiden like his father Bernhard Albinus (1653–1721). He also published ...

(1697–1770), a German-born Dutch

anatomist Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having it ...

* Karl August von Bergen (1704–1759), a German

and botanist, he showed the distribution of cellular membranes in animals. * Heinrich Adolf von Bardeleben (1819–1895), a German surgeon, used Joseph Lister's methodology for

antiseptic An antiseptic (from Greek ἀντί ''anti'', "against" and σηπτικός ''sēptikos'', "putrefactive") is an antimicrobial substance or compound that is applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putre ...

treatment of wounds. *

Hermann Rudolph Aubert Hermann Rudolph Aubert (November 23, 1826 – February 2, 1892) was a German physiologist born in Frankfurt. In 1850 he obtained his medical doctorate, afterwards serving as privat-docent of physiology at Breslau (1854). In 1862 he became an as ...

(1826–1892), a German physiologist, he researched psychophysics and experimented dark adaptation *

Georg Hermann Quincke Georg Hermann Quincke FRSFor HFRSE (; November 19, 1834 – January 13, 1924) was a German physicist. Biography Born in Frankfurt-on-Oder, Quincke was the son of prominent physician ''Geheimer Medicinal-Rath'' Hermann Quincke and the older br ...

(1834–1924), a German

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

, modified the dissociation hypothesis of

Clausius Rudolf Julius Emanuel Clausius (; 2 January 1822 – 24 August 1888) was a German physicist and mathematician and is considered one of the central founding fathers of the science of thermodynamics. By his restatement of Sadi Carnot's principle ...

. *

Heinrich Quincke Heinrich Irenaeus Quincke (26 August 1842 – 19 May 1922) was a German internist and surgeon. His main contribution to internal medicine was the introduction of the lumbar puncture for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. After 1874, his main ...

(1842–1922), a German internist and surgeon, introduced the lumbar puncture. * Reinhold Wilhelm Buchholz (1837–1876), a German

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...

who worked in herpetology,

carcinology Carcinology is a branch of zoology that consists of the study of crustaceans, a group of arthropods that includes lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill, copepods, barnacles and crabs. Other names for carcinology are malacostracology, crustaceology ...

and ichthyology *

Friedrich Loeffler Friedrich August Johannes Loeffler (; 24 June 18529 April 1915) was a German bacteriologist at the University of Greifswald. Biography He obtained his M.D. degree from the University of Berlin in 1874. He worked with Robert Koch from 1879 to 1884 ...

(1852–1915), a German

bacteriologist A bacteriologist is a microbiologist, or similarly trained professional, in bacteriology -- a subdivision of microbiology that studies bacteria, typically pathogenic ones. Bacteriologists are interested in studying and learning about bacteria, ...

at the

University of Greifswald The University of Greifswald (; german: Universität Greifswald), formerly also known as “Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald“, is a public research university located in Greifswald, Germany, in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pom ...

* Heinrich Seilkopf (1895–1968), a German

meteorologist A meteorologist is a scientist who studies and works in the field of meteorology aiming to understand or predict Earth's atmospheric phenomena including the weather. Those who study meteorological phenomena are meteorologists in research, while t ...

, in 1939 coined the term jet stream for the weather phenomena originally discovered by

Wasaburo Oishi was a Japanese meteorologist. Born in Tosu, Saga, he is best known for his discovery of the high-altitude air currents now known as the jet stream. He was also an important Esperantist, serving as the second Board President of the from 1930 to 1 ...

. * Käthe Mende (1878–1963), a German sociologist.

Sport

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B0804-0091-006, Leipzig, Internationales Turnier im Geräteturnen, Köste

Hermann Weingärtner Hermann Otto Ludwig Weingärtner (27 August 1864 – 22 December 1919) was a German gymnast. He started his career in his hometown Frankfurt (Oder) at the local gymnastics club ''Frankfurter Turnverein 1860''. Later on he moved to Berlin to ...

(1864–1919), a German gymnast, competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens *

Klaus Köste Klaus Köste (27 February 1943 – 14 December 2012) was a German gymnast. He won a gold medal in the vault at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He competed for East Germany and won bronze medals in the team all-around event in three Olympics, ...

(1943–2012), a German gymnast, gold medalist in the vault at the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...

in Munich * Maik Bullmann (born 1967), a German Greco-Roman wrestler, competed at the 1992 and

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

Sebastian Köber Sebastian Köber (born 28 May 1979) is a German boxer, who won the Heavyweight bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Three years later, at the 2003 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Bangkok, he once again finished ...

(born 1979), a German boxer, the Heavyweight bronze medalist at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

* Markus Thätner (born 1985), an amateur German Greco-Roman wrestler, competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing * Florian Schmidt (born 1986), a German sport shooter, competed in the

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

and the 2012 Summer Olympics

Films set in Frankfurt

In recent years, Frankfurt has been the setting for several notable German films: * ''Halbe Treppe'' ('' Grill Point'', 2002) * ''Lichter'' ('' Distant Lights'', 2003) * ''Die Kinder sind tot'' (''The Children Are Dead'', a documentary about a 1999 murder-by-neglect in Frankfurt, 2004) * ''No Exit'' (2004, documentary about Neo-Nazis) * ''Kombat Sechzehn'' (''Combat Sixteen'', 2005)

Gallery

File:FrankfurtOderRathaus.JPG, The Gothic town hall File:FFOArchive.JPG, The town archives and the C.P.E. Bach Concert Hall File:St Gertraud Frankfurt Exterior.jpg, St Gertraud's Church File:FrankfurtOderPost.JPG, The neo-Gothic post office File:FriedenskircheFFO.JPG, The Friedenskirche File:Oderbruecke.JPG, The Oder bridge linking Frankfurt with Słubice File:FrankfurtOderRiverView.JPG, View of northern Frankfurt river front File:Marienkirche Frankfurt (Oder) 2012.JPG, Brick Gothic St. Mary's Church File:GrosseScharrnstrasseFFO.JPG, Große Scharrnstraße, rebuilt in the late 1980s File:PaulinenhofFFO.jpg, The Paulinenhof settlement, built in the 1920s for

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

employees File:2006-02 Frankfurt (Oder) 32 Flutstein.jpg, The ''Flutstein'', Oderpromenade. File:Pomnik Mikołaja Kopernika we Frankfurcie nad Odra.jpg, Nicolaus Copernicus monument in Frankfurt (Oder) File:Heinrich von Kleist Monument.jpg, Kleist Memorial in Frankfurt (Oder) File:Sowjetisches Ehrenmal FFO.jpg, Red Army monument in Frankfurt (Oder) File:East Germany Frankfurt Oder.jpg, Old East German passport stamp from Frankfurt (Oder). File:Germany frankfurt oder 2.jpg, Reunified Germany passport stamp from same border crossing File:Germany frankfurt oder.jpg, Schengen passport stamp for the same border crossing

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

* *Th
City of Frankfurt (Oder)
has a website (available in English translation as well as in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and in

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

) with some limited commerce and cultural information.
Slubice.pl
– official site of Frankfurt's border town Słubice
Frankfurt.pl

Slubice.de
– a student project
Tram-ff.de
* *

(emergency banknotes) {{Authority control Members of the Hanseatic League Divided cities Populated places established in the 13th century 1253 establishments in Europe Germany–Poland border crossings

Name

History

Demography

European university

Transport

Sport

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Notable people

Public service & commerce

The arts

Military

Science

Sport

Films set in Frankfurt

Gallery

See also

References

Bibliography

External links