World City Guide

Culture

Although it is often considered a dreary place of all work and no play, Frankfurt in fact offers visitors a lively and impressive cultural scene that provides a welcome diversion from its hard-nosed business activities. The city’s most famous son undoubtedly is Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832) and the city’s pride in this man is reflected in the fact that the university takes his name. Another famous Frankfurter is the artist Adam Elsheimer (1578-1610) who played a key role in the development of 17th-century landscape painting – the Stdel, Schaumainkai 63, houses his Altarpiece of the Cross (1604-06). Also born in the city were Paul Ehrlich and Arthur Schopenhauer.

The Kunsthalle-Schirn (often shortened to Kulturschirn), Rmerberg 6 (tel: (069) 299 8820), displays innovative art exhibitions. The city also has some high-calibre classical performance groups, particularly Ballett Frankfurt, directed by William Forsythe. Frankfurt is an important port of call on the European jazz circuit, with a number of excellent venues attracting international stars (see Nightlife).

Most performance venues are closed during July and August. There are a number of ticket outlets in the city, the main one being Frankfurt Ticket, Hauptwache (tel: (069) 134 0400; fax: (069) 134 0444; website: www.frankfurt-ticket.de).

Papers that list cultural events are Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (especially the extensive Sunday edition), Frankfurter Neue Presse, Frankfurter Rundschau, Journal Frankfurt. An excellent source of information and listings is available from the online service (website: www.rhein-main.net) for Frankfurter Neue Presse and Journal Frankfurt. The free magazines, Strandgut (website: www.strandgut.de), Fritz (website: www.fritz-frankfurt.de) and Kultur News (website: www.kulturnews.de or www.citymag.info/frankfurt) all have information on cultural events and performances in Frankfurt (in German) and are available at the tourist information centre.

Music: Rebuilt in its original style in 1981, the elegant Alte Oper (Old Opera), Opernplatz (tel: (069) 13400; website: www.alteoper.de), is the city’s most important and best-loved concert hall. The Frankfurt Museum Orchestra and touring companies perform here. Opera performances by Oper Frankfurt (website: www.oper-frankfurt.de), however, are to be found at the Stdtische Bhnen (municipal stages), Untermainanlage 11 (tel: (069) 2123 7999).

Theatre: Goethe wrote the original versions of Faust (Urfaust and Gtz von Berlichingen) while he lived in Frankfurt. Top-class German theatre, including work by Goethe, is performed by Schauspielfrankfurt at one of the Stdtische Bhnen, Untermainanlage 11 (tel: (069) 2123 7999; website: www.schauspeilfrankfurt.de). Excellent English productions, including musicals, can be enjoyed in the rather unprepossessing surroundings of The English Theatre, Kaiserstrasse 52 (tel: (069) 2423 1620; fax: (069) 2423 1614; e-mail: box-office@english-theatre.org; website: www.english-theatre.org), while Theater am Turm (or Das TAT), Bockenheimer Warte (tel: (069) 2123 7562; website: www.dastat.de), is the setting for cutting-edge theatre. Volkstheater Frankfurt (‘the people’s theatre’), Grosser Hirschgraben 21 (tel: (069) 288 598 or 283 676; fax: (069) 20099; e-mail: info@volkstheater-frankfurt.de; website: www.volkstheater-frankfurt.de), shows classic plays by Goethe and Shakespeare, as well as music and dance theatre on a more traditional level. In summer, performances take place in the backyard with Ebbelwei and Brezeln.

Dance: Ballett Frankfurt (website: www.frankfurt-ballett.de) performs at the Stdtische Bhnen, Untermainanlage 11 (tel: (069) 2123 7999), and Das TAT (see Theatre above).

Film: The Deutsches Filmmuseum, Schaumainkai 41 (tel: (069) 2123 8830; e-mail: info@deutsches-filmmuseum.de; website: www.deutsches-filmmuseum.de), is the best of its kind in Germany. Permanent exhibitions (2.50) are supplemented by screenings of classic and independent films in the Kommunales Kino (5.50), every day except Monday. The Chaplin Archiv, Klarastrasse 5 (tel: (069) 9529 4477; fax: (069) 9529 4479; e-mail: chaplin-archiv@t-online.de), is a free permanent exhibition on two floors, which gives a true impression of the late actor Charlie Chaplin, his work and life. On show are 450 rare film documents and 6000 remarkable pieces like old books, magazines, pictures, advertising materials and records related to the artist.

Mal sehn, Adlerflychtstrasse 6 (tel: (069) 597 0845; website: www.malsehnkino.de), Orfeo Erben, Hamburger Allee 45 (tel: (069) 7076 9100; website: www.kinoservice.de/kino_f2.htm). These, along with Valentin, Windthorstrasse 84 (tel: (069) 308 6927; website: www.filmtheater-valentin.de), and Turmpalast, Bleichstrasse 57 (tel: (069) 281 787; website: www.ufakino.de), offer movies in English.

Most mainstream cinemas are located in the centre around Zeil, such as Roya Filmtheaterl, Schfergasse 10 (tel: (069) 289 520), Zeil Filmtheater, Zeil 85-93 (tel: (069) 285 105; website: www.ufakino.de), and the popular 3D-theatre IMAX, Zeilgalerie (tel: (069) 1338 4821; fax: (069) 1338 4811; website: www.imax-filmtheater.de).

Cultural events: Frankfurters let their hair down at over 100 folk festivals and street celebrations each year. The Frhjahrs- and Herbst-Dippemess (Spring and Autumn ‘Dippe’ Fairs), in April and September respectively, combine fairground rides and a traditional market selling stoneware. In June, the Wldchestag is an excuse for celebration in the city park and the Rmerberg is transformed into one big garden party during the Apfelweinfest. The year is brought to a magical close with the magical Weihnachtsmrkte (Christmas markets) around the city, particularly on Rmerberg.

Literary Notes
Written while the author lived in Frankfurt, Die Leiden des jungen Werther – The Sufferings of Young Werther (1771) is one of Goethe’s best-known works. The epistolary novel traces the tragic love of Werther for the beautiful but unobtainable Lotte. Goethe’s literary output was prodigious and eclectic, including collections of poetry, novels, plays and scientific works. Heinrich Hoffmann (1809-94) was born in Frankfurt and became the leading doctor at the municipal madhouse. His writing includes lyrical poems, ballads, comic and satirical works and, most famously, Struwwelpeter (1848), a series of gruesome pictorial and poetic cautionary tales for children. There is a dedicated Struwwelpeter-Museum, Schirn am Rmerberg (tel: (069) 281 333). A recent German novel that offers a taste of the city is Regula Venske’s Double fr eine Leiche – Double for a Corpse (1998), which features the comings and goings at the International Book Fair.