Central Eastern Europe FRANKFURT AM MAIN 2008 Frankfurt am Main is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany. Situated on the Main River, Frankfurt is the financial and transportation centre of Germany and the largest financial centre in continental Europe. Frankfurt was a city state, the Free City of Frankfurt, for nearly five centuries, and was one of the most important cities of the Holy Roman Empire, as a site of imperial coronations Frankfurt is culturally, ethnically, racially, and religiously diverse, with half of its population, and a majority of young people, having an immigration background. A quarter of the population consists of foreign nationals, including many expatriates. Frankfurt is an alpha world city and a global hub for commerce, culture, education, tourism and transportation. It is the site of many global and European corporate headquarters. Frankfurt is the major financial centre of the European continent, with the headquarters of the European Central Bank, Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Deutsche Bank, DZ Bank, KfW, Commerzbank, several cloud and fintech startups and other institutes. Automotive, technology and research, services, consulting, media and creative industries complement the economic base. Frankfurt's DE-CIX is the world's largest internet exchange point. Messe Frankfurt is one of the world's largest trade fairs. Major fairs include the Frankfurt Motor Show, the world's largest motor show, the Music Fair, and the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest book fair. Its renowned cultural venues include the concert hall Alte Oper, Europe's largest English theatre. The Alte Oper was designed by the Berlin architect Richard Lucae, financed by the citizens of Frankfurt and built by Philipp Holzmann. Frankfurt am Main, november 2008. Frankfurt am Main, november 2008. Frankfurt am Main, november 2008. Frankfurt is home to influential educational institutions, including the Goethe University, the UAS, the FUMPA, and graduate schools like the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. Frankfurt School is consistently ranked among the best business schools in the world, atttributed to the quality of undergraduate and graduate training. The city is also characterised by various green areas and parks, including the central Wallanlagen, the City Forest and two major botanical gardens. Frankfurt am Main Germanstate of Hesse. In electronic music, Frankfurt has been a pioneering city since the 1980s, with renowned DJs including Sven Vath, Marc Trauner, Scot Project, Kai Tracid, and the clubs Dorian Gray, U60311, Omen and Cocoon. Frankfurt has many high-rise buildings in the city centre, forming the Frankfurt skyline. Its central location within Germany and Europe makes Frankfurt a major air, rail and road transport hub.