The Newcomers Festival: Information and orientation for New-Frankfurters from abroad

/in /by

A new job, a new city, a new country, a new language – like David Hart from the USA, many have taken this big step. And many have experiences similar to those of the former journalist and current communications and event expert: “It is a challenge and an adventure, but sometimes you are simply overwhelmed by the many changes.” When Hart first came to Germany 30 years ago, he almost gave up after nine months, but then he had his breakthrough and arrived in Frankfurt. It is this uncertainty amongst expats that the agency Communication Solutions, founded by Hart, is tackling. He and his team provide information on living and working in Germany, schools and networks, weekend planning and leisure activities. At the same time, they offer orientation that helps you find your way around the general information offered, the foreign language and despite cultural differences. They want to make the region more accessible and help newcomers settle in more quickly.

“Frankfurt is a city you fall in love with at second sight”, David Hart sums up his experiences at that time, “at the beginning one only knows the striking places, like the airport and the fair”. Frankfurt’s highlights are not as centralized as in London, for example, but the entire region contributes to the attractiveness of the location. That is why it takes a while to discover the many peculiarities of the cities by yourself. “I have collected so much information about Frankfurt, about the cultural offerings, clubs and associations in the region, and I wanted to share this with the many expats who share the same experiences. I wanted to create a platform for this exchange and thus contribute something to the culture of welcome,” Hart said in an interview with Frankfurt Main Finance.

The Newcomers Festival was born. The 18th annual event will be held on the 9th of September. Compared to the first Newcomers Festival in 2001, Hart observes significant changes in Frankfurt’s international community. “When I came to Frankfurt, mostly British and American expats lived here. Today, the community has become more international and colourful, partly because of the end of the Cold War and the eastward expansion of the European Union. By now, the expat community in Frankfurt comes from so many different countries, the city is almost a replica of the United Nations,” describes David Hart his observations. His work has become much more diverse as a result. However, the diversity in languages and cultural backgrounds has posed   new challenges for networking within the community and the corresponding concepts and platforms. This development is also reflected in the Newcomers Festival.

The Newcomers Festival is an event for the whole family. It offers an overview of the entire Rhine-Main area: regions, cities and municipalities present themselves and their leisure activities, service providers familiarise visitors with what they have to offer, schools and universities present themselves and various churches are represented. Clubs and networks will also be present. An event on “soft location factors”, as Hart sums up. There are exhibitions, seminars and workshops, supplemented by practical information on life and work in Germany, Frankfurt and the wider region. In addition, visitors can expect a musical programme and the culinary offerings will reflect that of the region. The festival takes place on Sunday, 9th September from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Frankfurt’s city hall, the Römer, and admission is free.

Events such as the Newcomers Festival are becoming increasingly important due to Frankfurt’s steady growth: “Last year we had a net influx of 13,000 newcomers to Frankfurt. Although the Brexit conditions are still being negotiated and there is still a lot of uncertainty regarding the outcome, one can already notice an increase in demand because of the Brexit.,” reports Hart. Currently, the most important thing is that growth in Frankfurt is managed appropriately. Traffic, schools and kindergartens as well as living space must be developed accordingly. But Hart is very confident that “the right course is being set in the Rhine-Main area at the moment”. After all, the region has gained a great deal of quality of life over the past 30 years and much has been done right.

J.P. morgan Corporate Challenge. Quelle Logo J.P Morgan

Frankfurt prepares for J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge

/in /by

The world’s biggest corporate run

On June 7th the world’s biggest corporate run takes place in Frankfurt am Main: The J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge! On running day it’s all about team spirit, communication, collegiality, fairness and health.  In 2017 63,776 runners from 2,419 companies took place in the event at which sports and competitiveness come in second. The registration period has closed a few days ago and the Financial Centre Frankfurt now prepares for one of Frankfurt’s biggest yearly events.

63.776 runners from 2.419 companies

The J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Frankfurt is part of a worldwide connected network of running events for permanent employees and employees from all business areas. In 2018 the run will start at Hochstraße and Börsenstraße. It will end after a distance of  5.6 kilometers at Senckenberganlage (Dantestraße).

Source: J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge

A 360 degrees perspective on Frankfurt and the region

/in /by

Discover first traces of the Brexit in Frankfurt? Or how about taking a tour of the musical specialties ranging from Mozart to The Doors? Would you like to discover the Main Metropolis from the perspective of a former homeless man? Or would you rather discover the Frankfurt city forest in the context of an Irish Roadbowling experience? What about discovering gossip and love stories, Indian spots, graffiti and street art, espionage and secret societies or the most popular watering holes of Frankfurt?

All of the aforementioned is a mere tiny excerpt of the meanwhile 250 different events offering you, since 2009, a glimpse into Frankfurt organized by the Journal Frankfurt magazine in cooperation with the renowned city guide Christian Setzepfandt. The core question of the program is the following: We’re traveling to foreign countries and far away cities and yet we should ask ourselves what we ourselves really know about our own hometown located at the main? The goal of the extensive program is thus supplying Frankfurt locals with a new perspective on their city and in this context immerse into unknown but appealing locations and ways of living, traditions and the cities culture and take a glimpse behind the curtains of cultural institutions, popular buildings and popular spots of Frankfurt. For tourists and recently settled citizens, the organizers would like to take a focus on crushing persistent preconceptions about Frankfurt as a lifeless commuter town, the red light district and crime by showcasing the multifaceted nature of Frankfurt and offering a close experience of the various neighborhoods, the history, the unexpected, curiosities, scary elements of the city, the fascinating, the romantic and lost treasures.

Aside from the multitude of originally themed city tours in the categories architecture and extraordinary buildings, secret locations, parks and nature, children, families and the elderly, culture, art and city history, parties and red light as well as streets and neighborhoods, the program also includes various workshops taking a special focus on Frankfurt, it’s vicinity and beyond. The program ranges from rather ordinary courses of photography in Frankfurt, acquiring sport techniques and cooking classes of special dishes to extraordinary workshops on Apfelwein (apple cider), airline pilots in the flight simulator, film animation or a course for adults on making your own soap bubbles.

The program by Journal Frankfurt is not limited on the Main Metropolis, however, but rather invites you to discover the surroundings of Frankfurt as well: Starting from touring Offenbach with the topics ranging from weather, industrial change, the Offenbach harbor or migration in Offenbach bringing to light desires as well as existential fears, to a champagne tasting along the mountain route, a meeting with the city beekeeper of Kassel up to workshops on the creative rural cuisine of the Odenwald or a culinary tour of local dishes through the Wetterau.

Early planning of your participation will pay off. Some especially exceptional tours and workshops only take place a few times per year. The price range starts at being free of charge to a participation fee of 89 euro; the average participation fee is about 20 euro per person. An increasing part of the city tours will also be offered in English. You will find an overview of the Journal Frankfurt program right here.

Colorful lights and sounds to fight winter’s darkness

/in /by

During wintertime, parks and gardens often suffer from a drop of visitors; even popular parks like the Frankfurter Palmengarten are no different. To oppose this trend, but mainly to change the winter’s twilight into colorful lights and the area of the Palmengarten into a shining wonderland, the Palmengarten is hosting the exhibition “Winterlichter”.

The main idea of the project is to project light effects, pictures, videos and slides onto trees, plants, and the lawn as well as statues and water surfaces while accompanying everything with music. With this, the peaceful atmosphere of the illuminated park can be thought of as the opposite of the troublesome, lively atmosphere of the city. One of the highlights is the magnificent entrance building of the Palmengarten, whose dome looks like a freshly shaken snow globe while being illuminated. Another one is a colorful, life-sized horde of horses, who gives the Palmengarten a magical appearance.

The concept to use musical light effects in parks as a contrast to hibernal twilight was solely designed by artist Wolfgang Flammersfeld and had to withstand many dissenting votes. In 2006, Flammersfeld could realize his exhibition for the first time at the Dortmunder Westfalenpark, where it will be presented for the twelfth time this year. Thereupon his installations were transferred to the Frankfurter Palmengarten, where the winter lights will be presented for the sixth time now, as well as to Mannheim, Erfurt and Bonn. At the Palmengarten, visitor numbers raised from 1500 in the first year to over 32000 in 2016. Meanwhile, the exhibition was expanded every year, bringing more visitors in with more and more installations.

The overall 17 installations made out of 700 lamps (696 of them being LEDs), four video installations and five projections of slides can be seen every day between 17: and 21:00; a tour around the whole exhibition takes upon one hour. After visiting the exhibition, snacks and mulled wine can be savored at the Café Winterlichter as well as the Café Siesmayer.

World’s first solo exhibition for the “Queen of Less”

/in /by

Jil Sander is one of the most influential contemporary fashion designers. The simple and timeless elegance of her designs, together with the high-quality materials and sophisticated cuts gave her the title “Queen of Less.” After all, it’s the restraint and clarity that make Jil Sander’s fashion spectacular. An exhibition of the Frankfurt Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) entitled “Jil Sander. Present Tense” is now dedicated to the elegancy of the designer in her fashion and beyond and conveys this to the visitor through multimedia elements.

Down to the smallest detail, the fashion designer herself, in close collaboration with the museum and especially with the museum director Matthias Wagner K, co-designed and implemented the world’s first solo exhibition on her versatile oeuvre in a museum.

On three floors and over 3,000 square meters of exhibition space, almost the entire museum area of the MAK, the visitor is not chronologically guided by the life and work of the fashion designer, but thematically. The exhibition is not a retrospective of Sanders career and the history of the company, neither a retrospective of her collections – time details are completely missing from the exhibits and thus underline the timelessness of Sanders designs. On the contrary, the visitor explores the artist’s complete works, going through rooms on the topics of fashion collections, accessories, cosmetics, fashion photography and campaigns, but also on architecture and garden art. A catwalk, Sanders Atelier and a flagship store were modelled for the exhibition.

Sanders choice for the first exhibition of her work came down to the MAK not without reason. The building by Richard Meier, with its rectilinear and transparent architecture, reflects the clear and reduced aspects of Sanders fashion and forms an ideal setting for the exhibition. Because of the architecture of the MAK and the convincing concept of the museum director Matthias Wagner K, the exhibition came first to Frankfurt and did not go to London, New York or a classical fashion metropolis.

The overall experience “Jil Sander. Present Tense” is musically ‘covered’ by the sound designer Frédéric Sanchez, who already provided the music to Sanders fashion shows, and its restrained, electronic sound. The exhibition is much more than a retrospective of Sander’s fashion; it is a multimedia overall experience, an interplay of architecture, light, film, music, text, photography, fashion and art that brings to visitors the simple elegance of the designer.

The “Jil Sander. Present Tense” exhibition runs until May 6, 2018 in the Frankfurt Museum of Applied Arts.

Unique Concerts at the German Jazz Festival in Frankfurt

/in /by

The German Jazz Festival in Frankfurt is known for its musical and cultural diversity. No other German festival can present so many unique, cross-cultural performances. True to the festival’s profile, first organized in 1953, the program brings together renowned German and international jazz musicians, for joint performances in one of a kind stage events and outstanding festival projects.

The event’s promoters also enable the young generation of jazz musicians to take a set place within the festival program. In this way, young musicians from Hessen are offered a platform. In the past, major jazz musicians began their careers at the German Jazz Festival in Frankfurt. In addition, the festival is characterized by a mixture of different styles, ranging from classical influences like gospel to modern elements like underground hip-hop and avant-garde jazz.

Through this concept of variety and the encounter between stars and newcomers, national and international artists, traditional influences and modern, experimental elements, the German Jazz Festival is a vehicle for exceptional performances and unique musical experiences.

This year, the festival, organized by Hessischer Rundfunk, takes place in its 48th edition. From October 25 to 29, more than a dozen concerts will take place in the Alte Oper, the Musonturm and the Hessischer Rundfunk. The German Jazz Festival will also be broadcast live on hr2-Kultur and later on hr2-Live Jazz.

Frankfurt Christmas Market – regional specialties, international Christmas carols & a festive sea of lights

/in /by

The Frankfurt Christmas market has a long tradition and is one of the oldest Christmas markets in Germany. Up to the year 1393 it can be proven that markets took place in Frankfurt on Christmas. The traditional centerpiece of the market is the Römerberg, which with its historic half-timbered houses provides the backdrop for one of the country’s most beautiful and largest Christmas markets. The approximately three million visitors can enjoy the festive atmosphere between the city center and Römerberg from November 22 to December 22, 2017.

This year, the Christmas market goes under the slogan Music City Frankfurt. Similarly, this year’s Christmas market cup is provided with the text of a Christmas song – with which visitors can find out from the opening day. The highlight of the opening ceremony on November 27 will be the performance of the pop singer Michelle. And until  December 22, the musical offer ranges from the performance of international Christmas carols, the playing of the tower musicians of the Old St Nicholas Church to the big ringing of the city with the simultaneous ringing of 50 bells.

Over 200 Christmas stalls attract visitors with lovely products and treats. In addition to the classic roasted almonds, mulled wine and sausages, you can enjoy typical Frankfurt Christmas specialties such as Bethmännchen (“a little Bethmann”), hot cider and Quetenkännchen. Furthermore, you can taste some traditional regional dishes cooked in an unusual way, such as green sauce crêpes with ox breast or Handkäs (“hand cheese”) fondue. In addition to the culinary diversity, visitors can expect classic Christmas market decoration and folk art articles, as well as modern handicrafts and typical Frankfurt goods such as ‘dippe’ (ceramic pot) and earthenware products. On the adjoining craft market in the Roman halls and the St. Paul’s Church, there is also the opportunity to search for an extraordinary Christmas present.

On Advent weekends, the Christmas market tour “Glühwein, Geschichten & Gebäck” (Mulled wine, stories and pastries) will be offered in many languages as well as for the blind and visually impaired and the Frankfurt Christmas market specialties will be presented. Also stories about the historic and modern Frankfurt, the Christmas market and famous Frankfurt personalities are part of the tour, which is completed with a visit to the roof gallery of the Old St Nicholas Church and the spectacular view of the sea of lights from the Christmas market and skyline.

At the Frankfurt Hauptwache (Main Guard) there are more Christmas market stalls, which extend the classic Christmas market area up to the shopping street Zeil and thus form a passage to Christmas shopping. On Friedrich-Stolze-Platz there is also the so-called “Rosa Weihnacht”, which is organized by the gay community of the Rhine-Main region and creates a special atmosphere with its colorful lights, unusual decoration and design. In addition to this contiguous Christmas market area also Frankfurt-Höchst and Sachsenhausen invite you to visit small district Christmas markets. At the gates of the city there are also a variety of romantic Christmas markets in Odenwald, Rheingau, Taunus and Wetterau.

European Cultural Days of the ECB: Inspiring Spain

/in , /by

Each year, the EUROPEAN CULTURAL DAYS of the ECB focus on a different Member State of the European Union. Towards the end of the year Frankfurt am Main becomes the setting for many high-quality artistic performances, ranging from music, dance and theatre to art lectures and exhibitions, literary events and films, as well as events for children. The ECB organises the CULTURAL DAYS together with the national central bank of the featured country and with the support of its many partners, who are committed to promoting European arts and culture.

People living in, and visiting, Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region can look forward to discovering Spain and its inspiring culture as part of the EUROPEAN CULTURAL DAYS of the ECB 2017, presented together with the Banco de España. The season will begin at the Weseler Werft on 24 August with Frankfurt Radio Symphony’s Europa Open Air concert.

For detailed information please download the Event Magazine.

Frankfurt celebrates Museums on the Main

/in /by

Two million people visit the Museum Embankment Festival every year in the banking city of Frankfurt. The event is now taking place again from August 25th to 27th.

It’s counted among the largest and most spectacular art and culture festivals in Europe: the Museum Embankment Festival (Museumsuferfest) in the heart of Frankfurt. It’s therefore no surprise that around two million people are drawn to the Main every year when the museums on the river’s north and south banks open their doors until well into the night.

In front of the impressive backdrop of the Frankfurt skyline, a rich and varied spectrum of stage presentations, colourful live performances and culinary specialities from all over the world complement the programme of the three-day museum festival, which ends on August 27th at 10 pm with a glorious firework display.

Here you can view the programme for the Museum Embankment Festival 2017 online or download the programme booklet in pdf format.

Picture credits: visitfrankfurt  / Holger Ullmann

Frankfurt is growing: taller

/in /by

Frankfurt has a lot to offer: in addition to the culinary delights of Apfelwein and Handkäse, it can also boast the only skyline in Germany that can stand up to international comparison. And the city continues to grow tall.

The city on the River Main is getting ready for growth in the wake of the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU). Between 15,000 and 20,000 people could be coming to Frankfurt every year. Indeed, the first few banks have already decided to relocate their European headquarters to Mainhatten. This is because banks outside Europe need a so-called EU Passport to enable them to do business within the EU. If they have a licence in the UK, they can no longer operate in any EU country after the Brexit has been completed.

As a result, office space and living space are both in demand in Frankfurt. 20 new are to be built during the next few years. Around 300,000 square metres of office space are being planned. The intention is that the new buildings should not just impress with their height, but should also captivate through the charm of their architecture. Here’s an overview:

1. Deutsche Bank Area (2021/2022)

Four glass towers with green landscaped terraces on the podium level are to be built by 2022 at the Roßmarkt location that Deutsche Bank has been using for decades as a trading centre. A mixed-use quarter with four high-rise buildings replaces the old buildings: a 228-metre high hotel and office tower, two 120- and 173-metre high residential towers and a 100-metre high office tower. In an architectural competition, the Netherlands firm UN Studio had prevailed against 14 competitors with this design proposal. The first towers are to be finished as early as 2021. The developers Groß & Partner will be starting the demolition this year.

2. Henninger Tower (2017/2018)

Almost finished is one of the most popular of Frankfurt’s landmarks, which has reinvented itself architecturally: the Henninger Tower is one of the winners of the International Iconic Awards 2015 and was acclaimed as an example of “visionary architecture” in the “Architecture/Domestic” category. The new residential high-rise has a height of 140 metres and is higher than the tower built in 1961, which soared up around 120 metres into the sky. The conspicuous barrel-like pod on top of the tower remains preserved. It contains a restaurant with panoramic view along with a viewing platform on the 38th floor. Additional facilities for wining and dining and for shopping are being created in a plinth building next to the Henninger Tower.

3. Tower 90 (2018)

In Frankfurt’s Europaviertel district, opposite the “Grand Tower”, a new tower block with hanging gardens is to rise up on the former Telenorma site by 2018. “Tower 90” is the name that has been given to the 90-metre high building with 28 floors, in which around 212 apartments are being created. The site covering 13,700 square metres will also house a 60-metre hotel tower and an extensive supermarket.

4. Grand Tower (2019)

Looming 172 metres into the Frankfurt sky, Germany’s highest high-rise residential building will soon take its place in the immediate vicinity of the Skyline Plaza. 401 condominium apartments are planned on 47 floors. Penthouse flats with up to 270 square metres will also available in the tower located at the intersection of the Europa-Allee and the Osloer Straße. The luxurious character of the skyscraper will be underscored by a variety of available services. The building shell is scheduled to be ready at the end of 2017, and residents will be able to move in from mid-2019 onwards. The lower floors with the facade’s glass honeycomb structure on the “Skyline Plaza” shopping centre site are already constructed.

5. Porsche Design Tower (2018)

The first European residential high-rise from the luxury and lifestyle brand Porsche Design is to be built in the new development area on the premises of the former freight station (Emser Bridge in the Europaviertel). It is destined to be around 100 metres high and offer fully furnished suites and penthouse apartments in Porsche Design by the end of 2018. It won’t just be striking inside, however: the unusual face of the building is designed to have loggias that jut out like open drawers from the facade.

6. Cascada – Rising Residences (2018)

Construction work on the 60-metre high Cascada – Rising Residences in the Europaviertel has already begun. The base structure of the residential tower is to be built in a C-shape and embrace a central garden. As is the case with the other new residential high-rise projects, a mixture of different apartment sizes and types is also envisaged in this project. The homes will be ready for occupancy as early as 2018.

7. The Marieninsel (2019)

In the heart of Frankfurt’s banking district, directly opposite the twin towers of Deutsche Bank, the so-called Marieninsel is under construction with two new office towers. The 155-metre high Marienturm with around 44,900 square metres of rental space is to be ready for occupancy in early 2019. The 40-metre high Marienforum covering 11,700 square metres is scheduled to be completed in 2018. The interior of the buildings is being conceived by the Milanese designer Patricia Urquiola. The newly created Marienplatz site on the area is to accommodate an appealing spectrum of bars, restaurants and retail outlets.

8. Omniturm (2018)

Life like it is in New York: the new “Omniturm” in the banking district is intended to combine living, hotel offers, cuisine, business, offices and public spaces under one roof with a unique urban flair. The 183-metre high glass skyscraper is planned as an “innovative mixed-use high-rise”. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2018.

9. One Forty West (2020/2021)

The 140-metre high “One Forty West” is being built close to the exhibition grounds, on the site where a former university tower was spectacularly demolished by a controlled explosion a few years ago. A hotel will be moving into the first 15 of the 40 floors, three floors are reserved for service apartments, and up to 300 apartments are to be installed on the upper floors. The topping-out ceremony for the new building is planned for the first quarter of 2019.

10. Axis

Two further new residential towers will already be ready for occupancy at the end of 2017 at the address Europa-Allee 165: the first owners are already living in the 60-metre high “Axis”. The “Praedium”, which is also 60 metres high, is well on its way to completion. The 19 storeys of the building have room for 242 freehold apartments, eight shops, a restaurant and an office area.

11. Drei Schwestern (Three Sisters)

Downtown living: that’s the possibility opened up by the “Three Sisters” high-rises situated directly next to the “MyZeil” shopping centre starting in mid-2020. The heights planned for the three residential towers are 44, 60 and 85 metres. They are designed to contain up to 500 small apartments as well as rentable common dining areas for larger celebrations and social events. In addition, the project is to be given a new name.

12. Winx (2017)

In the middle of this year, the shell construction of the “Winx” office tower is to be finished on the so-called “Maintor-Areal” site next to the Schauspiel Frankfurt theatre. The 110-metre high tower will accommodate offices and restaurants totalling 42,000 square metres. Its location directly on the River Main will offer a fabulous view of the city and river.

13. One (2021)

The 49 floors of the hotel and office tower “One” are to be completed by 2021. The 190-metre high tower, which will rise up in front of the entrance to the Kap Europa congress centre in close proximity to the Tower 185, Pollux and Castor high-rises, will be available for a mixture of hotel and office use.

14. Blue Horizon (2018)

“Blue Horizon” is a new residential tower that will be erected on the site of the former Hesse Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KVH) by the end of 2018. The old 19-storey office building is being gutted and will then be reborn as a residential high-rise with 118 apartments and a total area of 9,000 square metres. Four commercial units are to be established on the ground floor. The facade is being designed in a natural sandstone look.

15. Westend Ensemble (2018)

In the prime Westend district of the city, prestigious apartments for owner-occupation are being created by 2018 in the listed building formerly used by the Regional Post Directorate.  The building, which is located directly opposite the exhibition grounds, is being completely gutted and lovingly refurbished with great attention to detail. The Senckenberg Carré, situated next to the historical section of the former “Oberpostdirektion”, will be completely demolished and replaced by a new structure containing rental apartments. The Westend Ensemble will be rounded off by an elegant high-rise with a view over the Frankfurt skyline.

Up-to-date news about these projects can be found at Skyline Atlas.

Picture credits: Groß & Partner