{The Römer}

The Römer is a historic complex of nine timber-framed houses in Frankfurt's Altstadt, which served as the city's Rathaus, or town hall, for over 600 years. Purchased by the city council in 1405 from the wealthy Römer family, the structure became the symbolic heart of Frankfurt's municipal administration. Its architecture represents a transition from medieval fortifications to administrative civic spaces, anchored by the iconic stepped gables that have defined the city's skyline since the Middle Ages.

The design of the Römer complex reflects its evolving function, having been expanded and rebuilt over centuries to accommodate the city's growth and the historical needs of the Holy Roman Empire, including the hosting of imperial election banquets. Following severe destruction during the Allied bombing raids of 1944, the buildings were meticulously reconstructed in the 1950s, adhering closely to their original post-medieval aesthetic. Today, it remains a landmark of Germanic civic architecture, celebrated for its preservation of historical continuity despite the catastrophic shifts of the twentieth century.