Since its reopening in 1991, the Frankfurter Hof in the Old Town of Mainz has been the cultural center of the city. International and local stars have made the Frankfurter Hof a household name beyond the Rhein-Main area. The cultural program thrives on a genre mix of national, international, and local artists, as well as multicultural offerings, classical music, theater, exhibitions, and pop culture. As part of the concert series "Summer in the City," additional spectacular open-air locations in Mainz are also featured during the summer months.
175 years ago, the history of the Frankfurter Hof began with Carnival. The Old Town innkeeper Konrad Falck recognized the demand for event spaces in the mid-19th century and added a hall to his house "Zum Frankfurter Hof." In 1841, the "Narhalla-Bau" opened, which established the politically-literary Carnival, a characteristic element of Mainz Carnival to this day.
In the 19th century, the Frankfurter Hof was a place of liberalism, socialism, and political Catholicism, earning it the title "Mainzer Paulskirche." Ferdinand Lassalle and Social Bishop Ketteler delivered pioneering speeches here, and Ludwig Bamberger shaped the "social democracy" in Augustinerstraße. In the 1970s, the building faced demolition, but a citizens' association fought from 1983 onwards with actions and concepts for its preservation. This led to its reopening as a cultural citizen center in 1991.
At the beginning of 2012, the Frankfurter Hof was integrated into mainzplus CITYMARKETING GmbH under the leadership of the Cultural Department. Over more than 30 years, well over 10,000 events have been held here.
