Frankfurt

By Ashley McKenna

            The Frankfurt exclusion was a trip I originally underestimated before coming here. I imagined it as an urban and rustic financial city. However, driving into the city, I was completely astonished by the modern buildings and electrifying buzz in the air. There were men in business suits walking over for the preparations of the Frankfurt car show which many students chose to attend that weekend. The streets were lined with cobblestone giving the city an older feel to it.

While walking around, I noticed several (small) skyscrapers and buildings.  Along with the bustling walk of life, the city of Frankfurt actually reminded me a lot of Boston as well as New York City. I worked in New York City this summer so Frankfurt gave me a taste of home which I was very happy about. Our tour guide was from the town of Frankfurt and lived there for about 15 years. She gave us some background about the city and how 90% of the town was destroyed during WWII. It seems as though that the main church of the city wasn’t destroyed because supposedly it was a landmark for finding the city and bombing the rest of the area. While observing the town, there were several architectural styles that sparked my interest. Some buildings were from the 50’s when they were rebuilding parts of the town.  However, many of the locals were upset that they were trying to make the town modern so they rebuilt parts of the city to represent German’s history including the colorful side by side walls. Regardless, I appreciated both past and present designs. 

            What stood out for me the most, was the Eiserner Steg Bridge. Also known as the “Love Lock Bridge,” this iron beauty has been transformed with “love padlocks” making it one of the most recognizable landmarks in Frankfurt. Every year, hundreds of couples come to this bridge and attach locks – usually inscribed with their names and date. Once the lock is bound to the bridge, the couple throws out the key into the river symbolizing a promise for their eternal love. Fascinated by such colorful locks, I couldn’t help but to imagine how many lovers came to this bridge. I found it not only romantic but also a creation of art. Every lock tells a story behind a couple that step foot here, and once these locks are affixed, it transforms this iron bridge into an ‘emotion.’  Just like a bridge links two sides together, these love locks are a concrete symbol that forever bind the people that made a promise to each other.