<P>Neo-Baroque and half-timbered romanticism in a city that thinks big, is growing upwards, and already seems to have the century-to-come in view? Hardly had the plans to recreate the bombed-out old city between the cathedral and the city hall of the Römer been drafted when the criticism began.</P>
<P> And yet, today native Frankfurters cannot curb their enthusiasm. Around the Hühnermarkt, by now one of the most attractive squares in the city, a new world has grown, which with its pubs, stores, and even a barber shop has not only become a magnet for tourism. It is as if, next to a new heart, Frankfurt's centre city has also received a new soul.</P>
<P> This lushly illustrated volume recounts the exciting history of the Römerberg, gives a summary of the various debates surrounding its reconstruction, and takes the reader along on a tour of one of the most beautiful and important buildings in the new district.</P>