(Pictures of Christine's birthplace...scenic Frankfurt)
As the legend has it, when the Saxons defeated Charlemagne, King of the Franks, in the 8th century, he fled westward with his troops, only to have his path blocked by the River Main. Suddenly, a deer sprang out of the forest and crossed the river by a ford (Furt). The Franks (Franken) followed the deer across the river and thus escaped slaughter by the Saxons. Overjoyed at their salvation, Charlemagne built a town to protect the ford. This town was named Frankenfurt.Frankfurt was also the venue for the election and crowning of Germany's kings, with the first king elected here in 1147. Frankfurt became a free town in 1372, and a total of 10 kings and emperors were crowned in the Dom after 1562.