Frankfurt an der Oder, city, northeastern Germany, in Brandenburg, on the Odra (Oder) River, near Berlin. The city lies on one of the principal road and railway routes between eastern Germany and Poland. The leading products manufactured in the city include iron castings, agricultural machinery, hardware, chemicals, textiles, and foodstuffs. The site upon which the city stands was settled by a group of Franconian merchants in the 13th century. It was granted a charter in 1253, and it was (1368-1450) a flourishing member of the Hanseatic League. The University of Frankfurt (1506) was transferred to Breslau (now Wroctaw, Poland) in 1811. In the spring of 1945, during World War II, Frankfurt was captured by Soviet troops, and following the war the city was included in the Soviet Zone of Occupation. Population (1997) 82,323.
