The Frankfurt Stock Exchange was founded in 1585.
Frankfurt merchants established the exchange after agreeing on uniform exchange rates for currencies. The decision helped organize trading in a city that was already an important European commercial center. The exchange later became a major marketplace for securities and other financial instruments.
The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is operated by Deutsche Börse, whose headquarters are in the Frankfurt region. It is often associated with Xetra, the electronic trading platform used for much German equity trading, but the exchange and the platform are not identical. Frankfurt’s long history also makes it one of Europe’s oldest continuously important financial markets.