The Staufenmauer is the original wall of Old Frankfurt and dates back to the fortifications built by the Romans around the old town, around 1180. It had a wooden sentry walk on relieving arches. After a major fire in the adjoining Jewish ghetto in 1711, it was largely rebuilt. Much of it was then destroyed during bombing raids of World War II.
It gets the name Staufenmauer as it was built under the Staufers, who ruled the area during that time. The wall was around seven meters high and two to three meters thick of quarry stone with a dry ditch surrounding it on the outside. There were only three gates at the time, the Mains gate, the Bockenheimer gate (later called Katharinenpforte) and the Bornheimer gate at the northernmost point of the Fahrgasse.
If you're touristing in the area, this is worth a stop and a look at history that is nearly a thousand years old. read more