Until the 18th century, the first recorded Frankfurt Franciscan monastery was located on the site of today's square, from 1270. From 1526 there were regular sermons in the Barfüßerkirche. In 1529, the last eight Franciscans left the monastery. The monastery was handed over to the city council. The Barfüßerkirche became the main Protestant church of Frankfurt. Important theologians such as Philipp Jakob Spener and Johann Friedrich Starck and musicians such as Georg Philipp Telemann attended. The monastic buildings north of the church became a school from 1542.
