The Franks have particular connections to the city of Frankfurt am Main: evidence shows that part of the family had lived there since the 16th century.
Jews in Frankfurt, as in other European cities, were only permitted to settle in the ghetto, which in Frankfurt was the Β«JudengasseΒ». The aftermath of the French Revolution brought equal rights for all religious denominations in and in particular the Β«act concerning equal civic rights of the Jewish municipality of FrankfurtΒ» of From now on, the Frankfurt Jews were free to live anywhere in town and were not subjected to special taxes anymore.
When full civic emancipation was introduced in , the Jewish community of Frankfurt flourished. By the early 20th century, it had about 22, members and was regarded as one of the most significant Jewish communities in Europe..
She grew up in a wealthy household in Frankfurt. Until the age of 15, she attended schools and then received private tuition. In , she married Michael Frank, who was fourteen years her senior. Michael Frank came from Landau, a small town in the Palatinate region. He was the sixth of nine siblings.
At the time of the wedding, the year-old was a successful business man and already a shareholder in several companies. In , he established the Β«Michael Frank banking business. May After the unexpected death of Michael Frank in , Alice took over the family business, supported by her now adult sons, Robert and Otto.
