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CC 185 2015
Blister pack
Proof
Proof blister
Germany · Hesse, Frankfurter Paulskirche
Mintage50,000
Issue price€32.25
Issue date30 Jan 2015
PackagingBlister pack
Edge letteringEINIGKEIT UND RECHT UND FREIHEIT + Federal Eagle
Market price€39.00
Varieties
1Germany, A · A · Mint mark A · Proof · Blister pack · Mintage 50,000
Issue occasion
The commemorative coin is dedicated to the federal state of Hesse and belongs to the “Bundesländer” series. The design shows a classic view of the Frankfurter Paulskirche with its dominant tower, the elliptical church building and a prominently depicted staircase, as well as the inscription “HESSEN”. In 1849, the Paulskirche was the seat of the first freely elected representative assembly of the German states and is regarded as the cradle of German democracy.
The design
The design depicts a classic view of the Frankfurter Paulskirche, which was the seat of the first freely elected representative body (1849) of the German lands and is regarded as the cradle of German democracy. It conveys the tension between the dominant tower and the church’s elliptical structure. The slightly oversized staircase has an inviting character while also emphasizing the inscription “HESSEN” beneath it (the federal state of Hessen, where the Paulskirche is located). The inner coin ring also contains the year “2015” and the mint mark of the respective mint (“A”, “D”, “F”, “G” or “J”) on the left, as well as the symbol of the issuing country “D” and the artist’s initials (“HH” — Heinz Hoyer) on the right.
The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer coin ring.
The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer coin ring.
Background on the topic
The Paulskirche was built between 1789 and 1833 as Frankfurt’s main Protestant church. Its oval interior provided space for large gatherings. For this reason, the building was selected as the meeting place of an all-German parliament during the Revolution of 1848. At that time, Frankfurt was a Free City and also the seat of the Deutscher Bund, a loose association of sovereign German states.
The National Assembly convened on 18 May 1848. It was preceded by protests against censorship and authoritarian rule, as well as demands for fundamental rights, political participation and a German nation-state. The deputies were determined according to different electoral procedures in the individual states. The election did not meet today’s democratic standards: women were excluded, and further restrictions existed regionally.
In March 1849, the assembly adopted the so-called Frankfurt Constitution (Paulskirchenverfassung). It contained a catalogue of fundamental rights and provided for a federal German constitutional state with a hereditary emperor as head of state. However, the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV rejected the imperial crown offered to him. Several governments did not recognize the constitution; the National Assembly lost its political support and was eventually dissolved. Germany’s political unification did not take place until 1871, under different political circumstances.
The Paulskirche burned out during air raids on Frankfurt in 1944. It was rebuilt in a simplified form and reopened in 1948, on the centenary of the National Assembly. Since then, it has primarily served as a memorial and event venue. Political commemorative ceremonies and the award ceremony for the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade (Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels), among other events, take place there.
The choice for the coin was also connected with the concept of the German federal states series at the time: each year, the state that held the rotating presidency of the Bundesrat was featured. Hessen chose the Paulskirche, a building with both a clear connection to the state and a connection to the history of the German constitution and democracy.
The National Assembly convened on 18 May 1848. It was preceded by protests against censorship and authoritarian rule, as well as demands for fundamental rights, political participation and a German nation-state. The deputies were determined according to different electoral procedures in the individual states. The election did not meet today’s democratic standards: women were excluded, and further restrictions existed regionally.
In March 1849, the assembly adopted the so-called Frankfurt Constitution (Paulskirchenverfassung). It contained a catalogue of fundamental rights and provided for a federal German constitutional state with a hereditary emperor as head of state. However, the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV rejected the imperial crown offered to him. Several governments did not recognize the constitution; the National Assembly lost its political support and was eventually dissolved. Germany’s political unification did not take place until 1871, under different political circumstances.
The Paulskirche burned out during air raids on Frankfurt in 1944. It was rebuilt in a simplified form and reopened in 1948, on the centenary of the National Assembly. Since then, it has primarily served as a memorial and event venue. Political commemorative ceremonies and the award ceremony for the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade (Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels), among other events, take place there.
The choice for the coin was also connected with the concept of the German federal states series at the time: each year, the state that held the rotating presidency of the Bundesrat was featured. Hessen chose the Paulskirche, a building with both a clear connection to the state and a connection to the history of the German constitution and democracy.