Paulskirche

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It is one of the most historic places in Germany: the Paulskirche in Frankfurt. The building has played a central role in Germany's recent history and today serves as a national monument to Germany and a German identity.

Origin of St. Paul's Church

Originally, the Barfüßerkloster monastery stood on the site of today's Paulskirche. This monastery had probably been active since the 13th century and was a central religious focal point for the inhabitants of the city of Frankfurt. The Barfüßerkloster and the church it contained were built in the Gothic style, as was customary in the Middle Ages.
When the Protestant faith split from the Catholic faith in the 16th century, the Barfüßerkirche became the main church for Protestants in Frankfurt. Services, baptisms and weddings were celebrated here for several centuries until the building began to show signs of damage at the end of the 18th century. The walls were marked by cracks and the church was in danger of collapsing. Therefore, in 1786, demolition of the church began.

New building as Paulskirche and its architecture

As a result, many architects were called in to redesign the church. Finally, red Main sandstone was chosen as the building material, the church was given a domed roof and an open bell tower with an angel on its top. The nave, which was built in the shape of an ellipse, received a large altar, which was erected directly in front of the stairway to the bell tower. The pews and chairs were built in a circle and facing the altar. Behind the altar is a large, magnificent organ.
Due to several wars and economic crises, the construction of the new church was delayed until it was finally consecrated in 1833. It was decided to dedicate the church to the Apostle Paul, which is why it still bears the name Pauluskirche today.

Meeting place of the National Assembly and central political role

When the call for democracy grew stronger in the German kingdoms in 1848, St Paul's Church was to play an important role. The revolutionaries chose Paulskirche as the meeting place for the first German parliament. The church benefited from Frankfurt's central location in Germany and its architecture, as the elliptical nave closely resembled a plenary hall.
The church was then decorated with Germany's new national colours, black, red and gold, and the altar was converted into a presidential table. It was here that Germany's first constitution was adopted. But the revolutionaries could not prevail and after some years the Paulskirche had to be given up as national parliament.
After the unification of the German states under Otto von Bismarck and the German Empire, the Paulskirche was often used as a memorial for war victims and many official ceremonies were held here.
During the Weimar Republic, a monument to the first Reich President Friedrich Ebert was mounted on the façade of the church, as the Paulskirche was the meeting place of the first democratic parliament, a kind of predecessor of democratic Germany.
When the National Socialists took power in Germany and plunged Europe into the Second World War, the Paulskirche was badly damaged by bombs.

Reconstruction as a national monument

After the end of World War 2, St. Paul's Church was quickly rebuilt. Its historical significance as the cradle of German democracy helped it achieve important status in the new Federal Republic.
Today, the Paulskirche is used as a venue for events. The awarding of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, the Goethe Prize as well as numerous concerts and art exhibitions now take place in the former church, which today also bears the name "House of All Germans".