© BADV

The motif of the coin issued in 2015 for the federal state of Hesse presents a classic perspective on St. Paul's Church in Frankfurt (the "Paulskirche" was the seat of Germany's first freely elected legislative body in 1849 and is regarded as the cradle of German democracy) and is therefore the perspective possessing the greatest recognition value. The design incisively brings out the tension between the dominant tower and the elliptical structure of the church. The coin's overall composition chimes with the classical construction of the building. The fact that the roof is not visible conveys an important idea that was present in the minds of those responsible for the building's reconstruction: the rebuilt version of St. Paul's Church, erected in 1948, was not intended to erase all the traces of its past history (in this case, the church's destruction during the Second World War). The slightly exaggerated flight of steps has an inviting quality while simultaneously offering support to the subjacent inscription "HESSEN" (the Federal State of Hesse in which St. Paul's Church is situated).

In addition, the spacious overall impression convincingly incorporates the urban-planning configuration as well as the clear stylistic idiom of St. Paul's Church.

The coin is to be put into circulation as of 30 January 2015. Despite the special motif, it is a standard circulating coin. Unlike the €10 collector’s coins, where the entire run is minted by the date of issue and coins are available in mint-condition at all Bundesbank branches on this date, regular issue coins are generally minted progressively and brought into circulation as and when required.