One of Germany’s most famous churches has not been used as a place of worship since 1948. From 1848 to 1849, the delegates of the Frankfurt National Assembly – Germany’s first representative body of the people – met in what is now Germany’s national monument. This is why Paulskirche, along with Hambach Castle, is considered a symbol of the democratic movement in Germany. After the Paulskirche was completely burnt out following an air raid in 1944, it was the first historic building in the city to be rebuilt with the help of donations. Since 1948, Frankfurt’s Paulskirche has been used as the House of All Germans for exhibitions and events, such as the annual presentation of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade.
