Germany-Democratic Republic.

Another interesting GDR coin is this one, especially because it could be considered part of a time line. This 5 M piece issued in 1985 shows the ruins of the Frauenkirche in Dresden. In the GDR years the site was preserved as you see it on that coin, as an anti-war memorial with remnants still standing and lots of rubble around. (Image: Honscha - Click to see the large version.)



The text on the other side is from a poem written by Max Zimmering: "Dresden, in your wounds one can see the agony of the nameless ones, who burned to death here in a hellfire made by human hand." The full text is part of a memorial at the Heidefriedhof cemetery in Dresden. http://fotos.fotouristen.de/foto/large/152587_xiSB9f6V85RaC0mgrdnIH2cPXpUTJOGK.jpg

Ten years later the Federal Republic of Germany (which now included the states that until 1990 were the GDR) issued a 10 DM coin with basically the same scene, but above the ruins you can see how the Frauenkirche was to be rebuilt. The text says "50 years appeal to peace and reconciliation" (there may well be better translations but you get the idea ) and in the middle "Reconstruction · Lady's Church Dresden". http://www.honscha.de/bilder/sonstige/7789g.jpg

In 2006, shortly after the end of the reconstruction, another collector coin came out - a €10 coin celebrating "800 Years Dresden". It features several key buildings along the Elbe river, and (reflected in the water) what they looked like in 1945. http://www.honscha.de/bilder/10d064.jpg Never mind the fingerprint.

Christian

 

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Ironically, the Soviets requested the destruction of Dresden, supposedly to disrupt German communications prior to the final invasion. Historians later said Stalin had as a goal the destruction of as much of the part of Germany his armies would occupy as possible, knowing as he did that the Germans had a standard of living far in excess of what his soldiers had ever seen.

Later, the Communist state the Soviets established in eastern Germany condemned the bombing of Dresden as a cruel and unnecessary act, committed by the Western Allies out of pure bloody-mindedness.

 

Well Urban Renewal comes in many guises.

 

Surprise. It was Americans and British forces that, regardless of who originally had that idea, bombed Dresden in those days. The point is that these coins were not issued to condemn that - after all, it was Nazi Germany that started the war. No, the 5M coin, and the memorial with the ruins of the Frauenkirche, rather had a "never again" message - which from the GDR regime's point of view did of course have a different "accent" than the later Federal Republic coins which focused on reconciliation.

For example, in the rebuilt Frauenkirche in Dresden there is one of the Coventry Crosses - such symbols would be pretty much impossible if people today, about two thirds of a century after the end of that war, still constantly pointed at and accused others. And yes, coins sure are means of conveying political messages - but I was simply trying to show a piece that I like, as part of a "theme line" so to say.

Christian

 

"Janus" on a coin.

 

The €10 coin from 2006? Yeah, pretty much. (I posted a link only since the piece is not exactly on topic here.) The dome on the left is the Academy of Arts, the comes the Frauenkirche, the Castle Tower, the Hofkirche and the Semper Opera. And the silhouettes at the bottom give an idea of what was there in mid-1945. Some of these buildings on the river had been rebuilt in the GDR years (with the selection based on the government's political criteria as well as funds, or rather the constant lack thereof), others followed later. The Semper Opera for example was rebuilt in (or rather until) 1985; the GDR issued this commem on that occasion:


(Image: Mages - Click on the image to get a larger photo.)

Lots of room for fingerprints again. But a nice design, i think.

Christian

 

It's no surprise that British and American bombers destroyed Dresden. It's historical fact. It's also fact that they acted upon a Soviet request to attack Dresden, ostensibly for tactical reasons. Likewise, it's a fact that RAF crews queried the order, because they could not see a good tactical reason to execute it. Being faithful warriors, they carried it out anyway once their query was rejected.

In the end, the destruction of Dresden was carried out at the behest of the Soviets, and for reasons best known to Joseph Stalin himself. That the DDR later excoriated it as a capitalist crime is ironic, to say the least.

But then history is filled with ironies, as is life itself.

 

Oh well. I thought this was about coins.

Christian

 

It is about coins. Coins are among the most revealing parts of a society. What they are meant to say means much, and how each of us hears what they say means much.

Always remember than you and I are part of a special fraternity - coin collectors. It's existed since there first were coins, and will continue long after we ourselves are history. I appreciate that you are preserving part of the past for the future, regardless of our differences.

 

STASI = Homeland security pukes

 

There will always be coins that some of us find great primarily because of the designs while others may dislike them primarily because of the political message or background. And I agree, it is hard if not impossible to keep these two aspects apart.

Part of my coin collection is, surprise, pieces from "my" country, the Federal Republic of Germany. But (apart from the problem that I collect too many coins from all kinds of places ) I find "theme sets" - such as the Dresden one that I mentioned - very interesting. Similarly, I have Goethe and Luther coins from the Federal Republic, so I also wanted to get the issues from the German Empire and the GDR. I have an Einstein coin from here, and I also got one from Switzerland. And so on.

Then there are GDR coins that I want or wanted to get because they show a place that I have been to (Dresden, Weimar, Meißen, etc.) or maybe great writers or composers that for some reason have been honored on GDR coins but not Federal Republic coins. Does not have anything to do with the question of whether I support or love the countries/regimes that issued them ...

One more piece (Image: Mikeska) from the GDR - it honors Otto von Guericke who not only was the mayor of Magdeburg for many years but also a scientist who developed the vacuum pump for example. Here is ... nah, not Guericke but the pump.



And when six years ago the Federal Republic (now including the former GDR states) issued a "1200 Years Magdeburg" coin, that pump showed up again ...

Christian

 

Here are two I couldn't turn away from, as a fan of coins from defunct governments.

 

There has been much discussion (especially, but not only in Germany) about the morality of bombing Dresden, which had little if any industry, but a lot of beautiful old houses. What it did have, however, was a major railroad junction, which qualified as a legitimate military target. Still, whether fire-bombing was the best way to deal with it can be disputed. At the end of his recent history "The Storm of War", Andrew Roberts concludes that the bombing campaign against Germany was justifiable--mainly because it was the only way the Allies could fight Germany before the Normandy landing--and it tied up half of the Reich's fighter aircraft in the Vaterland, keeping it out of the Russian front.