Paulskirche

The Paulskirche at Paulsplatz 11 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, is a round neoclassical church that holds a special place in German democratic history. In 1848 and 1849 it hosted the Frankfurt National Assembly, the first freely elected parliament for all German states, which drafted a constitution that was never put into force but became a model for later democratic charters. The church was built from the late eighteenth century to the early 1830s as a Protestant place of worship, and its oval form gave the parliament a ready-made assembly hall. It was destroyed in the bombing of 1944 and rebuilt rapidly after the war, reopening in 1948 for the centenary of the 1848 revolution. The reconstruction deliberately left the interior as a plain, open hall rather than a church, and it is now used for civic ceremonies, including the annual Peace Prize of the German Book Trade presented during the Frankfurt Book Fair in October. Visitors can see the circular hall, the gallery that once held spectators and the exhibition material on the 1848 parliament when the building is open. The exterior, with its columned entrance and copper-green dome, is easily photographed from Paulsplatz, close to the Römerberg, and the square is quiet outside event days. Access has been affected by renovation planning for the building, so opening times can be restricted and should be checked with the Frankfurt tourist office before visiting. A visit takes around 30 minutes, longer for those reading the exhibition panels. Weekdays are generally calmer than weekends, and the Book Fair period in October brings ceremonies and crowds to the surroundings. The church is a five-minute walk from Hauptwache and Römer stations, and nearby attractions include the Römerberg, the Kaiserdom and the Schirn Kunsthalle.