St Paul’s Church (German: Paulskirche) in Frankfurt am Main is a church with important political symbolism in Germany. It was started as a Lutheran church in 1789 – coincidentally the same year as the French Revolution. By 1849, it had become the seat of the Frankfurt Parliament, the first publicly and freely-elected German legislative body.
From 31 March until 3 April 1848, it was the meeting place for the Vorparlament, which prepared the election for the National Assembly. On 18 May 1848, the National Assembly met for the first time in the church, and was therefore named the Paulskirchenparlament. Until 1849, the National Assembly worked in the church to develop the first constitution for a united Germany.
In May 1849, there were a number of uprisings to force the implementation of the constitution, but these were destroyed with the help of Prussia. On 30 May 1849, the Paulskirchenparlament was dissolved. After 1852, St. Paul’s was again used for Lutheran services.
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The Pre-Parliament entering Saint Pauls Church on 21 March 1848 by Jean Ventadour
In 1944, during World War II, the church was destroyed along with much of the Frankfurt wider city centre in the Allied Bombing of Frankfurt. St. Paul’s was reopened on the centennial of the Frankfurt Parliament. Due to financial restraints, the original inner form was dramatically altered. An inserted floor now divides the basement – which currently serves as a display room – from the actual hall in the main floor.
Today St. Paul’s is no longer used as a church, instead it became a venue used for various displays and events. The most well-known is the annual awarding of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade during the Frankfurt Book Fair.
