Am Samstag, den 14. August 2021, eröff

On Saturday, 14 August 2021, the Münzkabinett (Coin Cabinet) run by Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD) will be opening its new special exhibition “Minted in the Heart of Europe. Money and the Medallic Art in Czecho/Slovakia” in cooperation with the Department of Numismatics at the National Museum of the Czech Republic. The presentation will be on display until April 19, 2022.

The presentation comprises some 180 numismatic objects, of which 25 come from the collection of the National Museum. The Dresden holdings will thus be complemented by the loan of some outstanding exhibits that have never before been displayed in Germany. Legal tender and works of medallic art will be on show dating from 1918 to the present.

After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, the Czechoslovak Republic was proclaimed in 1918, marking the dawn of a new era for our neighbouring country. The presentation will discuss important stages in this momentous period, such as the annexation of the Sudetenland in 1938, the 1968 Prague Spring, the Velvet Revolution in the winter of 1989 or the dissolution into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993. A host of coins, commemorative coins and banknotes shed light on a process of development that took more than a century. These forms of legal tender thus reflect the political and social conditions of the time while also constituting some exceptional works of artistic design.

Czechoslovakia had a prolific tradition in the field of medallic art extending back to the first half of the 20th century. In modern times, this genre is characterised by its creative and experimental ideas. Well-known Czech and Slovak art medallists continue to earn recognition outside their own countries to this day.

A free, richly illustrated 50-page booklet covering the key topics of the exhibition is available for visitors. This trilingual publication (in German, Czech and English) leads readers through the history of the monetary system and medallic art in Czechoslovakia and its successor states from 1918 to the present day. Anyone interested in additional information on the subject can also visit the virtual exhibition.

The exhibition is accompanied by a varied programme of supporting events and guided tours.

Partners and sponsors of the project include the Czech Mint in Jablonec nad Nisou, which is represented by its own presentation in the exhibition.