Paulskirche, Frankfurt

St. Paul's Church is a former church in central Frankfurt cherished as a symbol of German democracy. In 1848 its oval hall became the meeting place of the Frankfurt National Assembly, the first freely elected parliament for all of Germany, which drafted a constitution and debated national unity. The building was gutted in the war and rebuilt for the country's centennial commemoration of 1848 as a memorial hall rather than a place of worship. Its plain circular interior now hosts ceremonies, exhibitions, and a major peace prize.