Friday, April 24, 2009

Jahrhunderthalle (Centennial Hall) Building

This pre-WWI silver over lead souvenir building may have been made for the 1913 centennial of Germany’s liberation from Napoleonic rule. The coin bank building is not listed in the book Monumental Miniatures and is very rare. It measures 3 5/8 wide and 2 7/8 inches tall. A Jahrhunderthalle coin bank recently sold on ebay for $847. It represents the Jahrhunderthalle (or Centennial Hall) building which was built between 1911–1913 in what was formerly the city of Breslau under German rule and is now named Wroclaw in Poland. Following World War II the Germans were expelled from Breslau and in August 1945 the city, again named Wroclaw, reverted back to Poland. The building was renamed Hala Ludowa (the People’s Hall) and still stand today. The structure was a major milestone in the development of the enclosure of large public spaces by reinforced concrete. The symmetrical quatrefoil shape with a large circular central space seats 6,000 persons. The dome is 23m high, made of in steel and glass. The Jahrhunderthalle became a key reference for the development of reinforced concrete structures in the a 20th century. It was by far the largest of several pavilions built in what was Scheitniger Park (now called Szczytnicki Park) to house the 1913 centennial of Germany’s liberation from Napoleonic rule. The Jahrhunderthalle was intended to serve as an exhibition space, an assembly hall, and a venue for concerts, sporting events and other entertainment. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006.

1 comment:

eSPy said...

It was made as a non-bank souvenir too. I have both, and they seem to be the same casting.

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