The World in Money: Global Events Reflected in Frankfurt’s Financial Objects

With a focus on Frankfurt's collection of numismatic objects, the exhibition exploits the potential of material culture for historical communication. The deliberate shift in perspective – from the object to the global context and back again – provides unexpected insights into economic, political, and social developments.

The appeal of the exhibition is well illustrated by the example of a Frankfurt inflation medal from 1817: the reverse side of the medal shows how expensive grain and other foodstuffs were. So far, so unremarkable. However, the background to this year of famine in 1817 was a volcanic eruption in Indonesia two years earlier. The enormous ash cloud emitted by the volcano covered the northern hemisphere for a long time, causing wet conditions and destroying crops over a large area in 1816 due to increased storms.

Many myths, but also solid theories, surround this historical world event and are associated with it. It could be that more horses were slaughtered due to the destruction of grain, which accelerated the adoption of the bicycle.

It is also possible that the birth of Frankenstein can be traced back to this global weather event, as Mary Shelley was forced to spend a lot of time indoors during a trip to Switzerland due to the wet weather conditions. To pass the time, she wrote horror stories, including Frankenstein.

The dramatic sunsets in the paintings of the Biedermeier period may also be attributed to the ash particles from the volcanic eruption, which remained in the atmosphere for decades.

These and other connections can be discovered by taking a closer look at the objects, revealing the interconnections of the world – even long before what we now understand as “globalization.” 
At first glance, “The World in Money” connects seemingly inconspicuous objects with exciting contexts, history with the present – and Frankfurt with the world. An invitation to marvel, question, and rethink.