Dreifaltigkeitsmedaille (Moritzpfennig)

Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg

Description

The obverse of the elaborately created medal shows the depiction of the Holy Trinity (“Gnadenstuhl”, seat of grace) with God the Father, Christ and the dove of the Holy Spirit. The reverse displays two angels who hold up a panel with the text of the Athanasian Creed. The medal is an artistic and technical masterwork. The “Athanasium”, called after its presumable author Athanasius of Alexandria (fourth century AD), belongs to the important creeds equally acknowledged during the time of religious reform by the Catholic as well as by the Protestant churches. It is likely that Duke Maurice of Saxony used this extremely valuable silver medal to address the German princes and thus to emphasise the community between the diverse confessions. Nonetheless, neither reconciliation nor accommodation was achieved. In 1546 began the Schmalkaldic War, by which Emperor Charles V (1519-1558) tried to bring about a settlement of the circumstances in the German lands. Duke Maurice of Saxony led the imperial army, even though he himself supported the reformation. At the Battle of Mühlberg, which took place on 24 April 1547, the Schmalkaldic League was crushingly beaten under the leadership of Elector John Frederick I (1503-1554). As a result, Protestantism was decisively weakened during the Augsburg Interim.

Author

Klaus Weschenfelder

Rights Statement Description

RR-F