23.01.2012
Bode-Museum
The Numismatic Collection's exhibition 'It's Enough for 8 Groschen. Frederick the Great Seen through His Coins and Medals' opened its doors on 23 January 2012 at the Bode Museum, in a continuation of the 'Art - King - Enlightenment' series of events being held in honour of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Frederick the Great.
Prof. Dr. Günther Schauerte, vice president of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, and Prof. Dr. Bernd Kluge, director of the Berlin State Museums' Numismatic Collection, welcomed a large attendance of numismatic enthusiasts. The exhibition focuses on Frederick II's particular importance in this field, as no other European monarch has had such a lasting influence on his country's coinage and monetary system.
The 8 Groschen mentioned in the title refer to what a soldier' weekly pay was at the time - an amount for which the King expected quite a lot. One day he ordered the regiments, already exhausted from the day's battles, to carry out yet another attack in the evening. The soldiers mutinied and the following, famous words were said to have been spoken: "Give us a break, Fritz - that was enough for 8 Groschen".