The 50th anniversary of Willy Brandt’s Kniefall von Warschau

Description (ECB)

The design shows Brandt, who was the chancellor of Germany at that time, keeling before the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes in Warsaw in a gesture of humility. Yhe Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943 is evoked by the composition’s powerful imagery. Traced in extremely fine relief, the design pictures compelling symbols: a seven-branched menorah, the ghetto victims, as well as the genuflection. The inner part of the coin also features the artist’s initials (top), the mint mark of the respective mint (‘A’, ‘D’, ‘F’, ‘G’ or ‘J’), the year, ‘2020’ (centre left), Germany’s issuing country code, ‘D’ (bottom right), and the lettering ‘50 JAHRE KNIEFALL VON WARSCHAU’. The coin’s outer ring bears the 12 stars of the European flag.

Source: European Central Bank, €2 commemorative coin pages. Texts quoted as published. ECB 2020

FAQ