Herdenking geboorte van Friedrich Fröbel door de Anna Paulowna School te Amsterdam 1882 1881

This medal, created in 1882 by Jacob Samuel Cohen Elion, commemorates the birth of Friedrich Fröbel, the famous German pedagogue. Notice the portrait of Fröbel himself, encircled by his name and birth date. On the reverse, the inscription reads: "Commemorating the birth of Fröbel by the Anna Paulowna School in Amsterdam, 21 April 1882." The act of creating and wearing medals as commemorative objects stretches back centuries, echoing ancient Roman practices of honoring emperors and victories. Medals served not only to remember individuals but also as a marker of belonging and shared identity. The school's decision to strike this medal reveals a deep connection to Fröbel’s educational philosophies, associating themselves with his progressive ideas. The very act of commemoration speaks to our human need to grapple with time, memory, and legacy, transforming the ephemeral into something enduring. In that spirit, the creation of this medal can be viewed as a deeply psychological act, an attempt to immortalize Fröbel's spirit. And thus the medal becomes a window into the collective psyche of a community, forever etched into the annals of history.