Why is an oak twig depicted on the 1, 2 and 5 euro cent coins issued by Germany?

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t_maia2000

Because the oak tree is the national plant of Germany. It symbolises Germany the way Laurel leaves do Italy and the Lily France.

There is a saying that goes "stark wie deutsche Eiche" (strong as German oak). Oak was among the trees that were sacred to the old Germanic tribes, the "Thing" (tribe assembly and legal council) was commonly held under an oak or a linden tree.

dr strangelove

Oak is kind of a holy symbol...goes back farther than the Romans who used oak leaves as a sign of victory. (Even the US military used oak leave clusters on their medals.) The Germanic tribes and the Celts had their ceremonies in oak groves. On the old 50 Pfennig piece there is a picture of a woman planting a oak.This was a picture of the designers wife, and she is dressed like the TrÃ¼mmerfrauen, the women that cleaned up the bombed cities of Germany brick by brick, after the war.It symbolized a new beginning.

thumberlina

Some would say....Signifying that Germany is standing strong - a connection to the German Oak tree.
Strong wood - strong country - as strong as an Oak (tree)...

But the actual meaning behind it is:

The oak is a common symbol of strength and endurance and has been chosen as the national tree of England, France, Germany and the United States.

Thor's Oak was a sacred tree of the Germanic Chatti tribe. Its destruction marked the Christianisation of the heathen tribes by the Franks[citation needed].

In the Bible, the oak tree at Shechem is the site where Jacob buries the foreign gods of his people (Gen. 35.4) . In addition, Joshua erects a stone under an oak tree as the first covenant of the Lord (Josh. 24.25-7). See other examples from the Bible

Maresa

It remembers to the old Pfennig where the oak twig was shown, too.

The Oak is one of THE German trees, everyone knows it and can identify it. It stands also for a kind of strenght is a symbol for a strong country Germny wanted to become after WWII.

bumblecherry

It used to be on the pfennigs too.

schnauzer2

it's used for the sign of strength. The oak tree is also the national tree in Germany, the oak is a sign of eternal life. In romantic times it was to show that you are true to only one. The oak leaf is also used on medals etc

oldtombombadilio

Because the oak is a hard wood, the stongest of the strong trees, as the Fatherland was once the strongest nation.

But now it is just on the periphary of global influence, a mere twig on the tree of empiricism.

Hope this helps.

Pacino

I dont know,maybe sign of nature

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