'The other side of the medal' at the British Museum

I went to see The other side of the medal: how Germany saw the First World War exhibition at the British Museum today. Very interesting and well worth seeing.

These medals were made by German artists and either reflected the public opinion towards the war or tried to influence it. Next to each medal was some commentary on what it is showing and why.

This medal shows how the Germans viewed the blockade of Germany, with German civilians dying from starvation behind barbed wire.

Bronze medal depicting an event with multiple athletes running, with a spiral staircase structure and a large clock or bell in the background; inscriptions include "ENGLAND" and "CHORLEY."

Particularly interesting are the medals influenced by the Dance of Death art genre from late medieval times, such as these two below.

Round bronze relief depicting five soldiers with rifles, engaged in battle, with a skeletal figure to the left. The inscription "TOTENTANZ" and the years "1944-1945" are inscribed at the bottom.

Bronze medal depicting a skeleton warrior wielding a sword and shield, leading an army of skeleton soldiers with spears, with the inscription "WELTKRIEG ZU LAND UND" at the bottom.

I think sometimes in Britain we forget to think about how the wars affected Germany, and indeed the rest of the world. This exhibition brought me a little closer to how Germans saw the First World War.

My photos from the exhibition are on Flickr.