The euro cash is celebrating its 20th birthday – and the Bundesbank is commemorating the beginnings of the common currency with a traveling exhibition.
Frankfurt / Main – Euro cash is celebrating its 20th birthday – and the Bundesbank is commemorating the beginnings of the common currency with a traveling exhibition. The exhibition, which is housed in a glass-steel cube and is currently on show in Frankfurt, is a reminder of the events at the turn of the year 2001/2002 with small and large exhibits, explanatory texts and contemporary documents. “It is important to us to celebrate the euro as a European project 20 years after the introduction of cash,” said Bundesbank board member Johannes Beermann on Monday. “I notice that the topic interests people.” The exhibits can be seen in Frankfurt until January 2nd. After that, the traveling exhibition will be shown for around four weeks each in Düsseldorf, Hanover, Hamburg, Berlin and Leipzig.
At the turn of the year 2001/2002, the euro was introduced to the people in banknotes and coins in twelve European countries. Today it is the official means of payment for a good 340 million people in 19 EU countries. The history of the European common currency goes back a few years further: As early as January 1, 1999, the euro became legal tender for 11 of the then 15 EU member states – initially only electronically. Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Spain were there from the start. In 2001 Greece was added. (dpa)
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