Frankfurt’s Euro Sculpture Seeks New Donor for Preservation

Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) – A new donor is being sought for the preservation of the euro sculpture in Frankfurt’s banking district. The Frankfurt Culture Committee terminated the contract with the previous sponsor in February, the association’s chairman Manfred Pohl said on Friday. Talks are currently underway with possible new donors. The “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” had previously reported.

A financial start-up based in the city only agreed last fall to raise 200,000 euros a year for the sculpture. The Frankfurt district court has now initiated insolvency proceedings against the fintech company, as a spokeswoman for the court confirmed.

Last year, the Frankfurt Culture Committee, owner of the sculpture on Willy-Brandt-Platz, brought an auction into play because financial resources had been used up and sponsors had failed. In the fall of 2022, the club then announced that it would receive the new sponsorship.

“It’s a symbol that propagates Frankfurt’s identity worldwide,” said Pohl. He is therefore in good spirits that a solution can be found. “If nobody is interested, then it should be sold or auctioned off,” said Pohl. The annual maintenance costs are around 100,000 to 120,000 euros, it said. Including events, a total of 200,000 euros is needed.

The 14 meter high sculpture by Ottmar Hörl was erected in 2001 to mark the introduction of the euro in front of what was then the headquarters of the ECB. She has repeatedly been the target of protests, for example because of criticism of the EU or globalization.

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