How did Germany's gold reserves come into being and what role did gold play as a means of payment through the ages? What was the significance of gold reserves then and now? With this book, the Bundesbank's gold reserves are presented to readers for the first time in an informative and illustrative way, as if they were holding them in their own hands. The transfer of significant gold holdings from the depositories in New York and Paris to Frankfurt has attracted a great deal of public attention in recent years.

The Bundesbank posted a profit of € 2.5 billion for the 2018 financial year, representing a year-on-year increase of € 0.5 billion. This increase was due to higher interest income, noted Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann.

In 2018, the German economy’s current account surplus decreased by ¾ percentage point to 7¼% of nominal gross domestic product (GDP). This was due to a sharp decline in the goods trade surplus, whereas developments in the other sub- accounts tended to push up the surplus.