Money, whether in the form of banknotes, coins, or digital credits in our bank accounts, is at the heart of nearly everything we do in modern life. But we rarely give it any sustained thought. What, after all, is money, really? How does it work? Where does it come from? Who controls the banks? How does monetary policy work, and what roles do central banks play in its use?

The Bundesbank has achieved a surplus of 1 billion euros in 2016. This is 2.2 billion euros less than in the previous year. Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann justified this at the annual press conference with increased risk provisions.