The photo book about the Bundesbank’s Central Office in Frankfurt am Main takes a close look at the architecture of the building and places it in a wider historical context.

The exhibition catalogue, spanning roughly 120 pages, showcases all 29 designs entered in the architectural competition for the planned ensemble of new buildings on the campus of the Deutsche Bundesbank’s Frankfurt Central Office.

The publication of this book marks yet another step forward by the Bundesbank, in its capacity as the manager of Germany’s gold reserves, in meeting the wish for transparency,” Executive Board member Carl-Ludwig Thiele told the press at the unveiling of the new book.

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?

Zeitzeugen (Living Witnesses) is an entertaining book that transports the reader back to various eras of numismatic history and boasts captivating images of historical coins. Over the course of thirty richly illustrated chapters, Zeitzeugen recounts episodes from various points in two-and-a-half thousand years of historical coinage.

The brochure describes the architecture of the building and takes a brief look at its interior and at our art collection. This glimpse inside the Bundesbank’s headquarters includes some surprising features, for the building offers unexpected perspectives.

The German economy is suffering from a crisis of confidence. After two years of virtual stagnation, only marginal growth is expected in 2003.

Over the long term, prices have risen less steeply in Germany than in most other industrial countries. At the same time, the Deutsche Mark has appreciated strongly in the foreign exchange markets and developed into the anchor currency of the European Monetary System. The stability of the Deutsche Mark owes a great deal to the monetary policy of the Bundesbank, which has been based on a clear statutory mandate, its independent status and its convincing monetary policy stance.