More than 11,000 members of the public visited the Bundesbank’s Regional Office in Hesse to get a glimpse behind the scenes of Germany’s central bank. Themed around “Backstage Bundesbank”, visitors enjoyed a varied programme that included talks on the tasks and history of the Bundesbank, tours of the Regional Office and a virtual tour of the institution.

At the info tents, guests were able to learn about the Bundesbank’s key tasks in a playful way, whether that was by taking a reaction test, trying out the “live wire” game, answering quiz questions or being taught how to identify counterfeit money. Staff members from different areas of the Bank also gave insights into their daily tasks with short “elevator pitches”. In addition, a variety of musical performances and shows as well as a lively children’s programme kept visitors of all ages entertained.

Gold bar and VR experience were major attractions

At the Open Day, the queue of visitors waiting for their chance to lift a gold bar weighing 12.5 kilogrammes was especially long. The gold bar was on display in a specially conceived room, the “gold vault”.

The virtual reality video was equally popular, taking visitors on a virtual tour through the Bundesbank’s vaults, the office of the Bundesbank President and the meeting chamber of the European Central Bank. A number of tours took guests through the Bundesbank’s Regional Office in Hesse.

Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel in conversation with guests

Taking the main stage, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel welcomed visitors on both days of the event. Together with Frankfurt am Main’s Lord Mayor, Mike Josef, he discussed the city’s importance as a European financial hub. In addition, he addressed topics such as the introduction of the digital euro with ARD moderator Anne-Catherine Beck. I would like to be able to pay with the digital euro by the end of my tenure, Mr Nagel said.

Joining him on stage were Claudia Buch, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank, and Bundesbank Executive Board Member Michael Theurer. They chiefly discussed the Single Supervisory Mechanism, which is operated by the ECB, BaFin and the Bundesbank.

The aim of our Open Day is to make the Bundesbank visible and familiarise the public with the tasks it performs. And with “Backstage Bundesbank”, we succeeded on all fronts, said Ingrid Herden, Director General Communications, reflecting on the event.