A lot has happened during the Bundesbank’s 60‑year history. “One thing has not changed, however, and that is the Bundesbank’s monetary policy stance”, writes Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann in a guest article on the occasion of the Bank’s anniversary. The Bundesbank has always been and remains committed to maintaining price stability. “Over the last 60 years, the Bundesbank has not been afraid to ruffle a few feathers if it sees stability risks”, Weidmann continued. “This has not damaged its reputation among the general public.” 

On 1 August 1957, the Bundesbank Act came into force, making the Bundesbank the central bank of Germany. It has been an advocate of a stable currency ever since – firstly for the D‑Mark, for a good four decades, and then for the euro, Europe’s single currency, since 2002. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid tribute to this in his congratulatory letter to the Bundesbank. "Over the past six decades, the Deutsche Bundesbank has earned a strong reputation among the people of Germany as the steadfast and unyielding guardian of our currency," Steinmeier noted, emphasising the significant contribution the Bank makes to the stability of the single currency and its key role in implementing measures in Germany agreed jointly within the ECB Governing Council.

Central bank history in text, images and sound

In the anniversary year of 2017, the Bundesbank is looking back at its history and providing numerous opportunities for the general public to get to know the central bank and its tasks.

The Bundesbank’s anniversary website www.60jahre.bundesbank.de presents a timeline which traces the history of the German central bank in text and images. Readers can learn about how the Bank deutscher Länder later became the Bundesbank, how Germany’s gold reserves were created and how the D‑Mark came to East Germany. Additionally, short videos reveal original images and voice clips from the past six decades of the Bundesbank's history. 

Those looking for more comprehensive information on the Bank’s current tasks both within Germany and the Eurosystem can refer to the book “Die Deutsche Bundesbank – Notenbank für Deutschland”. The Bundesbank has completely revised the publication for its 60th anniversary. It can be ordered or downloaded free of charge at www.bundesbank.de/buch.

On-site events

In September, the Bundesbank will be opening its doors to the public in Hanover (10 September), Berlin (16 September) and Coblenz (16 September). Visitors will have the opportunity to view the Bundesbank’s buildings, discover the highlights of sixty years of monetary history in an exhibition and find out more about the tasks of the Bundesbank’s Regional Offices during a series of talks and presentations. 

In addition, many cities across Germany – from Munich to Hamburg, from Düsseldorf to Berlin – are hosting evening events as part of the “Forum Bundesbank” series of talks. Complemented by a travelling exhibition, the talks also afford the public a fascinating insight into monetary history, from the D-Mark’s beginnings to Europe’s single currency, the euro.