December 2001 - Nr. 12
Euro Countdown
TWIG - The euro is coming on January 1, 2002. The fanfare, a distant trumpet a few years ago, is now at full crescendo. Despite this gradual approach, some Germans seem only now to be confronting the imminent loss of their trusty deutschmark, wondering what this will mean to their wallets, wills, and wages. To allay concerns throughout the continent, the European Central Bank and the German Federal Reserve Bank as well as many regional financial institutions are working hard to educate consumers in an extensive information campaign. At the Frankfurt Airport, travelers can get to know "The Euro — Our Money" at an eponymous exhibit on display through January 13. In Duesseldorf, a euro tent has been set up to satisfy the curiosity and concern of passersby.
Visitor reactions range from enthusiastic to skeptical. Carola Peters, a saleswoman who stopped by the Duesseldorf info tent during her lunch break, says she has no problem letting go of the mark. "We have to look ahead and can’t fear what is new. Europe is Europe." Veronica Mertens, a farmer’s wife, is warier. "What the farmer doesn’t know, he doesn’t eat" is a German proverb that expresses a mistrust of the new. Mertens confesses that the phrase sums up her feelings on the euro, too. Above all, she worries about how to tell the unfamiliar new notes from counterfeits. Ursula Hachman, who is vision impaired, is most concerned about "how the new money will feel in my hands." She runs her fingers over a five-euro note and says, "It feels smooth and cool. But after it’s been used and becomes a little rumpled, I’m sure it will feel as soft and familiar as my old five-mark note."
The latest poll on German acceptance of the euro, conducted by the German Banking Association, shows that Ursula Hachman’s optimism seems to be spreading. Now just 23% of Germans doubt that the new currency will be a success; last year at this time, the number was nearly twice as high. This puts Germany slightly behind the Eurozone average. Still, roughly 65% expect to awaken on New Year’s Day 2002 to a new currency without difficulties.
