Germans take pride in local money
28/10/08 16:47
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By Tristana Moore BBC News, Magdeburg,
Germany The next time you venture out for lunch in Magdeburg, check what kind of loose change you have in your wallet. |
The local banknotes are issued at a rate of 1:1 to the euro
Like any other city in Germany, the normal currency here is the euro. But bizarrely, they also have another currency in circulation: the Urstromtaler.
Before you doubt its existence, it is not "Monopoly" money - it is very real. At a jewellery shop in the city centre, Gerfried Kliems explained how people use the regional currency.
"It's quite simple," he said. "The money you spend stays in the region. When I accept Urstromtaler in my shop, I then have to see how I can spend the local banknotes. You get to know everyone who's participating in this project, and at the end of the day, you have a good feeling about life." (read the article)
More than 200 businesses are using the regional currency, including shops, bakeries, florists, restaurants. There is even a cinema which accepts Urstromtaler.
