"Euro" Exhibition Presented at Frankfurt Airport from September 19 to January 13; Complete Set of "Euro" Coins from 12 Nations on Display in Terminal 2
Frankfurt, Germany (ots)
Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide - owner and manager of Frankfurt Airport (FRA) - the Landeszentralbank Hessen (State of Hesse central bank) and Germany's Bundesbank are presenting an exhibition titled "The Euro - Our Money": running from September 19 to January 13 at Frankfurt Airport's Terminal 2, opposite the Sky Line station (Level 3). In less than four months, on January 1, the euro will become legal tender. It will serve as a common currency for about 300 million people living in twelve European countries - the so-called "Euroland" - as well as for millions of business and leisure travelers. The exhibition is aimed at providing euro information to passengers at Frankfurt Airport (FRA), citizens from the surrounding region, as well as members of the airport community. Fraport AG's Executive Board Chairman, Dr. Wilhelm Bender, officially opened the exhibition last night, along with Dr. Hans Reckers, President of the Landeszentralbank Hessen, and Dr. Jürgen Stark, Vice President of the German Bundesbank.
The 680-square-meter exhibition area is divided into two major areas. The "Countries and Coins" section features all 96 coins of the 12 euro countries: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. There are eight different coins ranging from 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents and 50 cents, up to 1 and 2. Each coin has a common European front side and a national reverse side unique to each country. All coins will be legal tender throughout Euroland. For the first time, the euro "starter kit" is also being exhibited at FRA. Millions of these kits, which contain a standardized mixture of euro money valued at 10.23, will be available to consumers from December 17 at local banks.
The "Banknotes" section of the exhibition displays the seven euro banknotes (Euro 5, Euro 10, Euro 20, Euro 50, Euro 100, Euro 200 and Euro 500 denominations), which are the same for each country. Visitors can learn more about the security characteristics of the new banknotes and procedures for introducing the euro. To ease the transition phase, the D-mark will remain in circulation along side the euro until the end of February.
Information panels, display cases, audio and video presentations, computer games and other games, talk shows, special events, contests and other attractions are planned for the span of the exhibition. After looking around, visitors can sit down on a sofa made out of shredded, recycled Deutsch marks, which will soon become part of Germany's history. Sponsors of the exhibition include: Aero Lloyd, Alitalia, Avis, Forum Euro, HR3 Radio (Hesse Broadcasting Co.), IBM Deutschland, Livingston Electronic Services, McDonald's, NEC Deutschland and Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts. Posters and information brochures about the euro and the exhibition have been distributed throughout the passenger terminals. Additional information can be also found on the Internet at: www.bundesbank.de or www.euro.ecb.int.
Kontakt:
Fraport AG Frankfurt
Airport Services Worldwide
Attn: Robert A. Payne - Manager International Press
60547 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Tel.: +49 69 690 -78547 (with voice mailbox)
Fax: +49 69 690 -60548
E-Mail: r.payne@fraport.de
Internet: www.fraport.de (click on "Press Lounge")