For 20 years we have not been paying with shillings, but with euros: to mark this occasion, the National Bank is illuminating its façade with euro banknotes and coins until April.
The magnificent light installation was ceremoniously presented outdoors under strict 2G-plus controls on Wednesday evening. The Federal Minister of Finance, Magnus Brunner, who was on crutches due to an accident, was allowed to trigger the illumination at the push of a button. The importance of cash was emphasized in speeches by the OeNB leadership, above all Governor Robert Holzmann and Director Eduard Schock (see video above). Then it was Finance Minister Brunner’s word: “You can rest assured that the euro will remain strong,” he referred to the stability of the European currency. At the celebration that followed, the euro was even eaten – in the form of a birthday cake with the euro symbol and spray candles. Also the now retired designer Robert Kalina (66). In 1996 there was a design competition for the first series of euro banknotes. The OeNB won with Kalina’s drafts, which were slightly adapted. Today, the euro is the official means of payment for over 340 million people in 19 EU member states. Every evening until April, the main building of the National Bank shines with different animations consisting of banknotes and coins. A side note: the national banks are lit up at the same time throughout the eurozone!
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