In 2025, Germans exchanged around 53 million German marks at the Deutsche Bundesbank - almost as much as in 2024. "Many people find money in the homes of their elderly parents or grandparents who have died", says Burkhard Balz from the Federal Bank. It also happens that German marks pop up from old suitcases, jackets or old coin collections.
The German mark and its sentimental value
Others find German marks during the big spring cleaning. This is exactly what happened to 66-year-old Brunhilde Reimann-Lucas from Bad Nauheim, for example. She found several banknotes and coins of the old currency in drawers, boxes and envelopes and handed them over for exchange at the Deutsche Bundesbank.
The pensioner admits that the decision to exchange the marks was not easy. "I have so many memories with the German mark, I grew up with it", says Reimann-Lucas and admits that to this day she calculates prices in German marks.
There is no deadline for the handover. The exchange is free.
Decades after the introduction of the euro, Germany is still missing 12 billion German marks, says the Deutsche Bundesbank. "Some of it has certainly been lost or destroyed", says Burkhard Balz.
Anyone who finds old German mark banknotes or coins can still hand them over and exchange them at the Deutsche Bundesbank. There is no deadline for this. The exchange is free and can be done at all 31 branches of the bank throughout the country. For those who have forgotten: 1 euro is equivalent to nearly 2 German marks.
Author: Ursula Mayer (ARD)