Regiogeld is an umbrella term for and organization of regional currencies in Germany. The currencies are either backed by euros or social agreements, and vary based on the needs of the communities implementing them. Members of the Regiogeld Association are independently financed, welfare-oriented, and form a democratic network focused on promoting sustainable financial systems. The Regiogeld Association identifies 24 publishers of regional money with euro deposits, 9 publishers of regional money with service or product coverage, and 15 groups that are active in the research and development of regional money.
Baden-Württemberg
Tauberfranken
Region: Tauber Franconia, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency
First Issued: 2006-2010, relaunched in 2013
Description and Background: Tauberfranken notes exchange 1:1 to the euro.
Circulation and Participation: unknown
Founders: unknown
Contact: info@tauberfranken-regiogeld.de
Website: http://tauberfranken-regiogeld.de/start/
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Illtaler
Region: Illingen, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency
First Issued: October 2005
Description and Background: Illtaler voucher notes can be purchased in 5 euro increments starting from a value of 10 euro.
Circulation and Participation: More than 28,000 Illtaler have been in circulation
Founders: unknown
Contact: https://www.illingen.de/metanav/kontakt/
Website: https://www.illingen.de/leben-in-illingen/illtaler/
Bavaria
Chiemgauer
Region: Prien am Chiemsee, Bavaria, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency
First Issued: 2003
Description and Background: The Chiemgauer program is the largest regional currency in Germany. The Chiemgauer is focused on increasing the amount of local trade and employment within the community by stimulating the consumption of local goods and services. The notes experience negative interest (demurrage), and are exchangeable to euros.
Circulation and Participation: As of mid-2019, 716,502 Chiemgauer are in circulation with 504 participating businesses, 26 exchange points, and nearly 4,000 participating consumers.
Founder: Christian Gelleri
Contact: service@chiemgauer.info
Website: http://www.chiemgauer.info/
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Der Regio
Region: Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Starnberg, Miesbach, Weilheim-Schongau, Munich and Darmstadt Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency
First Issued: 2009
Description and Background: The Regio supports local businesses by encouraging local spending and through support of chosenn projects that receive 3% from the payments made with Regios. Regios are issued by the Irsee Abbey monestary and come in the form of vouchers, which have to be covered with new “tokens” every three months to extend their validity. Cards are also available for cashless transactions. Regios exchange 1:1 to the euro.
Circulation and Participation: 31,298 Regios in circulation, 71 companies, 25 societies, and 2 dispensaries
Founders: unknown
Contact: wandel-gestalten@gmx.net
Website: https://der-regio.de/
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HALLERTAUER
Region: Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency
First Issued: November 2004
Description and Background: HALLERTAUER vouchers exchange 1:1 to the euro, and 95% of the HALLERTAUER’s value is returned when exchanging back to euros. Membership in the club is required to begin exchanges, but there is no fee. 3% of the HALLERTAUERS exchanged go towards a social, cultural, or ecological project of the customer’s choosing at the time of purchase. There is no demurrage on HALLERTAUER notes. With the establishment of any digital version, demurrage would be introduced.
Circulation and Participation: 20,000 HALLERTAUER are circulating as a cash voucher in 2019.with 120 acceptance points and15 funded projects.
Founders: Roland Dörfler, Christiane Hofbauer, Matthias Hofbauer, Manfred "Mensch" Mayer, Karin Meilinger, Christa Radlmeier and Peter Trapp
Contact: manfred.mensch.mayer@pfaffenhofen.de
Website: http://www.hallertauer-regional.de/regionalgeld
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Donau-Taler
Region: The Danube region of Upper Swabia, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency
First Issued: unknown
Description and Background: Donau-Talers exchange 1:1 to the euro and incur a small fee when exchanged back. Every six months, new brands, purchased with a small fee, must be added to the bills to extend the validity of the bill and to encourage spending.
Circulation and Participation: 55 companies and 25 clubs participate in the Donau-Taler program
Founders: unknown
Contact: hoffmann@markenmachen.de
Website: http://donau-taler.de/
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Bärling
Region: Freising and the Freisinger Land, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency
First Issued: 2014
Description and Background: Bärlings come in two forms: a RegioCard for cashless transactions and physical vouchers. The Bärling depreciates 2% each quarter, and the vouchers can be renewed by purchasing tokens to attach to the voucher. Exchanging for Bärlings uses a 1:1 rate against the euro, but converting back to euros incurs a 5 or 10% penalty, depending on the tariff. Three percent of this penalty goes towards a customer-elected funding project, and the remaining fee supports the organization, Regionalgeld for Freising and the Freisinger Land.
Circulation and Participation: unknown
Founders: unknown
Contact: info@regionalgeldfreising.de
Website: https://www.regionalgeldfreising.de/
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Rotenburger Zehner
Region: Rotenburg, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency
First Issued: January 2009
Description and Background: “The “Rotenburger Zehner” is a gift voucher worth ten euros, which was developed in cooperation with the Rotenburger Kreiszeitung and the InfoBüro of the City of Rotenburg.”
Circulation and Participation: 29,000 tens have been sold as of 2019 and are valid at 120 participating businesses
Founders: unknown
Contact: info@rotenburger-zehner.de
Website: http://www.rotenburger-zehner.de/10erbeirownetde/
http://rownet.de/marketingservices/rotenburgerzehnerde/index.html
Hesse
BürgerBlüte
Region: Kassel, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency
First Issued: 2005
Description and Background: The association "Bürgergeld eV" was founded in the summer of 2005 and administers the BürgerBlüte vouchers at an exchange of 1:1 to the euro. The vouchers can be obtained at issuing offices or by subscription, and 3% of the BürgerBlüte exchanged go towards a non-profit organization of the customer’s choosing at the time of purchase. Exchanging back to euros incurs a 5% redemption fee, 3% of which goes to a non-profit of the customer’s choosing, with the remaining 2% returning to the Verein Bürgergeld eV.
Circulation and Participation: Over 60 businesses participate in the program
Founders: unknown
Contact: info@buergerbluete.de
Website: https://www.buergerbluete.de/
Lower Saxony
Roland-Regional
Region: Bremen, Ottersberg, and Osterholz, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency
First Issued: October 2001
Description and Background: Roland-Regional is described as a business ring, and membership in the ring is required to use the voucher checks. The vouchers exchange 1:1 to the euro, and lose 1% of their value each month to encourage spending.
Circulation and Participation: 113 providers accept the voucher checks
Founders: unknown
Contact: info@roland-regional.de
Website: https://www.roland-regional.de/
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Einbecker Zehner
Region: Einbeck, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency
First Issued: March 2018
Description and Background: The Einbecker Zehner notes are complementary to the euro but cannot be reconverted back to euros once they are purchased. The project was initiated by the city of Einbeck and is currently run by Einbeck Marketing.
Circulation and Participation: 4 exchange desks, 77 participating businesses, more than 4100 Einbecker Zehner have been sold
Founders: The City of Einbeck
Contact: info@einbeck-marketing.de, f.pietsch@einbeck-marketing.de, A. Freya Pietsch, Corporate Communications Officer
Website: https://www.einbeck-marketing.de/kooperationen/einbecker-zehner/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/EinbeckMarketing https://www.instagram.com/einbeckmarketing/ https://twitter.com/emgmbh?lang=de
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Rinteln 5er
Region: Bückeburg, Obernkirchen, Stadthagen and Rinteln, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency
First Issued: October 2007
Description and Background: Rinteln 5er notes are worth 5 euro each.
Circulation and Participation: 120 participating businesses
Founders: unknown
Contact: pro-rinteln@rinteln.de
Website: https://www.pro-rinteln.de/rinteln_5er.html
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Grafschafter Mark
Region: Nordhorn, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency
First Issued: 2005
Description and Background: Using Grafschafter Mark notes increases purchasing power 6%. The currency has a 0.94 exchange rate to the euro, and businesses, but not individuals, can convert the marks back to euros. The notes include expiration dates to encourage spending.
Circulation and Participation: unknown
Founders: unkown
Contact: http://www.grafschafter-geld.de/kontakt.php
Website: www.grafschafter-geld.de
North Rhine-Westphalia
HellwegTaler
Region: Bad Sassendorf, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency
First Issued: November 2012
Description and Background: HellwegTaler notes exchange 1:1 to the euro, with 2% demurrage every three months. The notes are revalidated through the purchase of a sticker equal to the value of 2% of the note. A conversion fee of 2% applies to businesses exchanging back to euros. The notes are issued by 15 branches of the Volksbank Hellweg in the region.
Circulation and Participation: 16 participating companies, 7 supported clubs, 15 exchange desks, 1066 HellwegTaler in circulation
Founders: unknown
Contact: info@hellwegtaler.de
Website: http://www.hellwegtaler.de/
Rhineland-Palatinate
RegioMark RhineMosel
Region: Koblenz, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency
First Issued: 2013
Description and Background: RegioMarks are covered by the euro, exchanging 1:1. The Regioverein Koblenz eV - Association for Sustainable Management organizes and manages the entire project, and membership in the association is required to participate in the exchanges.
Circulation and Participation: unknown
Founders: unknown
Contact: info@regiovereinkoblenz.de
Website: https://centerforneweconomics.org/wp-content//index.php?menuid=32
Saxony
Elbtaler
Region: Dresden, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency, digital and physical notes
First Issued: February 2012
Description and Background: The Förderverein Elbtaler eV union oversees the Elbtalers, which requires membership for participating businesses but not for individual consumers. The membership fee for companies is 120 euro, which is used to cover the costs of running the organization. Bills can be obtained at issuing offices, and online accounts allow for digital transfers as well as withdraws and deposits.
Circulation and Participation: 55 companies, and 4 clubs participate in the Elbtaler program, with 14,496.74 Elbtaler on the online accounts and 1,336 Elbtaler vouchers in circulation.
Founders: unknown
Contact: norbert.rost@regionalentwicklung.de
Website: https://www.elbtaler.de/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/Elbtaler.eV
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Erzregio
Region: Chemnitz, Germany
Currency Type: locally-issued convertible paper currency, digital and physical notes
First Issued: unknown
Description and Background: The Erzregio is a voucher note that doesn’t lose its validity. It exchanges 1:0.5 against the euro. “The aim of the Erzregio initiative is regional economic development or assistance in solving serious economic problems in our Erzgebirge region.”
Circulation and Participation: More than 100 dealers and service providers in the region issue and accept the Erzregio voucher
Founders: unknown
Contact: http://erzregio.de
Website: http://erzregio.de