Currency reserves, gold and monetary policy, the development of gold, the end of the gold standard in Germany and hyperinflation, the five phases in the development of Germany’s gold reserves after 1945, gold inventory management: these are just some of the aspects covered in our new online course on gold reserves.

This course has been designed by Thomas Langer, senior advisor for cash management at the Centre for International Central Bank Dialogue (CIC), and Dr Martin Pontzen, CIC expert for central banking, and will take place on 11 October 2023. They are looking forward to exchanging views with colleagues from all over the world interested in the history of gold as part of the monetary system and the key role it still plays today. This course will be very useful, especially for central bankers working in the inventory management of reserves or supervision of procedures. 

Participants in this debut online event will gain a broad overview of historical aspects of gold reserves in the monetary system, looking at the situation immediately following the currency reform, inflows in the period of the European Economic Community and, later, the expansion of gold reserves. The course will also address just how relevant gold is today. In addition, it provides a detailed insight into the development phases of Germany’s gold reserves and explains how inventories could be structured. Alongside monetary policy aspects, it also covers the storage and management of gold reserves as well as the quality of gold holdings.

This course is part of our “Current Focus” series, a new format that has been running for a year now. This format is designed to explore current events and developments that are of interest to central banks throughout the year. It takes the form of an online course and is aimed at all staff members in our partner central banks who are interested in the topic at hand. There is no limit on the number of participants. New courses are announced at regular intervals on our website and in our newsletter. We would be delighted to welcome as many participants as possible. 

Text: Silke Schrupp