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In Frankfurt, the famous euro sculpture saved from disappearance

by AI | 08.Dec 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The imposing blue and yellow sculpture representing the euro symbol, a major curiosity in Frankfurt, the city that hosts the European Central Bank, has been saved from possible disappearance, according to an agreement unveiled Monday by the municipality.

The euro symbol stands in front of the former building of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo: Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

Frankfurt (Hesse, Germany) – Installed in the heart of the city on the banks of the Main, on Willy-Brandt Platz, the light installation representing a euro surrounded by twelve stars “will be preserved” thanks to the joint commitment of the city of Frankfurt, the European Central Bank and the Frankfurt branch of the pro-European association “Europa Union” (EUF), said Eileen O’Sullivan, deputy mayor, at a press conference.

This solution comes after “years of discussions and a future that had become uncertain,” due to high maintenance costs and the withdrawal of sponsors, she added.

Standing 14 meters high and weighing 50 tons, the sculpture designed by the German artist Ottmar Hörl was erected in 2001 in front of the former ECB headquarters.

Over time, it has become the “most photographed object in the city,” says Ms. O’Sullivan.

An annual budget of 50,000 euros has been set, financed with 30,000 euros from the city and supplemented by the ECB, founded in 1998. Its move in 2014 to a brand-new tower in the east of the city had already nearly caused the disappearance of the work. (December 8, 2025)