Which currency was used in Germany before the euro?

Germany used the German mark, also called the Deutsche Mark, before the euro.

The Deutsche Mark was introduced in 1948 in the western occupation zones of postwar Germany, replacing the severely weakened Reichsmark. It became the currency of the Federal Republic of Germany and later circulated throughout reunified Germany. The currency’s ISO code was DEM, and its subunit was the pfennig, with 100 pfennigs making one mark.

The Deutsche Mark became internationally respected for its stability and was one of Europe’s important currencies during the second half of the 20th century. The Deutsche Bundesbank, Germany’s central bank, managed the currency and gained a strong reputation for controlling inflation.

Euro banknotes and coins replaced the mark for cash transactions on 1 January 2002, although the euro had already been introduced for accounting and electronic purposes in 1999. The mark is distinct from the Austrian schilling, Dutch guilder, and Belgian franc, which were the pre-euro currencies of other European countries.