0 Euro - Ruhrgebiet - Die 11 Kreisfreien Städte

EuroSouvenir notes are legal collector items issued under a framework established by the European Central Bank in 2015, which permits euro-format souvenir notes provided they carry a zero denomination and cannot be mistaken for genuine currency. Oberthur Fiduciaire — one of the few security printers licensed to produce them — brings full banknote-grade production to what is essentially a regional tourism product. This example commemorates the eleven independent cities of the Ruhr, the densely urbanized post-industrial district in North Rhine-Westphalia that once anchored Germany's coal and steel output.

The Ruhr's eleven kreisfreie Städte — administratively independent of any surrounding county — reflect a governance structure shaped by decades of heavy industry and the labor politics that came with it.